C. GENERAL PHYSICS. 185 



pendent on temperature in quite the same way as that of 

 liydrogen, but increases more quickly with the temperature. 

 The value of these results in the theory of gases is very con- 

 siderable. Poggendorff''s An7ialen, 1876. 



CREMATION IN FRANCE. 



In December, 18*75, a committee was appointed by the 

 Council of Health and Hygiene of the Department of the 

 Seine to consider and report upon the subject of cremation. 

 This committee consisted of MM. Baube, Bouchardat, Bous- 

 singault, and Troost, the latter being the rapjyortew. The 

 report of this committee, after noting that the letter of the 

 Prefect of Police did not suggest any special direction which 

 the investigation should take, states that they confined their 

 attention to the following points: (1) The possibility of effect- 

 ing the incineration of bodies without production of smell 

 or smoke or deleterious gases ; (2) the advantages such in- 

 cineration might offer as regards salubrity ; and (3) the in- 

 conveniences it would present as regards criminal investiga- 

 tions. They did not have to concern themselves with the 

 propriety of respecting the celebration of religious ceremo- 

 nies ; that propriety having been recognized by the municipal 

 council, and by the administrative committee which fixed 

 the programme of the competition for the invention of the 

 best process for incinerating dead bodies, or of any other sys- 

 tem giving a like result. It is, further, well understood, they 

 say, that incineration would be in no wise obligatory, but 

 simply optional, under conditions to be determined by a 

 special law. With reference to the first question examined 

 by the committee, the report is very brief. They do not 

 doubt that by having recourse to gas furnaces, like those 

 used in metallurgy, a rapid incineration could be had. It 

 would be possible also to obtain, without any admixture of 

 foreign matters, the ashes of bodies subjected to cremation. 

 No fetid odor or smoke would be evolved, these furnaces be- 

 ing essentially smoke-consuming. Thus there would be no 

 danger to public health to be feared. The conditions of the 

 municipal council's programme might therefore be easily ful- 

 filled, except perhaps that of economy, it being evident that 

 until these furnaces can be occupied continuously they can 

 not be operated economically. On the second point exam- 



