256 



NATURE 



{Jan. 10, 1889 



In the January number of the Knv Bulletin there is a most 

 interesting paper on the coca-plant, to which considerable 

 attention has lately been devoted, mainly because of the valu- 

 able properties ascribed to one of its alkaloids, called cocaine, as 

 a local anaesthetic. It appears that since the discovery of the 

 anaesthetic properties of cocaine the demand for coca-leaves in 

 South America has considerably increased for export purposes. 

 A distinct loss in the alkaloids generally, as well as in cocaine, 

 "has been noticed during the transit of leaves to this country ; 

 and latterly, in consequence, it has become the practice to ex- 

 tract the alkaloids from the leaves in South America, and export 

 to the United States and Europe a crude preparation, which is 

 largely taken up by manufacturers of cocaine. The demand for 

 ■coca-leaves has, therefore, fallen off, and the writer of the 

 paper thinks that the cultivation of the coca-plant in our tropical 

 -colonies will probably never assume large proportions. South 

 America, he says, is able without further extension of cultiva- 

 "tion to produce such enormous quantities of coca-leaves that 

 the one-eightieth part would be sufficient to swamp the cocaine 

 markets of the whole world. The other subjects dealt with in 

 this number are beetles destructive to rice-crops in Burmah, 

 ■fibre from Lagos, yam bean, Schweinfurth's method for pre- 

 serving plants, a starch-yielding bromeliad, and the fruits of 

 Mysore. 



The Swedish Superintendent of Fisheries, Dr. F. Try bom, has, 

 at the instance of the Swedish Government, been engaged during 

 the past autumn in making a series of scientific experiments on 

 the coast of Sweden for the purpose of studying the condition 

 of the herring when undisturbed. He brought back with him 

 newly-hatched herring-fry and herring-spawn ready to be 

 hatched. The bottom on which these were found consisted of 

 stones, gravel, and shells ; the depth of water was about 

 20 metres, and the temperature of water at the bottom 

 about 11° C. The results of these experiments are not yet 

 Icnown, but a Swedish paper says that they are such as to 

 encourage the Government to permit Dr. Trybom to con- 

 tinue next autumn his inquiries into the development, habits, 

 and habitats of the most important fish on the Swedish coasts. 



Dr. Kolthoff, the well-known Swedish naturalist, is arrang- 

 ing an interesting zoological museum at the Upsala University, 

 ■being a complete representation of the fauna of Scandinavia, 

 -with nests, representations of lairs, &c. This is the only 

 museum of the kind in Sweden. 



Gaseous fluoride of methyl has been obtained in the pure 

 state, and its density determined, by MM. Moissan and Meslans. 

 The existence of this gas was announced some years ago by 

 MM. Dumas and Peligot, who describe a mode of preparation 

 •by the action of methyl sulphuric acid upon fluoride of potassium. 

 The gas obtained, however, by this method is now shown to be 

 a mixture of oxide and fluoride of methyl, and a new method 

 has been developed by means of which it is obtained sufficiently 

 pure for accurate analysis. The reaction is analogous to the one 

 recently described for the preparation of ethyl fluoride, methyl 

 iodide being allowed to act upon fluoride of silver. A regular 

 evolution of gas commences at once in the cold, and the gaseous 

 mixture, consisting of methyl fluoride and vapour of methyl iodide, 

 is led first through a spiral leaden condenser cooled to - 50° C. , 

 where most of the latter substance is condensed, and afterwards 

 through a couple of glass tubes heated to 90° and filled with 

 fresh fluoride of silver, which removes the last traces of methyl 

 iodide. This reaction is found to be the only one yet known 

 which gives the gas in anything like a state of purity. MM. 

 Moissan and Meslans have, however, also obtained it in a lesser 

 degree of purity by the action of pentafluoride of phosphorus 

 upon methyl alcohol. The fluoride of methyl obtained as above 

 possesses a normal density corresponding to the formula CH3F. 



