138 Miscellaneous Intelligence. 



into the extract— the soup ; in the second, the albumen of the meat 

 coagulates from the surface inward, and envelopes the interior with a 

 layer which is impermeable to water. In the latter case the soup will 

 be indifferent, but the meat delicious. 



Giessen, 24lIi March, 1847. 



2. Inhalation of Ether, (L'Institut, March 10, 1847.)— Experi- 

 ments on the inhalation of ether by animals, have been extensively 

 prosecuted in Pans, and have led to interesting results. M. Flourens 

 observes from his investigations, that ether acts first upon the cerebrum, 

 •and disturbs the intellect; then upon the cerebellum affecting the 

 equilibrium of movement ; next upon the spinal cord, when it extin- 

 guishes successively sensibility and the power of motion, and finally 

 upon the medulla oblongata, when it extinguishes life. In his late ex- 



penments, the action of ether has been pushed to the extinction of 

 life. 



M. Flourens, in order to compare the effects with those of asphyxia, 

 subjected two dogs to the simplest kind of asphyxia produced by the 

 gradual consumption of the oxygen contained in a given volume of 

 atmospheric air. When the asphyxia had reached the required point, 

 he spinal marrow, exposed, showed no signs of feeling when cut or 

 lacerated and only feeble muscular contractions on pincliing the motor 

 portion. M. Flourens hence infers that there is a marked analogy be- 

 tween eher.zat.on and asphyxia. But in ordinary asphyxia, the nervous 

 system loses its forces under the action of the black blood, the blood 

 deprived of oxygen ; and in etherization this takes place, at first, under 

 the quiet influence of the singular agent to which it is subjected. 



3. Gun.totton; M. Schonbein's Patent, (Mechanics' Magazine; 

 Mining Journal, April 10, 1847.)-The specification of this patent (ta- 

 ken out in the name of Mr. John Taylor, of the Adelphi) became due, 

 and was enrolled on the 8th insf. The following is a correct abstract 

 of its contents :-~The patentee states, that the invention consists in the 

 manufacture of explosive compounds applicable to mining purposes 

 and to projectiles, and as substitutes for gunpowder, by treating and 

 combining matters of vegetable origin with nitric and sulphuric acids. 



ine matter of vegetable origin which he prefers, as being best suit- 

 ed for the purposes of the invention, is cotton, as it comes into this 

 country, freed from extraneous matters ; and it is stated to be desirable 

 to operate on the clean fibres of the cotton in a dry state 



Ihe acids are—nitric acid of from 1'45 to 1-50 specific gravity, and 

 sulphuric acid of 1-85 specific gravity. 



The acids are mixed together in the proportion of one measure of 

 nitric acid to three of sulphuric acid, in any suitable or convenient ves- 

 sel not liable to be affected by the acids. A great degree of heat being 



Ino erat ri b £ u 6 Z X u UTe ' "* i3 left t0 c ° o1 until its temperature falls to 

 bU or oO tahr. The cotton is then immersed in it, and, so that it may 

 become thoroughly impregnated or saturated with the acids, it is stirred 

 with a rod of glass or other material not affected by the acids. The 

 cotton should be introduced in as open a state as practicable. The 

 acids are then poured or drawn off, and the cotton gently pressed by a 

 presser of glazed earthen ware to press out the acids, after which it » 

 covered up m the vessel, and allowed to stand for about an hour. It » 







