358 TRANSACTIONS OF THE AMERICAN INSTITUTE. 



fused; and, therefore, he preferred and recommended unfermented food, as 

 a requisite means of having good working limbs and all other menibers of 

 the body, even if it did cost a little more labor of digestion. 



Prof Seely said that many things which the theoretic chemists had 

 declared as not containing any nourishment, had actually subsisted men 

 and animals exclusively for years, and intimated that animal life pros- 

 pered best on certain materials, but when such materials cannot be obtained 

 then their spontaneous vitality would seem to nitrogenize mere carbon- 

 aceous vegetable matter, and use it temporarily for growth and repairs, 

 although not so rapidly and successfully as that which was natural nitro- 

 genous in the vegetable state. 



The Chairman said that dogs working on a tread mill to propel machin- 

 ery did best when eating only ten per cent, of animal iiesh, with the other 

 ninety per cent, of their food the coarse flour and fine bran of sea biscuit 

 bakery made into bread. 



Mr. Fisher and Dr. Stevens gave other illustrations of the use and 

 results of various articles of food. 



Mr. Churchill intimated that the experiments in decarbonizing iron in 

 reducing it from the ore, recently reported here, on further investigation, 

 tieemed not to attain more decarbonization in the preliminary process than 

 was usual by the old process. 



The regular subject for discussion was called up, viz: 



Pumping. 



Prof Seely read the following communication from Mr. F. A. Morley, of 

 Sodus Point, N. Y.: 



MODES OF RAISIN'G WATER. 



What I propose to say relates entirely to the most common device for 

 that purpose — the pump. In most of pumps, but njoro especially the sin- 

 gle acting, the velocity of the column of water is constantly undergoing 

 sudden changes; this is a great evil, as much of the power is expended in 

 overcoming inertia, which, if it may be called friction, is by far the most 

 important item of friction to be considered. 



Most of pumps, as far as the writer's observation goes, are constructed 

 without any regard to this important point, as, for instance, a pump will 

 have a uniform bore of four inches throughout, and a valve of three inches 

 diameter. Now, as the water moves through the uniform size of the bore, 

 its velocity is uniform, but as it passes the valve its velocity must become 

 suddenly nearly doubled, and immediately subside to the uniform v(!locity 

 again. There are but few exceptions to be found to this style of pump, in 

 the whole marine list. 



Another point touching the inertia is the terminations of bore. It is 

 evident that, if the ends of the bore are gradually enlarged toward their 

 terminations, the fluid will gradually attain and'lose the uniform velocity 

 (or piston velocity) in entering and leaving the pump. (See Olmstead's 

 Philosophy, page 293, section 429, latter part.) 



Mr. Fisher inquired as to using gunpowder as a motive power for 

 machinery. 



