30 



as well as that dried at a temperature of 21-° Fahrenheit, or ev^en 

 brought to a red heat, and alsio tliat of purified kaolin, is very slight, 

 compared with that which contains hydrated oxide of iron. 2. Sand, 

 purified with hydrochloric acid, and brought to a red heat, absorbs very 

 slowly traces only of carbonic acid. 3. Mixtures of clay and sand, in a 

 dry condition, absorb traces only of carbonic acid ; but notably larger 

 quantities in a moist condition. Exposed to the rays of the sun when 

 moist, they lose the carboiuc acid absorbed, but in the shade again 

 take it up gradually. Tlie absoqttion of carbonic acid by the pure mix- 

 ture is, nevertheless, quite inconsiderable compared with that contain- 

 ing hydrated oxide of iron. 4. The percentage of carbonic acid in hy- 

 drated oxide of iron is constantly very considerable, even if variable^ 

 the difference depending upon the density of the deposit, the tenqtera- 

 ture at which this is dried, and upon its degree of moisture, 5. The 

 amount of carbonic acid in the soils increases in proportion to their \)er- 

 centage of hydrated oxide of iron. 6. The action of the sun's heat upon 

 dry mixtures of earth is to drive out a large part of all the carbonic 

 acid absorbed. 7. Moist mixtures of earth lose all their carbonic acid 

 under the action of the sun's ra.y s much easier than dry. 8. The relation 

 of oxygen to the nitrogen is altered by moisture in iavor of the latter. 

 9. By heating to 212° Fahrenheit nearly all the carbonic acid is driven 

 out from mixtures of earth. 10. According to all the experiments, mix- 

 tures of earths give off carbonic acid under the iniiuence of an elevated 

 diurnal tenqierature, but the supply is again renewed during the night ; 

 the ])ercentage also is always greater in the morning than toward 

 evening. 11. Direct experiments upon the action of hydrated oxide of 

 iron and water upon carbonate of lime prove in tlie most striking man- 

 ner the solvent action under its intiuence in giving off carbonic acid. 



Enzootic miscarriage in cattle. — M. Boulcy, well known for his 

 researches into the subject of the diseases of cattle, such as carbuncle, 

 &c., has lately made a communication to the Academy of Sciences of 

 Paris, based upon some investigations of M. Zundel upon epidemic, or 

 what he calls enzootic, miscarriage in cattle. He states that it has long 

 been known that when a cow undergoes a miscarriage in a stable occu- 

 pied by other cows in a condition of gestation, this accident does not 

 remain isolated, but, on the contrary, and in fact very coramoidy, the 

 remaining animals miscarry successively, as though a contagious i)rin- 

 ciple had been disengaged from the first case and communicated to all 

 the others. It has already been shown by exj)eriment that if the liquids 

 discharged by a cow that has just miscarried be introduced into the 

 vaginal of another cow nearly at full term, the miscarriage will take 

 place in the second case. 



According to Franck, this is produced by the micrococci or bacterias, 

 which exist in an extraordinary quantity u[>on the foital envelopes, and 

 conduce to their deconq>osition. These being introduced into the vagina 

 multiply with great rai)idity, penetrate to the uterus, and there initiate 

 that decomposition of which abortion is the consequence. 



M. Kololf, on his part, has stated his belief that this enzootic nnscar- 

 riage results from the introduction into the vagina of substances 

 which have been tainted by the vaginal dischaiges of the cattle in which 

 abortion has already taken place, and which are taken u[) in the liquids 

 of the stable, and in the littering, these exhibiting their action ui)on the 

 vaginal mucous membrane by a leddening and tumefaction which alwajs 

 precede the manifestation of the accident. If these views be in any 

 way correct, it is probable that the remedy for the disease consists in 

 purifying the stable and disinfecting the cattle, which niMy be done by 