It liquefies at ordinary temperatures when submitted to a pressure 

 of thirty-two atmospheres in Caillelet's apparatus. It is slightly 

 soluble in water, 100 c.c. at 18° dissolving about 193 c c. of the 

 gas ; it dissolves very much more readily in methyl iodide or 

 methyl alcohol. Perhaps the most interesting fact about it is its 

 great stability, for, even on heating in sealed tubes at 120" in 

 presence of water or a dilute solution of potash, it saponifies only 

 with great difficulty. 



Besides the above described fluoride of methyl, another 

 entirely new one, isobutyl fluoride, C4H9F, has been pre- 

 pared by acting in a similar manner upon silver fluoride with 

 isobutyl iodide. One scarcely knows whether to describe this 

 new fluoride as a gas or a liquid. As a matter of fact, at 

 this time of the year it is a colourless and very mobile liquid, but 

 in summer weather would be a gas, inasmuch as its boiling-point 

 is just about the temperature of an ordinary room, 16° C. The 

 reaction between isobutyl iodide and silver fluoride commences 

 vigorously in the cold, but the mixture requires warming to 50° in 

 order to obtain a theoretical yield. In the form of a gas it bums 

 on Ignition, with deposition of carbon and formation of clouds of 

 hydrofluoric acid. The liquid, when pure, is singularly incapable 

 of attacking glass. It is interesting that M. Moissan has now 

 succeeded in preparing, by means of the silver fluoride reaction 

 with the iodides of the corresponding organic radicals, the 

 fluorides of methyl, ethyl, propyl, and butyl, finding them in 

 each case remarkably more stable than the analogous chlorine 

 compounds. 



In the latest volume of the American Consular Reports it is 

 stated that Switzerland has followed other civilized countries in 

 adopting a law for the protection of inventions. This law can- 

 not have effect until it has been decided whether 30,000 voters will 

 petition against it, in which case it must be submitted to the 

 people. The American Consul states that it contains several 

 new and interesting provisions, and he gives, in his Report, the 

 text of the law. It is remarkable that only material objects, and 

 not processes, are protected. This peculiarity is said to be due 

 to the efforts of manufacturers of aniline colours and chemicals, 

 who would be injuriously affected by a law which would protect 

 arts as well as tools and machines. The duration of a patent is 

 to be fifteen years ; a fixed fee of 20 francs must be paid for the 

 first year, and a progressive annual fee, which amounts in the 

 fifteenth year to 160 francs. 



A SEVERE shock of earthquake, accompanied by loud sub- 

 terranean noises, occurred on December 26 at a part of the 

 Vogtland ; it was also felt at Rottis, Lengenfeld, Plauen, and 

 Auerbach. Shocks also occurred at Messina, Jagonegro, and 

 Castroreale on the same day, but no serious damage was done. 



The anomalies of weather felt in October and November last 

 in Western Europe were also felt in Russia and Central Asia. 

 From October 27 to November 13, at several places in Northernt, 

 Eastern, and Southern Russia, the daily averages were below 

 the normal temperatures of the same days by no less than from 

 16" to 19° C. On October 28, it was freezing at Tashkent 

 early in the morning. Most Russian rivers were covered with 

 ice from seven to twenty-five days earlier than they have been 

 frozen on the average for a long series of years. Two great 

 waves of cold could be distinguished, both spreading from the 

 north-west to the south-east. In the second part of November 

 there was a sudden return of warm weather, and the Russian 

 rivers were opened again. Throughout this disturbed period the 

 barometer gave valuable indications as to the movements of the 

 cyclones and anticyclones. The centre of the latter moved as 

 follows : on November 5, it was at Pinsk (782 mm. of baro- 

 metric pressure, reduced to the sea-level) ; next day it was at 

 Kherson (782 mm.) ; on November 5, at Pyatigorsk (781 mm.) ; 

 and next day, at Erivan in Armenia (779 mm.) The height 



