Danger of cleaning Wtne-lottles ly means of Shot. 229 



inches. Fill the bucket or cask as high as twenty-five inches, 

 and notice exactly, when the water is running out, how long time 

 it takes to sink as low as sixteen inches ; it will require exactly 

 the same time to sink from sixteen to nine inches ; also exactly 

 the same time to sink from nine inches to four inches ; the same 

 time also to sink from four inches to one inch ; and then the 

 same space of time for the remaining part of the water to ruir 

 entirely out. It was upon this principle that the Clepsydra (or 

 Roman water-clock) was founded. Caesar mentions making use 

 of them as measures of time, in his expedition into Britain." 

 p. 151. 



From an unceasing endeavour to be extremely simple, it is not 

 surprising that the author should in some instances have been be- 

 trayed into offences against the dignity of science. The following 

 illustrations we feel disposed to rank among this number. " A 

 man of greater weight striking a less man has an advantage." 

 '' A ship at sea running against a boat, or a small vessel, will 

 probably upset it or dash it to pieces." " A stone on the ground 

 will not leave its place, except some one remove it." " If a 

 bird hovering in the air were not drawn down, it might continue 

 for ever to do so." " Point a gun in a certain direction, and 

 the shot flies that way." " If a piece of wood be thrown into 

 the Thames when the wind blows right across, the wood will be 

 carried to the other side, but lower down." 



On the whole, however, the work is one which deserves to be 

 recommended to the attention of the philosophical student, but 

 more particularly of those who may be desirous of acquiring a 

 respectable stock of scientific information without encountering 

 the difficulties and fatigues inseparable from a more systematic 

 course of study. 



XXXIX. Intelligence and Miscellaneous Articles. 



DANCER OF CLEANING WINE-BOTTJ-ES BY MEANS OF SHOT. 



XT is well known that bottles in which wine has been kept, are 

 usually cleaned by means of shot, which by its rolling motion de- 

 taches the tartrite of |)otash from the sides of the V)ottles. This 

 practice, which is generally pursued by wine-merchants, may give 

 rise to serious conse([ucnces, as will become evident from the fol- 

 lowing case : 



A gentleman who had never in his life experienced a day's ill- 

 ness, and who was constantly in the habit of drinking half a bot- 

 tle of Madeira wine after his dinner, was taken ill, three hours 

 after ditnier, with a severe pain in the .stomach and violent bowel 

 colic, whicli gradually yielded within twelve hours to the rc- 



P 3 medics 



