Polytechnic Association Proceedings. 7S3 



contractions. For instance, the letter "e" is made to stand for 

 ' the"; " h" for " he," " have" or " has"; " w" for " we" or " with." 

 In the contraction of words of many S3'llables, he employs some 

 of the strokes of the pen used in phonograph}^; yet the method, as 

 a whole, has some claim to novelty. The speaker stated that by 

 his method he could write from five thousand to seven thousand 

 words an hour, which is about as fast as an ordinaiy speaker would 

 enunciate. The number of contractions he uses is about two hun- 

 dred. The system was found to be useful for lawyers in taking 

 testimony, and for students in writing out lectures. 



ALCOHOL INDICATOR. 



Dr. Ruschaupt explained jSIr. Hemy Gath's alcohol indicator, a 

 model of which was presented. It is used in the following manner: 



To work the tube, a glass cylinder is to be used as measure. The 

 latter is to be filled precisely to the mark with the wine, &c. to 

 be proved. The contents of the glass cylinder will then be emptied 

 to the last drop in the tube, which latter is closed with its stopper. 

 A cylinder is then placed right below the termination of the cool- 

 ing pipe. After the cooler has been filled with cold water, and 

 the lamp with alcohol, it onl}^ remains to light the last named, to 

 set the apparatus agoing. The wine commences to bubble, and 

 nearly at the same time the vapors rise through the opening of the 

 India rubber stopper into the pipe, to be conducted into the cool- 

 ing pipe: and then, condensed into drops, to come to the recep- 

 tacle. The distillate having collected therein precisely up to mark 

 I, the alcohol lamp is to be extinguished, and cold, distilled water, 

 or rain water, added thereto, precisely up to the mark. In order 

 not to transgress said mark, the pipette is used, by which the water 

 can be added by drops. 



If then the indications of the hydrometer and the thermometer 

 are marked down, the table accompanying the apparatus will show 

 the precise alcoholic strength of the substance distilled. The table 

 is simple and easily understood. 



Look on the first horizontal line for the number corresponding 

 with the indications of the hj^drometer, and on the first vertical 

 line for the number of degrees as indicated by the thermometer. 

 On the crossing point of these two lines the exact alcoholic strength 

 sought for will be found. 



For instance: The hydrometer shows ten degrees, the thermom- 

 eter nineteen degrees; the alcoholic substance is then 9.5; or, with 



