1874.1 Notices of Books. III 
the construction of sewers through sand and water-bearing 
strata. The flushing and ventilation of sewers occupies a con- 
siderable portion of the work, proportionate to its importance ; 
whilst the concluding pages are devoted to the various forms of 
water-closets, &c., having special reference to the best means of 
connecting house-drainage with sewers. On the whole, this is a 
work of considerable merit, and the author has dealt with his 
subject in a clear and comprehensive manner, leaving little if 
anything to be desired. 
Annual Record of Science and Industry for 1872. Edited by 
SPENCER F. Barrp. New York: Harper, Bros. London: 
Sampson, Low, and Co. 
THE second yearly volume of this work has just reached us. It 
reminds the reader, in some respects, of the well-known * Year- 
Book of Facts,” but it takes a wider range, and enters more into 
detail. The ‘‘ General Summary of Scientific and Industrial 
Progress during the Year,’ which is placed as an_intro- 
duction, is carefully and fairly compiled, and gives a clear 
view of the course of scientific discovery during the past twelve 
months. The references to the various Transactions, journals, 
&c., quoted, are made on a novel and, we think, useful system. 
Each is designated by a letter and a number, the former 
signifying the country where it is published, and the latter the indi- 
vidual paper. An “Index to the References ” gives the explana- 
tion. Thus, Ai signifies the ‘Chemical News.” ‘The number of 
German scientific periodicals is significant, exceeding as it does 
that of the English and French taken together. The authorities 
quoted vary very much in value, and to some of the paragraphs 
the editor has prefixed a judicious “‘it is said.” An extract 
from a German journal recommends the addition of ammonia to 
lessen the amount of sugar required in preserving acid fruits. 
An excess of ammonia, we are told, can be remedied by the 
introduction of a little vinegar. As the salts of ammonia. 
especially the acetate, have a decidedly nauseous flavour, we 
hope no lady will be persuaded to try this method. 
Sanitary science is treated at great length. We notice para- 
graphs calling attention to the danger of using soaps made from 
putrescent animal matters, and extracts from Mr. Husson’s 
paper on the milk of cows suffering from cattle-plague. A para- 
graph on the comparative value of antiseptics, taken from the 
‘“‘Academy,” assigns to benzoic acid a higher power than to 
carbolic. ‘‘ Metallic salts,” such as sulphate of copper, occupy 
the highest place, whilst ‘‘ inorganic salts,” with the exception 
of bichromate of potash, ‘“‘have but little power.’ These two 
statements seem scarcely reconcilable. General Scott’s process 
for utilising, or, rather, for wasting sewage is described at length 
