PROCEEDINGS OF THE POLYTECHNIC ASSOCIATION. 631 



man he declined the honor. Gen. Paixhan, a French oflBcer, then in this 

 country, was strnck with the experiments of Col. Bomford, and when he re- 

 turned to France he brought out the system there, and the gun was soon 

 known as the Paixhan. The gun is the same as that in our forts called the 

 Colunibiad. Captain, now Major-General Halleck, was his authority for 

 making this statement. 



The Chairman presented the following important scientific intelligence : 



Changes in Cheese. 



M. Blondeau has examined the changes produced in Eoquefort cheese 

 when stored away in cellars to acquire the flavor which recommends it to 

 the taste of some people. He found fresh cheese contained 



Casein 85.43 



Fatty matter 1.85 



Lactic acid .88 



Water 1 1.84 



Total 100.00 



After being two months in a cellar similar cheese contained 



Casein- ; 43.28 



Margarin 18.30 



Olein 14.00 



Butyric acid .6T 



Salt 4.45 



Water 19.30' 



Total 100.00 



The remarkable change of casein into margarin and olein, the author 

 believes to be due to a mycoderm of the genus Penicillium. The propor- 

 tions of the last named compound being nearly those found in butter, he 

 concludes that butter is formed in the animal economy at the expense of 

 casein. 



Glucose. 



M. Clooz has announced before the Paris chemical society a means of 

 separating glucose from the chloride of sodium, by tlie employment of the 

 acetate of silver. The soda is precipitated with concentrated oxalic acid, 

 and the evaporated solution is extracted with alcohol, which only dissolves 

 glucose. 



Organic Acids. 



Mr. Cloez has also described a method of analyzing organic acids when 

 combined with potash or soda. The organic matter is mixed with tun '■^- 

 sten acid, and burned in a current of pure dry air. 



Wolfram or Tungsten. 



M. Le Guen states that his experiments prove that wolfram up to 2i per 

 cent increases the hardness and tenacity of iron. Beyond this proportiou 

 it is prejudicial. 



Calabar. 



Messrs. J. Jobst and 0. Hesse, of Stuttgart, have published their re- 

 searches made to ascertain the active principle of calabar or the ordeal 



