proceedings of the polytechnic asssociation. 531 



Ozone. 



According to the views of M. J. L. Soret, before the French Acad- 

 emy, ozone has a different composition from that ascribed to it 

 by M. Schonbien, and the leading scientists. It is conceded to be an allo- 

 tropic condition of oxygen. The ozonized atom expressed by prefixing the 

 plus sign to the symbol and the deozonized atom, by the minus sign, were 

 supposed to form a molecule of ordinary oxygen. 



M. Soret states that when a phitinum spiral is passed up into a vessel 

 containing ozonized oxygen, and brought to a dull, red heat, there is a 

 great increase of the volume of the gas, while a similar application of the 

 platinum coil in ordinary oxygen shows only a slight increase. 



This fact, with others stated by him, induced the belief that the mole- 

 cule of oxygen consists of three or more atoms. 



Gun Cotton. 



A report made to the British Association by Mr. Scott Russell, asserts 

 that gun-cotton is, in many respects, superior to gun-powder. The quick- 

 ness and intensity of its explosion is regulated by the extent of space 

 which a given mass of cotton occupies. 



Petroleum. 



American petroleum has been studied recently by Pelouze and Cahours, 

 who, according to the Compter Rendus, find that it contains homologucs of 

 marsh gas — the lowest term of the series being hyduret of butyl, boiling 

 at about thirty-three degrees Fahrenheit; the highest series thus far obtain- 

 ed being Cso, H32. It will be noticed that in this series hydrogen is always 

 in the excess. It has generally been supposed that as carbon predominates 

 in petroleum, whether crude or refined, the products of decomposition would 

 have the same characteristics. 



Bromides of magnesia have been found in considerable quantity in the wa- 

 ter of the Dead sea, according to the analyses of M. Roux, presented to the 

 French Academy. This gentleman suggests that these waters may be val- 

 uable as a medicine for scrofula and similar affections. 



New Asteroid. 



The new planet discovered some months since by Mr. James Watson, of 

 Ann Arbor, Mich., was seen by Oppolzen, in Vienna, on the 6th of October 

 last. This planet is one of the asteroids of which upwards of fifty have 

 been discovered. 



The law of sexes among cattle, as promulgated by Prof. Thury, of 

 Geneva, Switzerland, depending upon the degree of maturation of the 

 ovum, has lately been confirmed by the successfully predetermining the 

 sex in every case whei*e his directions were followed. 



Dr. J. B. Rich. — Some very curious facts came under my observation 

 during a series of experiments upon animals, in regard to impregnation, 

 when it was found that it was not necessary for animals to be in what is 

 termed the rutting season in order to the desired results. In one case, 

 where a horse was experimented upon, there was an entire absence of the 

 usual signs attending the rutting season, and yet impregnation followed 



