i^-1 Scientific Intelligence. [Aug. 



pectate of lime, and prevent success. Two hundred pounds weight 

 of red gooseberries afford nearly 8 ounces of pectate of ammonia, 

 giving a gelatinous consistence to 500 times its weight of water. — 

 (Journ. de Pharm. xx.J 



VI. — Cases of Poisoning in France. 

 The number of cases of poisoning in relation to the poisons em- 

 ployed, are as follows, in the space of 7 years : 



1. Of 273 persons accused of the crime of poisoning, 1 71 have 

 been acquitted and 102 condemned. Of 94 cases reported in the 

 Gazette des Tribunaux, 54 were produced by arsenious acid, 7 

 verdigris, 5 powder of cartharides, 5 corrosive sublimate, 4 nux 

 vomica, 3 fly powder, consisting of impure pulverized arsenic called * 

 also coholty 2 nitric acid, and single cases by sulphuret of arsenic, 

 emetic, opium, acetate of lead, ceruse, sulphuric acid, sulphate of 

 zinc, mercurial ointment, and 5 by undescribed poisons. 



2. The causes which produced the crimes have been interested 

 motives in 28 cases, in 24 lewdness, 15 revenge, 10 jealousy, 6 mad- 

 ness. Of 8 1 cases the poison was administered, in 34 cases in soup, 

 8 in milk, 7 in flour, 7 in wine, 8 in bread, 5 in pies, 4 in chocolate, 

 4 in medicines, 2 immediately by the mouth, 2 in coffee, 1 in cyder, 

 1 in poultry. 



3. Of 94 cases, 60 of the accused persons were males, 34 females. 

 In order to diminish the number of these cases, or if possible to 



destroy the practice of poisoning altogether, it has been propgsed by 

 M. Brard to colour arsenic with Prussian blue in the proportion of 

 10 per cent. The propriety of this method is supported by the fact, 

 that by far the majority of cases of poisoning are produced by colour- 

 less poisons, arsenic in particular, and several persons have been 

 prevented from suffering death by poison, in consequence of coloured 

 substances having been employed for that purpose. 



VII. — Dilatation of the Metals hy Heat. 



The base for the trigonometrical survey in India was measured by 

 metallic compensation bars, 10 feet in length, and to prevent any mis- 

 take an iron standard bar was sent from England, upon which was 

 marked at a certain temperature the legal English scale. The compari- 

 son, however, of the standard, with the bars employed, was made at 

 a different temperature from that at which the former had been 

 measured, and it was therefore necessary to allow for the dilatation. 

 Mr. Prinsep effected this by heating the metal uniformly to the tem- 

 perature of boiling water by means of vapour, and the expansion was 

 determined by a micrometer formed on the principle of Troughton's 

 microscope. A double cylindrical tube, 9 feet 11 inches long, and 4 

 wide, was formed, the interior cylinder being made of copper, and 

 the external of white iron. The space between the two tubes was 

 shut at the two extremities by perforated disks, so as to permit of the 

 insertion of the standard bar in the interior tube. It was supported 

 by two brass rollers. The tubes were perforated at 4 points for the 



