CHEMICAL SCIENCE. 201 



The collodion process seemed on all accounts the most available, 

 and was that employed to furnish the negative pictures from which 

 copies on paper have afterwards been printed ; and in order to guard 

 against accidents, the silver baths, collodion, and the more important 

 Bolutions were provided in duplicate, so that no difficulty was expe- 

 rienced in preparing the sensitive plates in rapid succession. 



M r. Spiller describes several of the photographs as exhibiting very 

 clearly the position of the solar spots, and in many cases the lunar 

 mountains are to be seen sharply defined against the bright face of 

 the sun. A passing cloud rendered " the first contact" so perfectly 

 invisible that no opportunity for opening the camera was presented ; 

 but the plate representing the moment of maximum obscuration, 

 and the phases both immediately preceding and following, are for- 

 tunately amongst the most successful of the photographic results ; 

 and further, on comparing the present series with the disc of the sun 

 taken at the period of the former eclipse, March 15, 1858, in pre- 

 cisely the same apparatus, the diminished size of the image consecpient 

 on the eccentricity of the earth's orbit is very strikingly exhibited. 



NEW REMEDY. 



The effect of the perpetual inhalation of alcoholic beverages in 

 the production of delirivm tremens is well known. Short of this 

 destructive effect, these beverages produce various derangements, 

 commencing with an imperfect nutrition of the nervous system, and 

 affecting more or less every other organ of the body. Of course 

 the remedy for this state of things is abstinence from the stimu- 

 lants producing the disease. But this is not alone sufficient. Re- 

 pair of mischief done is necessary ; and Dr. Marcet has adminis- 

 tered as a remedy the oxide of zinc, in a large number of cases, 

 and with so uniformly beneficial an effect that there can be no 

 doubt his experience is worthy the attention of the medical profes- 

 sion. This new remedy should, however, only be administered by 

 medical skill. — See Dr. Marcet' s pamphlet on the subject, published 

 by Churchill, New Burlington-street. 



