94 



♦ KNOWLEDGE ♦ 



[Aug. lu, loo3. 



the production from any cause of air bubbles -within its 

 mass. Barley and other grains contain little or no gluten, 

 and so do not yield the same highly elastic dough. Moist 

 gluten puti'eties with great readiness ; in the manufacture 

 of wheat-starch, the gluten is removed in this manner. 

 Gluten is not a single compound, but may be separated 

 into two bodies, known respectively as vegetable fibrin and 

 glutLn. 



This brings us to the close of a very brief description of 

 the principal constituents of the cereals. Our next paper 

 must commence to deal with the chemistry of some of their 

 uses. The production of bread will naturally occupy the 

 first place in this series of studies. 



€iiitonaI (gossip. 



I HAVE been told, by one who ought to know, that the 

 analysis of Sir W. Herschel's papers by Messrs. Holden 

 and Hastings referred to in the Gossip at p. 59 is good and 

 trustworthy work. I willingly notify this. It shows that 

 the same man who writing anonymously has been dis- 

 honest and untruthful is capable of better things when 

 working in open daylight. The same correspondent 

 who speaks with respect and something like gratitude 

 (for reasons which I need not explain) of Holden's 

 analysis of the elder Herschel's papers, appeals against 

 my reference to a long-past offeoice against the unwritten 

 laws of the literary commonwealth. It is unfortunately 

 (for the offender, but fortunately for the world) a part of 

 the punishment of offences against honesty that the recol- 

 lection remains long after the mischief may have been 

 repaired. I cannot but recollect, however, the terms in 

 ■which this particular offence was spoken of (see the 

 Enylish Mechanic, Vol. XX., p. .3-16) both in English and 

 American papers, when as yet it was not known, and 

 seemed likely to remain for ever unknown, who the 

 offender might be. If there has been unfairness in this 

 matter it has Ijeen in not directing against the offender, so 

 soon as his identity was known, the condemnation which 

 had been passed upon the anonymous writer, — even when 

 it was supposed by many (naturally enough) that he was 

 too far below contempt to be worth castigating. 



Is a singular way a singular misprint occurs in the 

 paragraph on the size of atoms on p. 76, 1st col. In con- 

 verting into ordinary measures the metric relations which 

 Prof. Thomson rather affectedly (considering he was ad- 

 dressing a popular audience) employed, I wrote that such 

 and such numbers might vntliout serious error be repre- 

 sented so and so. For the words italicised were sub- 

 stituted, in a paragraph for the Xevxaslle Weekly Chronicle, 

 without science even ! This was duly corrected in a proof 

 received by me at Bournemouth, and the paragraph ap- 

 peared correctly in the Newcastle paper. Unfortunately 

 another proof was sent to me in town, and I cut out the 

 paragraph from this uncorrected proof, forgetting that 

 there was a serious error (without science even) in that 

 "copy." 



*^* The Editor has been prevented by ill-health, the 

 resxxlt of recent railway collision, from completing for this 

 week an instalment of his article on Sun-Spots, or his 

 Answers to Correspondents. The articles on the Earth's 

 Rotundity were, fortunately, completed before the accident. 

 The lectures announced for the next fortnight will not be 

 given, but he hopes to be able to give those announced for 

 Tunbridge Wells and Hawkhurst. 



" Let Knowledge grow from more to more." — Alfbed Tennyson. 



Only o small proportion of Letters received can possibly be in- 

 serted. Correspondents must not be offended, therefore, should their 

 letters not appear. 



All Kditorial communications should be addressed to the Editoe o» 

 Knowxedge ; all Business cojmminications to the Publishers, at the 

 Office, 74, Great Queen-street, W.C. If this is not attended to 



DELAYS AEISE FOR WHICH THE EDITOR IS NOT RESPONSIBLE. 



All Remittances, Cheques, and Post Office Orders should be made 

 payable to Messes. Wtman & Sons. 



The Editor is not responsible for the opinions of correspondents. 



No COMUnNICATIONS ARE ANSWERED BY POST, EVEN THOUGH STAMPED 

 AND DIRECTED ENVELOPE BE ENCLOSED. 



CHOLERA. 



[892] — As an old Indian who passed throngh two of the worst 

 visitations known in the North-West during this centmy, I can 

 fully endorse the recommendation of Mr. Herring. The prescrip- 

 tion he gives, or others very similar, proved most beneficial on these 

 occasions ; only they must be preceded by a pm-gative to remove 

 the specific poison that is already at work in the system. 



For this purpose was most extensively and successfully employed 

 a pill containing 5 grains calomel, I grain rhubarb, J grain opitun ; 

 to be made up with oil of cloves or oil of cinnamon. This was con- 

 sidered the dose for a woman or child, two being given to a man, 

 and the pill should, if possible, be swallowed dry, mthout any liquid. 



When the vomiting was too severe to allow even this pill to be 

 kept down, it was found beneficial to administer in small quantities 

 (say a dessert-spoonful) carbonate of soda (10 grains), or powdered 

 magnesia (15 grains), dissolved in half- pint of filtered water — 

 which seldom faQed to allay both the vomiting and the distressing 

 thirst. 



It may be added that the patient should be kept warm with 

 flannel wrapped round the body, and in extreme cases hot water 

 bottles or hoc bricks applied to the feet. J- W. B. 



ANOTHER LARGE SUN-SPOT. 



[893] — I hope you will not think I am troubling you too much 

 about sun-spots in writing to say there is now another spot on the 

 sun, so large as to be visible to the unaided eyes through smoked 

 glass, I and several friends having seen it distinctly in that way on 

 Saturday and yesterday (July 28 and 29). 



It is a spot that has been on the sun's disc more than a week, 

 and is now getting near the western edge, bat I don't think it has 

 been visible to the unaided eye before Saturday, as I looked for it 

 several times before without success. 



I am much obUged to " F.R.A.S." for the information he gives 

 in No. 91 of Knowledge (Letter 880, page 60) about the 

 tremendous area of the disturbance comprised in the fine group of 

 spots visible to the unaided eye at the beginning of last month. 

 The information does interest me very much. There is considerable 

 difference between that case and the present one, for in that case 

 the one spot, as it appeared to the unaided eye, was really, as 

 viewed in the telescope, composed of several distinct spots very 

 close together, the penumbra of each being distinctly separated 

 from the others, whereas in the present case it is one entire spot 

 as regards the penumbra, the only division being in the actual 

 umbra, which is cut up into several very irregular-shaped parts, 

 and I believe it is the gradual opening out, within the last day or 

 two, of two or three of these previously separate parts of the 

 umbra, and their consequent meeting or joining together, which 

 has caused the spot to become visible to the unaided eye. 



The observation of sun-spots is a subject in which I take yeiy 

 great interest, and devote every opportunity I have to it, and it is 

 in the hope that my communications are of some little interest to 

 you and some at least of the readers of Knowledge that I venture 

 to trouble you with them so often. Of course, if you regard them 

 at all otherwise I hope you wiU not hesitate to intimate as much, 

 as I have no desii-e to be an unwelcome trespasser on either your 

 valuable time or space. Excelsior. 



Huddersfield, July 30, 1883. 



