483 



of good service in future researches coucerning the physiology of the 

 muscular aud nervous systems. 



Preparation of peat. — Mr. AUoway has lately delivered a lecture 

 upon peat, before the Society of Arts of London, in which he points out 

 the ditficulties that have hitherto prevented the utilization of this sub- 

 stance as a fuel. He adverts to the expensive apparatus used by various 

 persons for treating it, and especially for condensing the peat by press- 

 ure, and states that it is impossible to do this satisfactorily by the ordi- 

 nary means, owing to the peculiar spongy structure of peat and the 

 difficulty of <lrying it. His method consists in first breaking up the 

 freshly-cut clods with a mallet, by which they are disintegrated, after 

 which they are to be placed in a ditch in the peat-bog, filled with water 

 where they are to remain, forming a thick mush, until the time comes 

 for further treatment. Early in April the operation of making into 

 bricks is commenced, and a small quantity is taken up at a time and 

 molded rapidly by hand into pats, which are then laid upon slats and 

 allowed to drain and dry ; this being generally accomplished in the course 

 of a few days. 



Metamorphosis of albuminous substances in the bodies of 

 ANIMALS. — In the investigations ui)on the metamorphosis of albuminous 

 substances in the bodies of ruminants, by Stohmann, Frilhling, and Kost, 

 it has been shown : First, that the whole of the albuminoids undergoing 

 decomposition in the organism appear in the form of oxidation products 

 in the solid and liquid excretions. These results were obtained with 

 food not only poor but also rich in nitrogen. Second, the metamorphosis 

 of albumen is dependent on the quantity of albumen in circulation in the 

 organism. Asa rule, the metamorphosis of albumen rises and falls with 

 the albumen in the food. The increase of albuminous matters, above a 

 certain quantity, is a waste with adult animals. Third, the imbibition 

 of large quantities of water increases the metamorphosis of nitrogenous 

 matters. Fourth, the excretion of nitrogen quickly adapts itself to an in- 

 crease of nitrogen in the food. Fifth, with an insufficiency of albumen in 

 the food the body becomes poorer in albumen. A goat which daily con- 

 sumed in its food 8.27 grams of nitrogen excreted 11.1. The 2.53 

 grams lost daily correspond to 74 grams of flesh. The weight of the 

 animal sank, in the ten days of the experiment, from 31.54 to 29.72 

 kilograms. Sixth, considerable increase of weight took ijlace when, 

 along with a sufficiency of albumen, larger quantities of non-nitrogenous 

 substances were administered. 



These experiments showed that the metamorphosis of nitrogenous 

 nutritive materials takes place in the herbivora exactly according to the 

 same law as Yoit established for the carnivora; and that relative to the 

 metamorphosis of albuminous matters there is no distinction between 

 carnivorous and herbivorous animals, save that the nitrogenous pro- 

 ducts of decomposition assume a difi'erent form, so that in the herbivora 

 a portion of the nitrogen takes the form of hippuric acid, a substance 

 which is wanting in the carnivora. 



Change of material in adult sheep. — Henneberg and others 

 have been lately conducting a series of experiments upon the change of 

 material in the adult sheep, under uniform feeding, the animals being 

 two four to five year old wethers. These were fed with as much meadow- 

 hay as was needed to keep them in good condition in regard to nourish- 

 ment, while each had ninety grains of common salt daily, and as much 

 water as they wished. The experiments were conducted with the assist- 

 ance of Pettenkofer's respiration-apparatus. It was found that the 



