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THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



and, lastly, by the supporting sound-bar 

 and sound-post and back." The secret of 

 the ancient varnish, on which some of the 

 qualities of the instrument probably de- 

 pended, is still only partly revealed. Mr. 

 Haweis believes, with Charles Reade, that 

 it was an heterogeneous varnish, first of oil 

 with gum in solution, then of color evapo- 

 rated in spirit. Dod, as late as 1830, had 

 the recipe for something very like the Cre- 

 mona varnish ; and, lately, Mr. Perkins has 

 analyzed the varnish of Joseph Guarnerius 

 and found amber in it, and has himself pro- 

 duced varnish of an extraordinary quality. 

 The supreme interest of the violin lies in 

 its simplicity, beauty, strength, subtilty, 

 and indestructibility, and, above all, in its 

 perfection as a musical instrument. It 

 combines accent with modification of sus- 

 tained tone. The organ has sustained tone 

 without accent, the piano accent without 

 sustained tone, the violin accent and sus- 

 tained tone modified at will. Within its 

 limits it is scientifically perfect ; it has all 

 the sensibility, and more than the compass, 

 execution, and variety, of the human voice. 

 It is not an invention, it is a growth ; it has 

 come together, it is the " survival of the fit- 

 test." Its rough elements were selected from 

 a variety of instruments which preceded it. 

 Before the end of the fourteenth century 

 viols were made in great profusion of every 

 style and shape, but the rise of the true 

 violin tribe begins with the rise of modern 

 music. When the true octave and the per- 

 fect eadena had been discovered, and the 

 human voice was found to fall naturally 

 into soprano, contralto, tenor, and bass, 

 viol instruments, adapted to these four di- 

 visions, were gradually separated from the 

 confusion of instruments and brought to a 

 perfection of adaptability. 



A New Anaesthetic. Bromide of ethyl 

 is recommended by Dr. R. J. Levis, of the 

 Pennsylvania and Jefferson College Hospi- 

 tals, Philadelphia, as an anaesthetic prefer- 

 able, in most respects, to ether and chloro- 

 form. It acts rapidly, and the patient recov- 

 ers quickly from its effects. As far as ob- 

 served by Dr. Levis, after several months 

 of experience in using it, it does not influ- 

 ence the circulation except sometimes to 

 produce a slight increase in the rapidity of 



the heart's action, and in arterial pressure. 

 Respiration is but little affected by it be- 

 yond its producing the ordinary character- 

 istics of all anaesthetic sleep ; in this re- 

 spect, its action seems more to resemble 

 that of ether than that of chloroform. 

 Nausea and vomiting occur less frequently 

 with it than with ether or chloroform. It 

 vaporizes readily, and seems to be entirely 

 eliminated through the lungs, having, in 

 this respect, a decided advantage over 

 chloroform, which is not entirely removed 

 from the system. Its vapor produces no 

 irritation in the respiratory passages. Gen- 

 eral excitement and the tendency to strug- 

 gle occur far less frequently when it is 

 used than in the early stages of the anaes- 

 thesia of ether, and, apparently, even than 

 in that of chloroform. Complete anaesthe- 

 sia is accomplished, it is estimated, in about 

 one third less time than is the case with 

 chloroform, and recovery from the effect is 

 even comparatively more rapid, the time re- 

 quired for recovery generally not exceeding 

 two minutes after the inhalation has ceased. 

 The recovery is so complete that the patient 

 is often able to stand and to walk imme- 

 diately after awakening. Insensibility is 

 usually produced in from two to three min- 

 utes. The longest period that has been re- 

 quired in Dr. Levis's practice was four min- 

 utes, the shortest one minute. The com- 

 pletion of the effect is clearly shown by the 

 dilatation of the pupils of the eyes, which 

 resume their normal condition when the 

 sentient sta^e returns. The vapor of this 

 substance is not inflammable, so that it is 

 free from the danger which attends the use 

 of ether at night when lights are around. 

 The ordinary essentials of the proper and 

 safe production of anaesthesia must not, 

 however, be dispensed with in the use of 

 the new agent, for its safety is only com- 

 parative, and is not yet proved to be abso- 

 lute. Dr. Levis, who acknowledges his in- 

 debtedness to Dr. Lawrence Turnbull, of 

 Philadelphia, for the suggestion of this 

 agent, now uses the bromide of ethyl, to the 

 exclusion of other anaesthetics. 



Slave-making Ants. It may be edifying 

 to such persons as take pride in physical 

 prowess to know that on the battle-field ants 

 distinguish themselves quite as signally as 





