8 Transactions of the American Institute. 



and \\\{\\ the omission of those nights on which the Institute meetings 

 are held. 



In addition to the notes made bv the talented and indefatigable 

 chairman, Professor Tillman, which are devoted more particularly to 

 the progress of inventions and discoveries abroad, there has l)een 

 a large number of important and interesting subjects brought forward 

 by the members, and by visitors, generally those familiar with, and 

 in many cases interested in, the inventions or manufactures. These 

 subjects have been discussed, and the results reported to the world 

 through several newspapers, in addition to the official report, which 

 will ultimatel}^ appear in our Transactions. Among the subjects thus 

 exhaustively considered, may be found those of universal importance, 

 appl^dng in every household, and we may almost say to every 

 individual, such as ventilation, burners for lamps, safety of oils, and 

 mode of testing, disinfectants, poisons, paints in their sanitary rela- 

 tions, vapor stoves. Dr. Leigh's new mode of teaching the art of read- 

 ing, h_ygrometry and predictions of weather, observations on bees and 

 other insects relating to weather, nitrous oxyd gas for medicinal 

 purposes, sun-flower seed oil and other heretofore little valued oils, 

 the best oils for leather, and burglar alarms as a safeguard for dwellings 

 and propei-ty. 



Passing over many interesting discussions of what may, by some, 

 be considered higher branches of science, as the formation of features 

 revealed by the telescope on the moon, the cause and relations to 

 magnetism of the aurora borealis, the solar spectra, and the rchitions 

 of light and color to sound, the association has, by its unparalleled 

 facilities for comparing the observations and opinions of men, brought 

 together from greatly varied relations to the arts, developed and 

 diffused practical information on the propelling of vessels ; the 

 harbor of New York and the plans for improving it ; geology, 

 generally, and particularly that of the highly productive gold 

 fields of Venezuela, just iirofessionally examined by one of the 

 members ; the Suez canal, and the artificial stone of lime and desert 

 sand employed therein ; artificial stone ornaments ; deep seasoimdings 

 .and modes for facilitating the same ; sand and its different natures and 

 uses; plastering by machinery ; street cleaning; the relative values 

 of high and low pressure of steam ; corrosion of steam boilers and 

 modes of preventing the sanie ; furnaces, and fuel saving ; avoiding 

 of smoke in furnaces ; steam boiler coverings ; steam engines generally, 

 steam plowing ; steel springs, and the 



