504 



the author states that the ciiltivatioD of these trees i»ios))ers in every 

 respect; a manufactory has been established for the preparation, on 

 the spot, of alkaloids, (quinine, &c.,) extracts and other pharmaceutical 

 l)reparations derived from the cisichona barks, and six tons of that bark 

 were sold by public auction at Amsterdam in March last. The annual 

 expenses of cultivation, &g., are now balanced, and all the original 

 outlay of capital is expected to be returned before the year 1870." 



Taper fi-om icood. — In the manufacture of paper from wood the pulp 

 was foruicrly produced by mechanical means chietly. A new metliod, 

 invented by Sinclair and improved by linger, has been adopted in Ger- 

 many, it is said, with good success. The wood is treated with strong 

 aoda-lye und(H' pressure of six atmospheres. The fiber is bleached with 

 chloride of lime as usual. It does not require grinding to ibrm a pulp, 

 and a good substantial paper is produced without a mixture of rags. 



Ammonia in hltuminous coal. — Dr. Gerlach in a recently published 

 essay, eotiiled "Investigations of some of the ammoniacal waters of gas- 

 works," gives an interesting exhibit of the amount of ammonia, and the 

 form in which it exists, in the coals of Saxony. At the Chemnitz, gas- 

 works, where the Zwichau coal is used, he found tlie water to contain 

 hyposulphite of ammonia, 0.103; sulphide of ammonium, 0.034; bicar- 

 bonate of ainmonia, 0.105; carbonate of ammonia, 0.456; suli)hate of. 

 ammonia, 0.0 10; chloride of ammonium, 3.040. Gas-water from the Bonn 

 gas-works, where Ruhr coals are used, contains hyposulphite of am- 

 monia, 0.503; sulphide of ammonium, 0.022; bicarbonate of ammonia, 

 0.245; carbonate of ammonia, 3.312; sulphate of ammonia, 0.130; 

 chloride of ammonium, 0.374. These numbers relate to grams in lOt) 

 cubic centimeters. 



Improvements in street-cars. — ^We are pleased to observe that Mr. 

 Stephenson, of New York, whose name is favorably associated with the 

 building and furnishing street-cars for the principal cities of the world, 

 has introduced several improvements in the construction of that almost 

 indispensable vehicle. The first of these relates to the method of con- 

 necting the running-gear to the body of the car. This improvement 

 consists in the use of rubber, or other elastic material, interposed be- 

 tween the iron connections, so as to relieve passengers from the annoy- 

 ance of the clatter and noise of the wheels, and the disagreeable jar pro- 

 duced by the application of the brakes. Another important improve- 

 ment consists in substituting a spring -check for the axle -shoulder. 

 This is designed to relieve the concussion felt when the car is forced 

 from side to side by the inequalities of the track. What remains now 

 is to discover and apply some cheap and efficient power for propelling 

 streetcars. The late visit of the horse-disease to our principal cities 

 has impressed us with the importance of this matter, and taught us 

 how inconvenient it would be to return to our former methods of city 

 locomotion. 



Native sulphnr.—Xt the late meeting of the British Scientific Associ- 

 ation, Dr. J. W. Mallet reports the discovery of a remarkable bed of 

 native sulphur in Louisiana, at a point about fifty miles east of tho 

 Texas line. A boring struck the bed of sulphur at the depth of 450 

 feet, and, after penetrating it 100 feet, passed into gypsum underlying 

 the sulphur. We have heretofore regarded native sulphur as of vol- 

 canic origin; but there is no evidence of volcanic action in this vicinity. 

 It is stated, in the paper referred to, that the sulphur is more or less 

 mixed with calcium carbonate, which would indicate deposition from 

 water; but sulphur, except in chemical combination, is not soluble in 



