Scientific Intelligence — Arts. 185 



and in the models of the vessels, yet the great gain will bo by in- 

 creasing the tonnage, for the reason that the size, and consequent 

 room for engines and coal, increases much faster than does the op- 

 position caused by the water and the air. — American Annual of 

 Scientific Discovery, p. 30. 



21. Use of Parachutes in Mine'}. — It is well known that vertical 

 ladders for descending into deep mines are very fatiguing, so that the 

 miners prefer to trust themselves to baskets suspended by ropes, and 

 in many cases the baskets are the only means provided for descending 

 and ascending. But accidents frequently occur from the breaking 

 of the ropes, in spite of all the precautions that can be taken to pre- 

 vent it. The Brussels Herald states that some experiments have 

 lately been made on a large scale in Belgium with a contrivance in- 

 tended to remedy this evil. The basket or cufFert is so made, that, 

 in case the rope breaks, it immediately springs open, forming a sort 

 of parachute, which is held suspended in the air by means of the 

 strong current which, it is well known, is always rushing up from 

 mines, owing to the temperature below being higher than that above. 

 The effect of this apparatus was shown before a numerous company, 

 several miners entrusting themselves to the basket, which was so 

 arranged that at a certain point the rope broke ; they were sustained 

 in the air by the open basket, so that the experiments were entirely 

 satisfactory. 



22. Adulteration of Drugs. — At a meeting of the New York 

 Academy of Medicine, June 1849, an elaborate report was presented 

 by Dr M. J. Bailey, on the practical operation of the law prohibiting 

 the importation of adulterated and spurious drugs, medicines, &c. 



The report states, that since the law took effect, July 1848, over 

 90,000 lbs. of drugs of various kinds have been rejected and con- 

 demned in the ports of the United States. Of these, 34,000 lbs. 

 was included under the comprehensive title of Peruvian bark, 16,343 

 lbs. rhubarb root, 11,707 lbs. jalap root, about 2000 lbs. senna, 

 and about 15,000 lbs. of other drugs. The agitation of the bill 

 which preceded the passage of the law had its effect abroad, and the 

 supply of adulterated drugs from foreign markets has greatly de- 

 creased. The domestic supply, has on the contrary increased. Within 

 a recent period, quinine in considerable quantities has been found in 

 the market, adulterated to the extent of some twenty or twenty-five 

 per cent. These frauds were undoubtedly perpetrated by or among 

 our own people. The material used for the adulteration of the 

 quinine was found, on analysis, to be mannite and sulphate ofbarites, 

 in nearly equal weights. The latter article has long been used for 

 this purpose, but not until lately has mannite been detected in the 

 sulphate of quinine. It seems to have been ingeniously substituted 

 for salicine, and a somewhat similar substance prepared from the 

 poplar bark ; which articles have heretofore been extensively used 

 for like purposes. The ingenuity consi.sts in the fact, that it is 



