Researches on Poisons.— Spinning. 227 
and bleeding. M. Orfila has proved, however, 1. That the 
vegetable acids constantly hasten death, when they exist in the 
stomach along with the nareotic, which is owing ‘to the acids 
forming the solution of the poison, and consequently its absorp- 
tion. (There are ten experiments to verify this fact.) 2. That 
acidulated water was very useful for combating the effects of 
narcotics, when they had been previously rejected by vomiting : 
thus animals which would have died infallibly at the end of an 
hour, were saved by administering to them night and day, for 
twenty-four or thirty-six hours, several doses of water soured by 
a little vinegar: those which were nearly revived by the end of 
the day, and which had been neglected during the night, died 
for want of assistance. 3. That a strong infusion of coffee js 
an antidote to the effects of poison by means of nareotics, and 
the animals to which it was administered night and day reco- 
vered. 4. That the decoction of coffee is much less energetic 
than the infusion. 5. That camphor is not the counterpoison 
to narcotics, but that it may be administered in small doses to 
diminish their effects. 6. That water and mucilaginous pre- 
parations, so far from being useful, hasten the approach of death, 
because they favour the absorption of the poison. 7, That 
bleeding was never injurious, and that it was frequently sufficient 
to operate the revival of plethoric animals, which would never- 
theless have died two or three days afterwards, if they had not 
been attended to: and lastly, that it is best always to open the 
jugular vein. 8. That chlorine acts nearly like the vegetable 
acids, 
M. Orfila has announced his intention to compare the effects 
of the poisonous plants of Africa and the South of Europe, with 
those which he has obtained in France. He is also collecting 
materials for a work, in which he means to show in what cases 
the fluids of living animals are deranged, become venomous, and 
the diseases which they produce, 
Mr. Robertson Buchanan, of Glasgow, has published a work 
On the best Method of constructing and navigating Steam Boats, 
illustrated with fourteen engravings. 
———— 
Madame Candida Lena Perpenti, of Como in Italy, has re- 
vived the art of spinning and weaving the amianthus.  M. Mos- 
cati, of Turin, has sent some good specimens of the cloth made 
from it, with a paper descriptive of the process, to the French 
Society of Arts, 
The cloth manufactory at Mouzon in the Ardennes, in France, 
has been lighted since 1813 with gas made from coal, 
P2 M. Vogel 
