124 



THE CIVIL ENGINEER AND ARCHITECT'S JOURNAL. 



[April, 



ON WROUGHTON'S SELF-ACTING GLASS VENTILATOU. 

 Wroughton's self-acting glass ventilator consists of a mahogany vertical 

 frame, seventeen inches high, and fourteen inches wide, standing on a plat- 

 form fourteen inches long and eighteen inches wide. In the frame is fixed 

 a plate of glass, in which are ten horizontal apertures, each two inches and a 

 half long, and half an inch wide. On tlie internal side of the glass are four 

 vertical brass slides, in which work as many pieces of glass, fixed in a hrass 

 case, as there are apertures in the plate, but somewhat larger, in order en- 

 tirely to cover them when necessary. The two sets of glass covers are sus- 

 pended from a small brass beam, working on a pivot attached to the glass. 

 A small ivory piston, working with a nut and screw in a glass bent tube, is 

 attached to one set of glass covers. The glass tube contains a column of 

 mercury, altogether about twelve inches in length, but divided at top into 

 two arms, over which are two vertically placed glass tubes, about ten inches 

 in length, and bent over at top, and returning down to the bottom of, and 

 close to, the first tubes; these tubes are filled with spirits of wine, which, 

 when expanded by heat, acts in conjunction with the mercury (with which 

 it is contact) to elevate and depress the glass-covers, so as to admit fresh air 

 in proportion to the amount required to keep the temperature of the apart- 

 ments at a fixed point, which is ascertained by a scale marked on the glass 

 plate. 



PROCEEDINGS OF SCIENTIFIC SOCIETIES. 



SOCIETY OF ARTS. 

 Fehrunry 26. — B. Rotch, Esq., V.P., in the Chair. 



" On Improvements in the Mamifactnre of Glass for Optical purposes." 

 By Mr. Claudbt. 



Heretofore the manufacture of glass fit for the purpose of the optician has 

 been a matter involving great uncertainty and dilficulty, and in fact it was 

 not till the year 1744 that it was accomplished with any degree of success. 

 About this time, however, a Swiss named Guinand, in making some experi- 

 ments in the construction of the telescope, found the extreme difHculty of 

 procuring glass fit for lenses ; the difficulty led him to endeavour to make 

 glass for himself, and from his labours arose the first process by which glass 

 could be made with certainty sufficiently good in quality for the construction 

 of optical instruments. With the death of Guinand his secret was partially 

 lost. The invention which forms the subject of Mr. Claudet's paper is 

 founded upon the process of Guinand, and is due to a French glass manu- 

 facturer named Bontemps, whose attention was first drawn to the subject by 

 the son of Guinand himself. The chief defect in optical glass consisted in 

 stria: and spots ; these arose from the great ditiiculty of properly mixing the 

 materials when in a state of fusion ; it was impossible to stir the melted 

 mass, because the temperature was so high as to destroy instruments of 

 metal, and besides by introducing them into the glass it would have been 

 tinged with colour, according to the nature of the metal employed. The 

 method used by M. Bontemps is to introduce the iron rod used in stirring 

 into a clay cylinder closed at one end, so that the glass is entirely protected 

 from the injurious action of the iron ; the ingredients are thus effectually 

 mingled ; the glass is then suffered to cool gradually, the crucible broken 

 with care, and the mass sawed transversely into slices, so that lenses may be 

 obtained of the diameter of the crucible. Very large lenses have been pro- 

 duced by these means, and two of a metre in diameter are now in progress 

 of manufacture for the Royal Observatory at Paris. 



March 5.— J. Hume, Esq., M.P., V.P., in the Chair. 



" On the Construction of Models for an Ethnographical Museum, and the 

 materials best suited for the purpose." By Mr. E. Dalton. 



The object of the paper was to bring forward the advantages of such an 

 institution, and the result of inquiries and experiments as to the material 

 best suited for the construction of models suitable for carrying out this de- 

 sign. The possibdity of casting entire from the living model is not perhaps 

 generally known. The late Sir Francis Chantrey eflfected this upon a Negro 

 man. The specimen is lodged at the College of Surgeons, and presents a 

 faithful representation of the original. The model of a New Zealander, of 

 the Ngatiawa tribe, now in London, was exhibited as an example of the il- 

 lustration of the different races of man proposed to he collected by the Eth- 

 nographical Society. The head and arms of this specimen consist of wax, 

 and were cast separately and then attached to the body. The hair is re- 

 moveable, so as to allow of an inspection of the conformation of the skuU. 

 The time required for completing this model was about fourteen days, and 

 its cost, including costume, is estimated at £20, whereas a similar model 

 undressed, and cast entire, would amount to about £40. The wax of this 

 model has been painted in oil colours so as to represent the tints of the flesh 

 and render it capal)le of being cleansed without affecting the surface. — A 

 small figure of the same material executed by a Mexican artist was placed on 

 the table. — Besides wax the author mentions papier mache, the Cannabic 

 composition, wood, and a particular description of clay, found at a depth of 

 150 feet below the general level of London, as substances which might be 

 used. The two former, however, require iron moulds for the casts, which 

 would render their expense considerable. The expense of models constructed 



of wood is also against thai material. Several models by Mr. Sangiovani 

 were placed on the table, all of which are made of the clay above alluded to ; 

 which, in some respects, assimilates to the pipe-clay used by modellers, but 

 has more substance and is less fragile ; indeed when dry it is so hard as 

 almost to resist the file. In appearance it is similar to hard stone or metal, 

 particularly when oiled over. It takes oil colours in a permanent manner. 

