126 



THE POPULAR SCIEXCE MONTHLY. 



called laws of Nature 'govern' the phe- 

 nomena of which they are only generalized 

 expressions. I have been protesting 

 against this language for' the last quarter 

 of a century; and, as I know that Dr. 

 Buchner's views are extensively held 

 among the younger thinkers of Germany 

 and France, and have reasons to fear their 

 extension to this country, I thought it well 

 to take the opportunity which has been re- 

 cently afforded me of calling the attention 

 both of scientific men and of the general 

 public to what I consider the true functions 

 of man as the scientific interpreter of Na- 

 ture. It was not because I had any thing 

 to say on this subject that would be new 

 either to men of science or to theologians, 

 who have already gone through a like 

 course of thought with myself, but because 

 I hoped to lead some to think upon it who 

 have never so thought before, and to help 

 others to a clearer view of it than they 

 might have themselves attained, that I 

 chose it as the topic of my address. And, 

 so far as I have the opportunity of judg- 

 ing, my hope is being fully realized." 



Artificial Bntter. At the request of the 

 victualling department of the French Navy 

 for some wholesome substitute for butter 

 that would keep well, Mege Mouriez, after 

 a long course of experiments, has suc- 

 ceeded in producing an excellent substitute 

 for genuine butter, that does not become 

 rancid with time, and is otherwise highly 

 recommended. Experiments made with 

 cows, submitted to a very severe and scanty 

 diet, led to the discovery that they continue 

 to give milk, though in greatly diminished 

 quautity, and that this milk always contains 

 butter ; whence it was inferred that this 

 butter was formed from fat contained in the 

 animal tissues, the fat undergoing conver- 

 sion into butter through the influence of the 

 milk-secreting glands. Acting on this hint, 

 Mouriez's process begins with splitting up 

 the animal fats. Finely divided fresh beef- 

 suet is placed in a vessel containing water, 

 carbonate of potash, and fresh sheep's 

 stomachs, previously cut up into small frag- 

 ments. The temperature of the mixture is 

 then raised to about 112 Fahr., when, under 

 the joint influence of the pepsin and the 

 heat, the fat becomes separated from the 



cellular tissue. The fatty matter floating on 

 the top is decanted, and after cooling sub- 

 mitted to very powerful hydraulic pressure. 

 The semi-fluid oleo-margarine is thus sepa- 

 rated from the stearine, and becomes the 

 basis of the butter to be afterward produced. 

 One hundred pounds of this oleo-margarine, 

 along with about twenty-two quarts of milk 

 and eighteen quarts of water, are poured 

 into a churn, and to this mixture are added 

 a small quantity of annatto and about three 

 ounces of the soluble matter obtained by 

 soaking for some hours in milk cows' 

 udders and milk-glands. The mixture is 

 then churned, and the butter obtained, 

 after being well washed with cold water 

 and seasoned, is ready for use. If required 

 to be kept for a long time, it is melted by a 

 gentle heat in order to eliminate all the 

 water. 



Ventilation and Warming. In a lecture 

 on ventilation, lately delivered before the 

 Franklin Institute, Mr. L. W. Leeds, after 

 detailing the abominations he encountered 

 in his examination of the ventilating arrange- 

 ments of the Treasury Building at Wash- 

 ington, gives the following practical direc- 

 tions concerning provisions for ventilation 

 and warming in the construction of build- 

 ings. First, never have long underground 

 fresh -air ducts. Second, never allow a 

 sewer, soil-pipe, foul-air flue, or smoke-flue, 

 to come near the fresh-air supply-flue, for 

 fear of some connection being made between 

 them by carelessness or accident. Third, 

 never heat a building exclusively by currents 

 of warm air. Fourth, always put the heat- 

 ing flues on the outside walls instead of on 

 the inside walls. Fifth, endeavor strenuously 

 to avoid the fresh-air chamber becoming a 

 common receptacle for all the rubbish of a 

 filthy cellar. 



Sardines. Mr. N. S. Dodge has given a 

 very complete and interesting account of 

 the " Natural History and Preparation of 

 Sardines " in Hearth and Home, from which 

 we gather the following : In natural history 

 the sardine is the young of the pilchard, a 

 fish resembling the herring in size, but 

 thicker. They get the name of sardines, 

 from having been formerly found in great 

 quantities off the coast of Sardinia. They 



