I70 



NATURE 



[Dec. 27, 1877 



novel and interesting in the chemical progress of the 

 expiring year. 



The Journal de Genive of December 23^ gives the 

 following account of the experiments : — 



One of the most interesting physical experiments of our 

 time has just been made at Geneva with rare success in 

 the laboratory of the Society for the Manufacture of 

 Physical Instruments. M. Raoul Pictet has succeeded in 

 obtaining, by means of ingeniously combined apparatus, 

 the liquefaction of oxygen gas. The following is the 

 process by which the curious result was obtained : — 



By a double circulation of sulphurous acid and carbonic 

 acid, the latter gas is liquefied at a temperature of 65° of 

 cold, under a pressure of from four to six atmospheres. 

 The liquefied carbonic acid if conducted into a tube four 

 metres long ; two combined pumps produce a barometric 

 vacuum over the acid which is solidified in consequence 

 of the difference of pressure. Into the interior of this first 

 tube containing solidified carbonic acid is passed a tube 

 of a slightly less diameter, in which circulates a current of 

 oxygen produced in a generator containing chlorate of 

 potash and the form ot which is that of a large shell 

 thick enough to prevent all danger of explosion. The 

 pi essure may thus be carried to 800 atmospheres. 



Yesterday morning (December 22), all the apparatus 

 being arranged as described, and under a pressure which 

 did not exceed 300 atmospheres, a liquid jet of oxygen 

 issued from the extremity of the tube, at the moment 

 when this compressed and refrigerated gas passed from 

 that high pressure to the pressure of the atmosphere. 



The great scientific interest of this experiment is that it 

 demonstrates experimentally the truth of the mechanical 

 theory of heat, by establishing that all gases are vapours 

 capable of passing through the three states — solid, liquid, 

 and gaseous. Only twenty days ago M. Cailletet, as we 

 have said, succeeded in liquefying the bioxide of nitrogen, 

 under a pressure of 146 atmospheres and at a temperature 

 of 11° of cold. After the experiment of M. Raoul Pictet 

 there remain not more than two elemental gases which 

 have hitherto escaped the attempt at liquefaction — 

 hydrogen and nitrogen. 



The experiment above described was to be repeated on 

 Monday and subsequent days, with some slight changes 

 in the processes and the arrangement of the apparatus. 



NOTES 



Some interesting experiments with the telephone have been 

 made by Mr. W. H. Preece between Dublin and Holyhead 

 through the submarine cable. Conversation was freely main- 

 tained and songs were sung on each side and heard and 

 appreciated on the olher. The articulation was excellent, 

 but muffled, as though the speakers spoke through respirators. 

 This is what might have been expected from the static induction 

 of the cable. It is the longest actual cable yet spoken through, 

 its length being sixty-seven miles. 



At their last sitting the enlarged Council of the Paris Obser- 

 vatory were occupied in considering the question of the position 

 of French meteorology. M. Dumesnil, the representative of 

 the minister, was obliged to silence some members of the mi- 

 nority who were assailing the character of some of the physicists 

 having the control of the Observatory and the transmission of 

 the warnings to the sea-ports. A large majority rendering 

 justice to the ingenuity displayed and to the highly scientific 

 nature of the warnings, passed a vote recommending the 

 administration not to alter the present condition of things at 

 the Observatory. 



Dr. Carlo Ghinozzi, Professor of Medical Clinic at the 

 Istituto Superiore of Florence, for many years colleague and 

 afterwards successor of Prof. Bufalini, died on Saturday, the 

 15th instant, at the age of 66 years. 



In Bonn a committee has been formed consisting of leading 

 citizens and Professors Bauerband, Kekule, and Proschel, of the 

 University, for the purpose of erecting a monument to the late 

 Prof. Jacob Noeggerath, whose death last September we briefly 

 alluded to at the time. Prof. Noeggerath was born in Bonn 

 October 10, 1788, and since the foundation of the university in 

 1 8 18 had been connected with it as Professor of Mineralogy. As 

 a successful teacher of the natural sciences he acquired an unusually 

 widespread fame, and the majority of the present Prussian 

 mining officials pursued their studies under his direction. His 

 general scientific researches touch on a number of interesting 

 geological questions, such as the formation of basalt, &c. ; but 

 his chief effort* were directed to an exhaustive study of the 

 mineralogy and geology of Rhenish Westphalia, the results of 

 which are to be seen in the magnificent mineralogical collection 

 at Bonn, and the rapid development of the mining interests in 

 this dibtdct. As a favourite writer of popular works on scientific 

 subjects, he contributed in no small degree to the general taste 

 for this class of literature now prevalent in Germany. 



The expedition sent out by the Dutch Geographical Society for 

 the exploration of Sumatra has met with a severe check by the 

 sudden death of its leader, M. Sohouw Landvort. His extensive 

 knowledge, indomitable perseverance, and great powers of en- 

 durance, fitted him eminently for the position, these qualitie 

 being notably evidenced by the bold journey across the middle 

 of the island, through hitherto unknown regions, in the company 

 of natives only, which we had occasion lately to chronicle. 



At the meeting of the Council of the Zoological Society on 

 Wednesday last week, the president, the Marquis of Tweeddale, 

 proposed that the silver medal of the Society should be awarded 

 to Mr. Robert Hudson, F. R.S., in acknowledgment of the 

 valuable services he had rendered to the Society for the fifty 

 years that he had been a Fellow thereof. The motion was carried 

 unanimously at the full meeting of the Council. 



The organisation of public instruction in France is undergoing 

 an exceedingly beneficial change. A decree, published in the 

 Journal Officiel of December 17, establishes a representative 

 Council of Public Instruction under the title of " Comite Con- 

 sultatif." The committee is divided into three different sections 

 corresponding to the three divisions of public instruction in 

 France, primary, secondary (grammar schools), and superior 

 (universities). Each section is to appoint its president and 

 secretary. The three sections in general session are to be pre- 

 sided over by the minister. Some of the members are appointed 

 by the minister to serve during a period of five years, others are 

 members ex officio. The minister cannot elect any who are not 

 members of the teaching body or of the Institut. The directors 

 of the administration of primary, secondary, or superior instruc- 

 tion are ex officio members of their respective sections. They 

 meet yearly at a certain fixed period. The opinion of the com- 

 mittee is not binding, but it must be taken on a number of 

 matters, such as bills which are to be presented to Parliament, 

 modification of programmes, &c. Another decree appoints the 

 members of the three committees. Among these are many 

 names well-known to science, as MM. Laboulaye, Wiirtz, Claude 

 Bernard, Vulpian, Gavarret, Chevreul, Faye, Berthelot, Milne- 

 Edwards, Puiseux, and Desains. 



The following are the probable arrangements for the Friday 

 Evening Meetings at the Royal Institution, before Easter, 

 1878:— January 25, Prof. Huxley, F.R.S., " William Harvey ; " 

 February i, Wm. Henry Preece, C.E., " The Telephone;" 

 February 8, Matthew Arnold, " Equality ; " February 15, P. L. 

 Sclater, F.R.S., " Zoological Distribution and some of its Dif- 

 ficulties;" February 22, Prof. Roscoe, F.R.S. ; March i, 

 Richard Liebreich, M.D,, "The Deterioration of Oil Paint- 

 ings;" March 8, Prof. Goldwin Snrith, "The Influence of 



