Burning of Smoke. — Test for IV heat Flotir. — Voyages. 469 



BURNING OF SMOKE. 



We mentioned in our last that Mr. M. A. Taylor had brought 

 tiiis suliject before the House of Commons, by a motion for a com- 

 mittee to consider of the practicability of compellinp persons using 

 furnaces, to erect them on a construction less prejudicial to health 

 than the methods hitherto pursued. The motion having been 

 agreed to, there has been no little stir in conse(;uence among 

 those intetested in the discussion. The method alluded to by 

 Mr. Taylor as having been successful at Warwick, is not the 

 only, and we are much inclined to believe not the best, tiiat 

 may be adopted for causing furnaces to burn their own smoke; 

 and we shouM be sorry to see Parliament adopting any measure, 

 which, even by implication, might be construed into an act of 

 partiality- A committee reported last year on this very sub- 

 ject; and in their report, which was an able one, various fur- 

 naces were described, no way inferior, if not superior, in efficacy 

 to the one so strongly recommended by Mr. Taylor. Among 

 others, those of Messrs. Gregson, Losh, Wakefield, Brunton, 

 and Walker, were noticed, and illustrated by means of engrav- 

 ings. The same parties, and other ingenious individuals, have 

 been or will be before the present committee, and we may 

 hojje that much practical useful information will result from the 

 investigation. 



TEST FOR WHEAT FLOUR. 



D. Tadci in the course of various researches respecting the 

 fermentation of grain, iuis ascertained that the gluten of wheat 

 is composed of two substances perfectly distinct from each other, 

 one of which he has named g toiodme, and the other zimome. Tiie 

 first of these gives to gluten its elasticity, and the second is the 

 cause of the fermentation which takes place on the mixture of 

 gluten with other vegetable substances. 



Having had occasion to mix various gums with different kinds 

 of flour, D. Tadei observed, tliat when the powder of giuiiacum 

 is mixed with flour, a blue tint is pro<iuced. AVhen kneaded 

 with any meal or flour containing but little gluten, the blue 

 colour is very feeiile : it acijuires no blue tint witli flour that has 

 been much altered in its qualities: with gluten or zimome a very 

 fine blue tint is instantly produced. Guaiacum, it is inferred, 

 may tiierrf(>re lie employed as a test to detect adulteration of 

 flour. — Giornale di Fhica, Chtmicn, ^c, 1819. 



VOVAGKS, ETC. 



The French Government is now prepaiing a voyage to T.aplimd. 



It is to proceed beyond the North Cape, into tlie Kro/<'ii Ocean, 



ftwd is cxjtccted to tenniuatc about the end of September this year. 



. . M. the 



