. 
360 
opinions, and hypotheses, considered as 
new, .have calculated the number of 
these novelties for the year 1809, and 
they find 20 articles of natural history, 
$1 of mineralogy, $7 of botany, 70 of 
chemistry, 89 of medicine, SQ of sur- 
gery, 14 of farriery, 36 of mathematics, 
6 of mathematical. geography, 4 of the 
nilitary art, 8 of metallurgy, 15 of woods 
and forests, 2 of marine and navigation, 
45 of domestic economy, 45 of the fine 
arts. ‘These may serve as a specimen 
of the labours and-studies of. the learned 
and ingenious for one year. The list of 
‘subjects in the mechanical arts alone, 
contains near 100 articles of all kinds, 
‘and connected with the implements of 
nll trades and businesses. 
A physician of Mentz has lately pub- 
lished a caution to nurses on the abuse 
of the narcotic properties of the poppy, 
which, as this plant is becoming an ar- 
ticle of cultivation, cannet be too exten- 
sively known. Several incautious mo- 
thers, in order to keep their children 
fyuiet, give them milk in which the heads 
of poppies, “after the seed is tgken out, 
-or other parts, haye been steeped or 
boiled. In time this practice induces a 
lethargic habit, and some children re- 
‘main incurably stupid all their lives in 
eonsequence of this pernicious and Mnia- 
tural sedative, 
SWITZERLAND. 
The river Linth which descends from 
the Alps to the canton of Glaris, had in 
fifty years raised its bed sixteen feet. 
This elevation of the soil stopped the 
course of the river Maag, which was the 
outlet to the Jake of Wallerstein. Hence 
arose an increase of the waters of the 
Jake, and freguent inundations of the 
towns of Wallerstein arid Wesen; and 
the whole country, covered with stagnant 
water, became extremely unwhulesome. 
-M. Escuer, a celebrated mineralogist, 
of Zurich, at the head of a company, 
‘undertook ‘to remedy thig mischief and 
has succeeded. He constructed a mole 
‘of rock stones, 15,000 feecin length ; and 
formed a new channel for the Linth, of 
50,000 feet, and with roads on the sides, 
ITALY, . 
Dr. Micnetorr: has commynicated 
to the Academy of Sciences of Turin, a 
new mode of extracting indigo from the 
lants Isatis and Pastel, The leaves are 
a bailed to obtain the fecula by fil- 
tratign,. This fecula, which is composed 
ef ayreen matter, of wax, and of tlfe 
jadige, must be thoroughly washed with 
‘ 
Literary and Philosophical Intelligence. 
* 
[May 1,. 
clear water, and at length dissolved ina 
sulution. of caustic potash, the whole 
being boiled together. By a new filtra- 
ton, avery turbid liquor is obtained, 
which, concentrated and calcined by the 
same process as is used to the blood em- 
ployed in making Prussian blue, yields a 
good prussic ley for the preparation of 
the colour, A great quantity of water 
must then be poured on the greenish 
matter which remains dpon the filtres 
This matter is the indige, the presence 
of which is manifested by the edges be- 
coming blue, mingled with the greenish 
matter of wax. The action of the air 
completes the blue colour of the whole, 
M. Bossaretyi, a chemist of Turin 
has extracted an oil from- the arachidis 
or arachis hypogwa, which he describes 
as good for burning and for the use of 
the table. He pounded and_ pressed 
the nuts; purified the liquor, by means 
of carbonated magnesia, and filtered if 
when he wished ic to be very clear. It 
isnot habie to become rancid. The 
specific gravity of water being 10,000, 
linseed cil is 9,403, olive. oil 9,153, 
arachis oi! 9,182. The retuse serves ta 
feed fowls, 
The Academy Della Crusca, at Flo- 
rence, has been re-established by 4 
decree of the French government. It 
is to be composed of twelve members 
aed twenty assaciates.. The former 
are particularly ebarged with the revision 
of the Dictionary of the Tratian’ Lan- 
guage, the preservation of the purity of 
that tongue, and the examination of 
works presented tor the prizes offered by 
former decrees. 
M. Gurporrr, professor of chemis- 
try, at Parma, has successfully cultivated 
the woad plant for two years, and has 
obtained from it an immense quantity 
of seed for the use of dyers. He has 
likewise succeeded in extracting from it 
@ quantity of indigo. ’ 
DENMARK, 
Two societies of rural and domestic 
economy have been formed in Norway, 
one at Christiana, the other at Asker, 
Each of them proposes premiums, and 
publishes ,essays on subjects analogods 
to the purpose of their institution, The 
topographical society of Christiana, has 
lately been re-organized, and bas re- 
sumed its labors, The former number of 
93 members is increased by 24 in Nor- 
way, and 25 in Denmark, 
Anprew Otsex Dow, an inhabitant 
of Overhalden, has- attempted to make 
cloth 
