March 13, 1885.] 



♦ KNOWLEDGE 



215 



It is generally supposed that clouds consi-t iiuiinly 

 of hollow lYsichs of ■water, and not of miuuto drops. 

 Yet meteorologists are far from being agreed on this 

 point On the one hand we have the evidence of De 

 Saussure and Kratzenstein, who actually saw, or sup- 

 posed they saw, the constituent vesicles of clouds niul 

 fogs. Dr. Snussure, indeed, tells us how we may fco the 

 vesicles for ourselves. If a cup of cofVep, or of wa'ev 

 tinctured with Indian ink be i>laced in the sun, minute 

 vesicles of various thickness will bo seen to ascend from 

 the surface of the liquid. He adds that tlioje v( sides 

 which rise ditler so much in appearance from those which 

 fall, that it is impossible to doubt thut tho former are 

 hollow. Kiimtz, also, made measurements of the vesicles 

 of fogs in Central Germany and in Switzerland ; and in 

 his valuable work on Meteorology, gives a tabic and a 

 figure, showing the law according to which the dimensions 

 of the vesicles vary in the course of the year. 



(To be continued). 



CHAPTERS OX 3I0DERX DOMESTIC 

 ECOXOMY. 



XVIII.— THE FRAMEWORK OF THE DWELLIXGHOUSE. 



STRUCTCRAL EXAMPLES {continued). 



THE DISPOSAL OP HOUSEHOLD REFUSE. 



THE "Patent Carbon Dust-Bin" of Dr. R. Nicholls, 

 to which we referred last week, is constructed on the 

 «ame princijjle aa that adopted by the patentee for his 

 " Patent Carhon Closet," so that a detailed descri])tion of 

 the one will ser\-e to convey an idea of the practical useful- 

 ness of the other. Both of these appliances depend upon 

 the deodcrising properties of carbon on decaying matters, 

 and are so constructed as to bring the carbon to act 

 thoroughly up 'D their contents; this is done by making 

 use of the re-agent in a fine state of subdivision — e y., 

 soot ; and the following description of the dust bin will 

 •explain the mechanism through which the intimate 

 application of the carbon powder is brought about : — 



Fig. 9 is a perspective lepreseutation of the apparatus, 

 for the use of which we are indebted to Mr. Jonas, of 

 Mortlake, sole agent to the patentee. It consists of a 

 box. A, made of galvanised iron, and painted, if required, 

 in any colour to harmonise with its immediate surroundings 

 in tint, with a specially prepared varnish paint, which is 

 said to be perfectly weather proof. 



The dust and garbage are thrown into the bin through an 

 aperture beneath the lid, B, which is made to fall back 

 upon the top of the bin, A, when opened. The lid, B, is 

 fitted with a carbon box perforated at the bottom, and 

 must occasionally be filled with soot or powdered carbon. 

 There is, in addition to this, a sliding tray, C, the base 

 ■of which is perforated, and when thut home is provided 

 with a circular aperture, which corresponds in size and 

 position with the opening under the lid, B, so that it does 

 not interfere with the operation of inception of dust and 

 garbage ; this tray is periodically filled with fine carbon or 

 soot. Thus it is obvious that when the lid B is swung 

 back so as to fall upon the top of the bin. A, it causes a 

 shower of carbon dust to be discharged into the receptacle 

 of the bin ; the refuse is then thrown in, and the lid, B, 

 closed over the orifice ; this action causes a second shower 

 of carbon particles, this time from both the tray and the 



lid, which entirely covers the fresh contents, and thoroughly 

 deodorises them. 



Fig. 0. 



A sliding door D is made to work on flanges outside of 

 the dust-bin. A, and, when the bia is to be emptied, is kept 

 open by a latch which fastens on to a knob above. The 

 door expcses the whole interior of the bin, so that every 

 ]iarticle can be cleared out, whilst its arrangement of 

 flanges on the outside of the bin prevents it from getting 

 out of order. We have no hesitation in stating that the 

 entire contrivance is not only ingenious ; its especial value 

 lies in the fact that it fulfils all the requirements of a 

 thoroughly sanitary apparatus, and it therefore deserves a 

 place in every well-appointed household. 



A very important modification of the dust-bin is Dr. 

 NichoUs's so-called "dust-pail." In practical details, the 

 latter is a miniature of the former in all but shape and size. 

 It has been devised to meet the wants of buildings which 



Fig. 10. 



are let out in " flats " or " floors," and may be kept with 

 perfect safety within the rooms, or, if desired, in special 

 extramural cupboards, or on the common landings. These 



