488 



NATURE 



[September 15, 1898 



nature of tuberculosis and Its prophylaxis ; this should be done 

 by means of public lectures, and also by the moral influence 

 which medical men can exercise in their own sphere. The' 

 curability of the disease should also be strongly insisted upon. 



The occasions on which an original subscriber's copy of the 

 complete set of John Gould's ornithological works comes under 

 the hammer are exceedingly rare. Last week, however, says 

 the Athenaiim, such a series occurred at the sale of the library 

 of the late Edmund Coulthurst, of Streatham Lodge, Lower 

 Streatham. Of the forty-four volumes, thirty-six were bound in 

 green morocco and the remainder were in parts. The series 

 comprised the following: "Birds of Australia," and supple- 

 ment ; " Birds of Europe," " Birds of Great Britain," " Mam- 

 mals of Australia," " Trochilidte," or humming-birds, with 

 supplement; "Birds of the Himalayan Mountains," mono- 

 graphs of the Odontophorinae, or partridges of America ; of the 

 Ramphastidae, or family of toucans ; of the Trogonidze, or family 

 of trogons ; and of the Macropodidse, or kangaroos ; " Birds of 

 Asia," and the "Birds of New Guinea." The prices of all 

 these works at auction vary from time to time, but during the 

 past two or three seasons a set of ordinary copies (that is to say, 

 not of the original subscribers' edition) have realised an aggre- 

 gate of rather more than 373/. The published price of a set, 

 including second editions, is now about 670/. Mr. Coulthurst's 

 very fine set realised the total amount of 430/. 



We learn from Literature that a remarkable discovery has 

 recently been made in Dumbartonshire on the shores of the 

 river Clyde — viz. an undoubted crannog, or dwelling on piles. 

 It is about a mile east of Dumbarton Castle, is below high-water 

 mark, and about fifty yards from the river at low tide. The 

 circumference of the crannog is 184 feet. The outer circle is 

 composed of piles of oak, sharpened by stone axes at the lower 

 end, and below the mud still quite fresh. The transverse beams 

 and pavements are of wood— willow, elder and oak, the smaller 

 branches of fir, birch and hazel, with bracken, moss and chips. 

 The refuse-mound extends about twelve feet outside, and in this 

 have been found the bones of stags, cows, sheep, &c., together 

 with evidences of fire, also numerous fire-stones, and a hone or 

 whet-stone. Near the causeway a canoe, 37 feet long and 

 48 inches beam, was found, hollowed out of a single oak tree. 

 The credit of the discovery is due to Mr. W. A. Donnelly, a 

 local antiquary. It is a unique discovery, because this is the 

 first example of a crannog situated on tidal waters, and because 

 only flint and bone implements have yet been discovered, which 

 dates it back into the Neolithic Age. 



The Deutsche Seewarte has published a sixteenth large 

 quarto volume (xxvi-M93 pp.) containing the results of meteor- 

 ological observations of German and Dutch ships for one-degree 

 squares of the North Atlantic Ocean. The present volume 

 embraces the area known as the ten-degree square. No. 115, and 

 includes in a tabular form all the observations collected for a 

 number of years between latitude 30°-40° N. and 6o°-7o° W. 

 In this case the whole of the observations were made on German 

 ships, as there were no Dutch vessels in the district. The form 

 adopted is very convenient, as other countries can, if they 

 choose, add their own observations to those now given, and 

 thus enhance the value of the results. This important work 

 forms part of a regular plan, in which the Seewarte undertook 

 to discuss that part of the North Atlantic lying between latitude 

 50" and 20°, for each month of the year. It adjoins the district 

 of the nine tropical ten-degree squares lying between latitude 

 20" N. and 10° S., and longitude 10° and 40° W., the discussion 

 of which was undertaken by the Meteorological Council and 

 published in the year 1876. The data afford trustworthy inform- 

 ation for Icaptains of vessels navigating that ocean, and for those 

 persons dealing with the physical geography of the sea. 

 NO. 1507, VOL. 58] 



An interesting note on the introduction of aluminium into 

 India, as a substitute for copper and brass in the manufacture of 

 cooking pots and other utensils, appears in Engineermg. The 

 initiative in the matter appears to have been taken by Prof. 

 Chatterton, of the Madras University, who, in November last, 

 took with him from England a small quantity of aluminium, 

 and commenced experiments with it at the metal-working classes 

 of the School of Arts, Madras, of which he has the direction. 

 A little later a small factory was equipped, and the products 

 were so favourably received that the output in the course of 

 five months amounted to considerably over a ton per month. 

 This result is somewhat surprising, in view of the intense con- 

 servatism of the Indian peoples. Nevertheless, this latter 

 feeling, though it has not resented very actively a change of 

 material, is still strongly displayed, in so far as the forms and 

 finish of these cooking vessels are concerned. The shapes of 

 the new vessel must, to be acceptable, be exactly the same as 

 the old ; and the matter is somewhat complicated, as these 

 traditional shapes differ in every district. Further, the vessels 

 must be all hand-made, as drawn or spun work is disliked, in 

 spite of its greater cheapness. An attempt to meet the native 

 wishes in this matter, whilst 'at the same time reducing the 

 cost of the utensils, is now being made. A drawing press is 

 used to accomplish the initial stages of the work, which is then 

 finished by hand. Some of the Indian workmen are said to be 

 now very skilful in the use of the new material, and efforts are 

 being made to establish similar factories elsewhere. 



The Lancet gives the following particulars of the United 

 States steamship, the Protector, which, it is stated, is the first 

 vessel in the world to be equipped solely for the purpose of 

 disinfection. On the deck of the vessel, which is about 80 feet 

 long, is a structure fitted for bathrooms. It is intended that 

 soldiers shall come on board, take a bath, and give up their 

 clothing, receiving new clothes in exchange. The old clothing 

 will then be taken below, thoroughly sterilised, and then returned 

 to the owner. In the bow of the boat are a sulphur furnace, 

 combustion chambers, and a fan for disinfecting vessels. In the 

 middle are a sterilising chamber and a formaldehyde generator. 

 A boiler and a water-heater are near the stern. The sulphur 

 furnace will be used for disinfecting vessels. The hatches of the 

 vessel to be treated will be battened down, and piping carried 

 from the Protector to the hold of the vessel. Through this 

 tubing sulphur fumes will be pumped by the fan in the Protector. 

 Air is drawn into and through the sulphur furnace, baffle-plates 

 being so placed as to thoroughly mix air and sulphur fumes, a 

 fairly perfect combustion being thus obtained. The sterilising 

 apparatus consists of a cylinder, a chamber, and an exhauster. 

 The chamber is of iron, and though open at both ends it can be 

 hermetically sealed. The exhauster consists of a steam-jet for 

 removing air from the chamber. The generator is a copper 

 cylinder divided vertically into two parts, a steam coil being 

 placed in ea«h part. The clothes to be sterilised are placed in 

 the chamber, the air in which is removed by means of the 

 steam-jet exhauster. Formaline is placed in part of the generator 

 and steam admitted to the coil, and when sufficient heat has 

 been thus applied to generate the required amount of formal- 

 dehyde gas the gas is admitted to the chamber. At the end of 

 half an hour ammonia, placed in the other part of the generator 

 and similarly heated, is admitted to the chamber. This neutra- 

 lises the formaldehyde, and the clothes are removed and returned 

 to the owners. 



From Prof. Augusto Righi we have received a reprint of 

 his description of a new apparatus for representing the re- 

 sultant of two pendulum oscillations in the same straight line. 

 One of the two pendulums used consists of a leaden ring 

 containing a cup filled with white sand, suspended by cords. 



