Ether Applied to Steam Engines 123 



At the 6oth meeting (Nov. 24th) Colonel Sabine said that 

 a Norwegian at Lloyds had identified the bottle exhibited 

 .at the last meeting as one of those used by fishermen of 

 his country as floats for nets. 



He also gave some account of the magnetic action of the 

 moon, as observed at the earth's surface. This reached a 

 maximum when the planet was on the upper and lower 

 meridian and a minimum when halfway between these 

 positions results bearing on the question whether the 

 moon was idiomagnetic or magnetic by induction. 



Mr. Bowman explained how the eye adapted itself to 

 distance, showing that the images reflected from or near 

 the anterior part of the crystalline lens advance, when the 

 eye is used to view near objects, while those formed on the 

 posterior surface remain stationary, showing an increase 

 in convexity of the anterior surface of the crystalline lens 

 for near objects. When the eye was submitted to galvanism 

 the image examined by a microscope changed its position, 

 so as to show an increased convexity, which after a time 

 became permanent. 



At the 6ist meeting, on Dec. 22nd, Mr. Rennie gave an 

 account of the steam engine of M. du Trimblet, which he 

 had seen on a recent visit to France. This uses ether in 

 addition to water, the principle being that the condensed 

 vapour of water, which has done its work in one cylinder, 

 is used as a source of heat to vaporize ether in a second 

 cylinder, and thus gives additional power by utilizing the 

 heat of the water, which hitherto had been wasted. He 

 had seen the engine applied to propel a boat, and had 

 formed the opinion that it used about half the ordinary 

 amount of fuel. The ether wasted cost only about one 

 franc per hour in an engine of 45 horse-power, and 

 the boat had performed twelve voyages of 800 miles each. 

 The principal objection that occurred to him was the 

 danger of explosion or combustion from the vapour of 

 the ether. 



1854. At the 63rd meeting (Feb. 23rd) Mr. Horner read 

 a letter from Sir C. Lyell, written from Madeira, giving an 



