March 31, 1882.] 



KNOWLEDGE 



471 



WEATHER DIAGRAM, 



FOR WT:EK ending SATURDAY, MARCH 25. 



; 3yrf\Veek 



ABERDEEN 



fl|lvl|T|wiT[F|s 



I 



LIVERPOOL 



fiM TVKT F S 



il 



cc o c ooo 



MJUVA\ai 



h o c\> o o c 



0MTWT F S 



b"b ct c ot 



SIM TWT F S 



llllll 



r cb t TOO 

 gp cmmni 

 5 g 



I iT 1 I 



Weather. — Beaufort Scale is, b. blue sky ; c. detached clouds ; 

 d. drizzling rain ; f . fog ; g. dark, gloomy ; li. hail ; 1. lightning ; 

 m. misty (hazy) ; o. overcast ; p. passing showers ; q. squally ; r. 

 rain ; s. snow ; t. thunder ; u. ugly, threatening ; v. visibility, un- 

 usual transparency ; w. dew. 



MESMERISM. 



2. The effect on the subject is temporary, causing only an increase 

 of nervous irritability which passes off in a few days. The effect is 

 similar to that produced by inhaling nitrous oxide gas. 



3. The subject is restored to his senses by a change of stimulation, 

 such as stroking the skin in a direction contrary to the original one; 

 by sudden change of temperature, as by blowing on the face ; or left 

 aiono, he will in a short time come out of the hypnosis by himself. 



The opinions hero expressed are entirely opposed to those of 

 professional mesmerists, who maintain that the operator is possessed 

 of some sort of electrical influence by which he can act voluntarily 

 on the person experimented on. Actual facts adduced both for and 

 against this theory would be highly interesting, for lloidenhain's 

 hypothesis does not afford a satisfactory explanation of many of the 

 extraordinary phenomena of hypnotism. 



Perhaps you will allow discussion on this point in your interesting 



REPLYING to " A Startled One," Kxowlf.dge, p. 301 (2G0) 

 the only work I have seen treating this subject scientifically 

 is that ("Animal Magnetism") by Professor Heidenhatn (Kegau 

 Paul & Co.), with a preface by G. J. Romanes, F.R.S. 



The subject is deeply interesting, and well worthy of attention by 

 every medical man. 



1. Heidenhain arrives at the conclusion that the cause of the 

 phenomena of hypnotism lies in the inhibition of the activity of the 

 ganglion-cells of the cerebral cortex, the inhibition being brought 

 about by gentle prolonged stimulation of the sensory noircs of the 

 face (by passes), or the optic nerve (by looking at a bright object), 

 or the auditory nerve (by a monotonous sound), and that in conse- 

 quence of the depression of activity of the brain there is a great 

 increase of reflex irritability which may be made to extend over the 

 body upon cutaneous stimulation of local parts, causing all the 

 nsnal mesmeric phenomena, such as muscular rigour, inscnsibiUty 

 to pain, hallacinations, &c. 



F. Gibson. 



THE CARNIVOROUS PARROT. 



IN Kovember, 1879, Mr. J. Wood showed at a meeting of the 

 Pathological Society the colon of a sheep in -which the operation 

 of colotomy had been performed by the Nestor Notabilis. The 

 specimen, along with one of the bird.s, was from Otago, New Zealand. 



The modus operandi appeared to bo as follows : — The bird, settling 

 on the sacrum, tears off the wool with its beak and eats into the 

 flesh until the sheep falls from loss of blood and exhaustion. It is 

 doubtful whether the birds attack dead sheep, and it was stated 

 that they single out the strongest sheep in the flock rather than 

 those that are sick, dying, or disabled. 



It is difficult to account for this acquired carnivorous habit. 

 Professor Flower has suggested that the bird has in view the object 

 of getting at the contents of the intestines, while others state that 

 the loin and the underlying intestines are especially wounded owing 

 to the position the bii-d takes upon the sheep's back. This is not 

 an exiilanation, however, of the cause of the habit, for although we 

 may, and do, easily alter the dietary of individual parrots, it would 

 be interesting to know why the Xestor Notabilis in its freedom on 

 the sheep-runs of New Zealand should voluntarily change its mode 

 of living. Perhaps some of your naturalist subscribers will give us 

 the reason. Akrectis Ackibus. 



EASY LESSONS IN BLOWPIPE CHEMISTRY. 



By Lieut.-Coloxel W. A. Eoss, late E.A. 



Lessox Y.— the physics* AND CHEIIISTEY OF THE 

 THING. 



ALTHOUGH the merely mechanical study of blowpipe manipu- 

 lation ; its, comparatively with other chemical studies, child- 

 like simplicity and absolute economy, combined with the surprising 

 rapidity, beauty, and correctness of results, and portability of 

 apparatus required, have all such a charm for the man who seriously 

 takes it up, as to exercise in most cases a complete fascination over 

 him — the phvsics and chemistry of the thing must on no account be 

 neglected; and although, technically speaking, this is called the 

 " dry" method of chemistry, it will, when properly appreciated, be 

 found infinitely more amusing, and quite as instructive, as the "wet" 

 method, which involves the use of violent acids, expensive and 

 delicate glass-apparatus, a knowledge of " atomic theories," &c. 



Let us now, therefore, collect and recapitulate the physical and 

 chemical phenomena casually mentioned in the four preceding 

 lessons, as follow : — 



1. A cone of blue fire produced from a caudle, oil-lamp, or coal- 

 gas flame by a constant confined blast. 



2. The probable cause of the change of colour in hot beads 

 cooling. 



3. The power of the pyrocone to produce and abolish colour in 

 solutions of oxides. 



4. The solubility of silica in P. salt, and its insolubility in 

 P. acid B.B. 



(1.) As regards this fact, there is an obvious and very general 

 error, arising from optical misapprehension, or, as Mr. Foster wordd 

 call it, " untrustworthy information of the senses "—entertained as to 

 the shape and natm-e of the fire-cone alluded to, in consequence of all or 

 most writers on the subject making pictures of the blowpipe "Hame" 

 (as they call it) taken at the angle of depression, in^ which they 

 view the pyrocone, while using the mouth-blowpipe. This " optical 

 illusion" has the effect of causing the blast to appear uithin the 

 pyrocone, whereas, in reality, it passes over the surface. I have 



* Greek, Phusike, Nature ; Natural Philosopliy. 



