AMERICAN INSTITUTE. 551 



Besides a standard measure from an arc or degree measuring, a 

 favorite of the French, has been attended with difficulties and 

 doubts. They measured an arc and then disputed its accuracy, 

 they re measured it, prolonged it and still doubted it. The earth 

 at one measurement was a prolate, then an oblate spheroid. 

 Delambre shows in the Connaissance des Temps, in 1823, page 

 241, that the meridian is not forty millions of metres but 

 40,002,892 metres, and to-morrow another calculation would vary 

 from this. See the difference in the measurement of a degree on 

 the earth's surface, conducted by the greatest mathematicians at 

 Royal expense : 



Fernel, , Toises, 56,746 



Snell, , " 51,766 



Norwood, " 57,412 



Picard, , ,., " 57,060 



The two Cassinis, " 57,097 



Jacques Cassini, " 56,960 



Maupertius and two others, " 57,422 



Swarsberg, , " 57,196 



Rosenberger, , " 57,405 



Boguer, " 57,646 



La Condamine, " 57,649 



Delambre, '•- 56,739 



La Caille, " 57,('34 



Mason and Dixon, " 56,888 



French metrical system, " 57,008/ 



■ The metre has not, as far as we know, been adopted out of 

 France, although thirty years have elapsed. Before trying to 

 force it on England, we ought to know what doctoring it has been 

 subjected to — all through the unfortunate choice of a natural 

 standard. 



[Meraoires De La Societe Imperiale Des Sciences Naturelle De Cterbourg. 1855. 

 Extracts translated by H. Meigs. 



FIXED OILS. 



Fixed oils, like the greater part of fatty bodies, are very nearly 

 alike in their composition. One or two per cent of oxygen and 

 carbon, and a few thousandths of hydrogen, sometimes more and 

 sometimes less, constitute the greatest difference in two oils of very 

 different properties, and often diametrically opposite to each other. 

 So that chemical analysis of the most minute character is power- 

 less to show the alterations which these oils undergo. It is only 



