CCi ANXUAL OF SCIENTIFIC DISCOVERY. 



The prospectus of tlie compiiny ciihirgos upon the cheapness and 

 purity of the li;j:ht, the complete combustion, anil the aljsence of 

 all deleterious matters in the products of the combination ; but is 

 quite silent as to the dan(::er of introducing into a house two gases 

 not possessing any smell, and which, consequently, may escape 

 without observation, and the mixture of which forms an explosive 

 compound of far greater power than any mixture of coal gas and 

 air. To any dangrr of this kind, continental engineers appear to 

 shut their eyes. We saw, a short time ago, a patent taken out in 

 Belgium for making a mixture of coal gas and air, storing it in 

 gas-holders, and distrilniting it over the city of Brnssels for heat- 

 ing purposes. The engineering details given showed a complete 

 knowledjie of the subject of the manufacture anil distribution of 

 gas, but there seemed to be no recognition of the risk, imminent 

 enough, of blowing up the whole concern. A consideration of 

 this kind, some years ago, stood in the way of a scheme of the 

 kind projected for Birmingham, and will, no doubt, prevent the 

 Oxyhydrogen Light Company from getting permission to lay 

 down their pipes over Paris. — Journal Franklin Institute. 



NORWEGIAN BOXES OF FELT FOR COOKING. 



Prof. Joy, of Columbia College, describes the contrivance and 

 its use in the following terms : — 



"Another adaptation of well-known scientific principles is to be 

 found in the use of Norwegian felted boxes for cooking fotxl. 

 There are few devices more simple or more valuable than this. 

 From an economical point of view, such contrivances pay for 

 themselves a thousand-fold, and in a sanitary direction there is no 

 estimating their value to the poor laborers, as well as to the rich 

 consumers of half-cooked food. 



♦' It is curious how little these boxes are known ; but, thanks to 

 the Paris Exhibition, this ignorance bids lair to be of short dura- 

 tion. The whole thing is so absurdly simple that that is probably 

 one reason why so little attention has been paid to the subject. 

 We will attempt a description of the apparatus. Take a box a 

 foot square, line it with successive layers of felt, leaving a round 

 space in the centre large enough to hold the kettle customarily 

 used for cooking food. Have a thick cap to cover up the kettle 

 after it is introduced, so that it is in the middle of the box sur- 

 rounded by a thick layer of non-conducting material. When it 

 is required to boil meat, it is only necessary to heat the kettle for 

 a few minutes up to the requisite temperature, and then to put it 

 into the snug place prepared for it. Here the cooking will go on 

 by itself as lou', as may be desirable, up to certain limits; and 

 the meat will remain warm for 5 or 6 hours. Bv having a 

 series of tli. se boxes, the dinner can be prepared at no expense, 

 save the original cost of starting the lire. A little experience 

 will enable the cook to determine the length of time to leave the 

 kettles in the boxes. It is easy to be inferred that the same ar- 

 rangement will serve to keep ice-cream from melting, or sub- 

 stances from growing warm which have been previously cooled 



