Polytechnic Association Proceedings. 765 



December 12, 1867. 

 Prof. S. D. Tillman in the chair. 

 The Chairman read the following notes on applied science: 



TO POLISH STEEL. 



Mr. Stoss, a German engineer, finds that oxide of chromium is 

 the be^t substance for polishing steel. The article is easily pro- 

 cured, as it is used for i)ainting on porcelain; or it may be pre- 

 pared by heating to redness the bi-chromate of potash. The 

 neutral chromate of potash is formed while one equivalent of 

 chromic acid is converted to chromic oxide which is easily sepa- 

 rated. 



TREATMENT OF DIARRHEA. 



Mr. J. "W. Curran reports in The London Medical Times and 

 Gazette the successful treatment of a number of cases of diarrhea, 

 attended with convulsions, which illustrate the beneficial efiects of 

 the therapeutical method recommended by Dr. Chapman. Cold 

 was applied by means of ice-bags at certain points along the spine. 

 It arrests the convulsions with surprising rapidity, and exercises a 

 sedative and specially curative influence over a disease extremely 

 harassing to both physicians and relatives, and often terribly 

 destructive, especially when it attacks children. 



ALLEGED CURE OF THE CATTLE PLAGLT:. 



Mr. Philbert, a large landowner in Southern Russia, who pos- 

 sesses 80,000 merino sheep, 2,000 or 3,000 horned cattle, and 500 

 or 600 horses, states that of all the means employed in numerous 

 experiments made by him to preserve his horned beasts against the 

 cattle plague, sea-water, given as a drink in place of soft water, 

 had, during all the epidemic, complete success. All the animals 

 supplied with sea- water were spared by the inalady, including 

 those intentionally placed constantly in contact with sick beasts. 



THE STRUGGLE FOR LIFE. 



Certain native animals of New Zealand seem to give way before 

 those from Europe, with which they are brought in contact. The 

 Norway rat has completely exterminated the native rat of New 

 Zeland. The English house-fly drives out the blue-bottled native. 

 Capt. Cook carried pigs to New Zealand and they have increased so 

 rapidly that landlords now offer rewards for killing them. English 

 weeds monopolize the soil. European clover exterminates the 

 native flax-plant, and European annuals destroy the New Zealand 