 The figures in the Chinese Collection are constructed of clay and papier 

 muche, or layers of paper stretched over clay moulds, and then painted in a 

 kind of distemper. 



THE ROYAL SCOTTISH SOCIETY OF ARTS. 

 February 24, 1845. — The President in the Chair. 

 The following communications were read : — 



1. (Part II.) "Remarks on the Trade Winds, and other Currents in the 

 Atmosphere, at Barladoes ; u-ith on attempt to develope the Causes of Hur- 

 ricanes in the West Indies." By Robert Lawso.v, Esq., Assistant- Surgeon, 

 47th Regiment. Communicated by Alexander Bryson, Esq., V.P. The 

 concluding part of this paper exhibited in detail the observations made by 

 the author while stationed at Barbadoes, the results generally indicating the 

 influence of the sun and moon on the currents of wind, in modifying, and, 

 in some instances, changing its direction. These changes are inexplicable 

 by the theories either of Hally or Redfield, and must be referred to other 

 influences than the calorific. It is remarkable that the phenomena connected 

 with hurricanes — the most awful calamity, certainly, to which that locality 

 is liable — should have so long failed to attract the attention even of those 

 who were most deeply interested ; a failure which must, in a great measure, 

 be ascribed to the too prevalent spirit of attributing every thing remarkable 

 to the action of some mysterious agency, instead of looking for its cause in 

 the operations of nature. 



2. " Sequel to Dr. Warden^s Description of the application of a Totally 

 Seflectiny Prism to the investigation of Disease in the open cavities of t!te 

 Body." Communicated by David Stevenson, Esq., V.P. After stating 

 the very great facilities which his prismatic auriscope was found to afford for 

 the successful treatment of deafness, the doctor referred to his first series of 

 cases published in Dr. Cormark's Medical Journal. The prismatic instru- 

 ment for investigating diseases in the ether open cavities of the body, he 

 had still farther improved, chiefly by the introduction of a third and magni- 

 fying prism. The application of the prism to the examination of strictures 

 was next spoken of. The doctor had been enabled to submit to ocular in- 

 spection the puckering of the mucous membrane at the strictured part, and 

 to recognize the precise condition of disease, so as to he able to discriminate 

 the treatment which was appropriate. The use of the prism was then pointed 

 out in uterine and other diseases of females ; also in the unforeseen diflicul. 

 ties which sometimes occur in the extraction of the stone in lithotomy; in 

 the attachment of ligatures to polypi; the treatment of fistula, &c. Lastly, 

 there was exhibited and described the new instrument for surveying the re- 

 gions of disease in the throat, so as to facilitate the removal of foreign bodies, 

 and for the treatment of ulceration and other affections of the glottis and 

 gullet. 



Thanks voted, and referred to a committee. 



3. " Description of his Method of preparing the Metallic Plates, and 

 Printing from them Music, in raised characters, for the use of the Blind." 

 By John Alston, Esq., of Rosemount, F.R.S.S.A. 



A Model, with Specimen of the Metallic Plates, and Music Book for the 

 Blind, were exhibited. 



Thanks voted, and referred to a committee. 



4. " Description of a Fire Escape." By Mr. George Marshall 

 Mather, Miniature Painter, 63, Queen Street, Edinburgh. A Model was 

 exhibited. 



Referred to a committee. 



5. " Description of a Portable Scaffold or Machine for elevating the Hose 

 of a Fire Engine, i^'c." By the same. A Model was exhibited. 



Referred to a committee. 



The following Donations were laid on the table : — 



1. Journal of the Geological Society of Dublin, from the commencement 

 (excepting Vol. 1, Part I.) down to Vol. II., Part V. Presented by the 

 Society. 



2. The Civil Engineer and Architect's Journal, Nos. 88 and 89, for January 

 and February 1845. Presented by William Laxton, Esq. 



3. Report of William Fairbairn, Esq., C.E. (Manchester), on the Con- 

 struction of Fire-proof Buildings, with Introductory Remarks by Samuel 

 Holmes, Liverpool, 1844. Presented by William Fairbairn, Esq. 



Thanks voted to the Donors. 



OXFORD ARCHITECTURAL SOCIETY. 

 A paper was read by Mr. Patterson on " The Application of Colour to 

 the Internal Decorations of Ecclesiatical Buildings." — He observed that there 

 were evidences of some use of gilding and colour even in the earliest ag'CS. 

 After mentioning examples iu Constantinople, Rome, and Venice, he observed 

 that he might name a majority of the churches of Italy, from the fourth to 

 the fourteenth century, as aft'ording specimens of internal coloured decot a- 

 tion by means of mosaic. He proceeded to notice the early introduction of 

 painting to the same end, in Italy, Germany, and France ; and then went '^n 



