9 
and are there burned with a full supply of oxygen, and no smoke is 
generated. Herr Hempel, in following out this idea, has found 
that the most effective way of evaporating liquids, is by applying 
heat above instead of below their surface. He uses a ‘ Siemens 
inverted gas burner,”” bringing the flame as near to the surface as 
possible; there is no ebullition, and consequently no spirting, a 
great advantage in chemical operations. 
A useful application of a well known substance, is that of using 
Asbestos for firemen’s dresses ; this is already done in Paris, and 
is to be introduced in London. In England, Asbestas has been 
employed for fronting a stage fire-proof curtain. 
The metal of the future appears to be Aluminium, to the produc- 
tion of which so much attention is now being directed. It is a 
most valuable alloy, one tenth added to the weak metal, copper, 
gives it the strength of steel, while one tenth per cent. added to 
molten wrought iron renders the metal instantly quite fluid, and 
makes intricate castings comparatively easy. Should Aluminium 
continue to progress towards cheapness, it will take the place of 
copper, tin, or iron, for many domestic uses, being three and a-half 
times as light as copper, and four times as light as silver. 
In Sweden a new glass is being made, of which phosphorus and 
boron are constituent parts; it possesses such highly refractive 
power that it is expected to have marvellous results in increasing 
telescopic and microscopic powers. 
A new and promising industry has been started by Professor 
Schmidt, at Gratz, namely that of sponge growing. He has found 
that small specimens planted in favourable situations, develope in 
three years to large and valuable sponges. 4,000 such specimens 
were produced at the cost of 225fr., or one half-penny apiece. 
To turn to another field of beneficial science, M. Pasteur hag 
been called by the people of Australia to the rescue from the plague 
of rabbits with which the country is now overrun. His plan is to 
sprinkle chicken-cholera broth over the herbage which the rabbits 
eat, in the hope that they will take, and then propagate the infec- 
tion, which will wholly or partially destroy them. The project 
sounds well, providing the poultry and sheep abstain from this 
seasoned pasture, but M. Pasteur declares the latter to be proof 
against this particular infection. Should M. Pasteur succeed his 
reward will be £25,000. 
At Odessa some successful experiments have been made by Dr. 
Gamalia, in inoculating Merino sheep against cattle-plague. 
The French Drs. Roux and Versin are still prosecuting their 
researches as to the diphtheritic microbe, and they confidently hope 
to find a vaccine against that terrible disease. 
A most interesting operation in beneficial surgery has been per- 
