May 21, 1914| 
NATURE 
625 
ratus consists of a long tube with copper electrodes 
inserted in tube-shaped depressions at suitable points, 
the milk being passed continuously through this tube, 
from a raised tank, at a predetermined rate of flow. 
The current used varies from 2 to 3 amperes at an 
E.M.F. of 3900 to 4200 volts, and each unit quantity of 
milk is exposed to the action of this current for such 
a brief period of time, that no heating effects are pro- 
duced. Details of the bacteriological results: are given 
in the report, from which it is seen that Bb. coli and 
the ordinary milk-souring bacteria have been invari- 
ably absent from the eiectrically-treated milk, and that 
the average percentage reduction in the number of 
total bacteria, over a period of fifteen days’ operation 
of the plant, was 99-93 per cent. The electrical steri- 
lising apparatus in use at the Earle Road Milk Depét 
of the Liverpool Corporation has a- capacity .of 125 
gallons of milk a day, and this quantity is distributed 
in 3000 bottles. The question of extending the plant 
is now being considered. 
A PAPER on recording pyrometers, read by Mr. C. R. 
Darling at a meeting of the Faraday Society on 
April was accompanied by a full display of the 
most recent types of instruments. The marked im- 
provement which has been effected in the accuracy 
of these instruments was attributed by the author, 
and by several speakers in the subsequent discussion, 
to the admirable work of the» National Physical 
Laboratory as an impartial standardising agency. 
Some recent advances include (1) the introduction of 
electric power to operate the pyrometers, either by 
means of relay-circuits or in place of clockwork, in 
such a way that the automatic control of large techni- 
cal furnaces may easily be provided for; (2) arrange- 
ments whereby the same instrument may be used 
either with a resistance thermometer or with thermal 
couples; (3) automatic switches with the help of which 
the records from several furnaces may be recorded by 
the same machine. 
PA? 
a<) 
Tue Chemical Society’s journal for April contains 
two papers by Dr. Pickard and Mr. Kenyon. on the 
dependence of rotatory power on chemical constitu- 
tion. The first paper, recalling the monographs of 
Sir William Perkin on magnetic rotatory power, con- 
tains a description of no fewer than seventy-three 
optically-active esters of the fatty series. Unlike the 
alcohols from which they are derived, which ex- 
hibit the simplest type of rotatory dispersion at all 
temperatures, the esters show marked deviations from 
the simple law when the temperature is raised; in 
certain solvents they even exhibit anomalous rotatory 
dispersion. The second paper includes a description 
of the optical properties of naphthyl methyl carbinol 
C,,H,.CH(OH).CH,. This substance obeys the simple 
dispersion law at temperatures above 160°, but shows 
anomalous rotatory dispersion in the superfused con- 
dition at temperatures below about 10°. It is sug- 
gested that the anomalous dispersion is caused by the 
actual presence in the superfused liquid of two of the 
hypothetical varieties of the naphthalene nucleus 
which have long been postulated by organic chemists. 
Tue. transportation problem in Canada, and Mon- 
treal Harbour, were discussed in a paper read at the 
Nome e255. VOL. 92) 
| 
Institution of Civil Engineers on April 7 by Mr. F. W. 
Cowie. It appears that the farmer receives for his 
wheat 67 per cent. of the price paid by the consumer ; 
the remaining 33 per cent. represents the cost of 
transportation, handling, and selling profits. It is 
important that the latter percentage should be reduced 
to the lowest possible figure, so that the farmer may 
receive the full due for his toil, and the cost of liv- 
ing in Great Britain may not be unduly enhanced. 
Montreal Harbour handled sixty million bushels of 
grain in 1913, and nearly a hundred million bushels 
of Canadian grain were shipped in the same year 
through Buffalo in the United States. The loss to 
Canadian transportation and selling organisations by 
reason of the latter shipments amounts to about 
18,000,000 dollars. The magnificent railway systems be- 
tween New York and Buffalo are the most powerful 
rivals of the ‘‘all Canadian’’ routes. Great efforts 
are being put forth by the Canadian Government and 
others interested to improve facilities and render avail- 
able Canadian routes. The author is of the opinion 
that the advantages for future transportation should 
lie. with the St. Lawrence route. It is believed that 
improvements for the storage and handling of grain 
in the ports of Great Britain are not advancing in 
measure equal to the Canadian ports. 
Stx new volumes have been added to ‘‘ The People’s 
Books,’’? which Messrs..T. C. and E. C. Jack are 
publishing at sixpence net each. The additions fully 
maintain the high standard of this excellent series, 
which is bringing within the reach of all readers the 
results of modern studies in many branches of human 
knowledge. Particular attention may be directed to 
Dr. W. E. Carnegie Dickson’s little book on bacterio- 
logy, and Mr. Ford Fairford’s on Canada. Dr. Dick- 
son, in the sub-title to his volume, ‘‘Man’s Microbe 
Friends and Foes,”’ sufficiently describes the point of 
view from which he has written. He gives a brief 
historical summary of the growth of the science, ex- 
plains the relation between health and disease, de- 
scribes some of the commoner organisms which 
produce disease, and explains the importance of 
bacteria in the arts and industries. Mr. Fairford’s 
book should prove of service to students of commercial 
geography, and interest general readers in an im- 
portant part of the Empire. 
OUR ASTRONOMICAL COLUMN. 
A New Comer.—A Kiel telegram, dated May 17, 
reports the discovery of a new comet, stated to be 
of the fourth magnitude, by Zlaitinsky. On May 15 
the comet was situated close to 7 Persei, while on the 
following day it was recorded as being half a degree 
north of a Persei. 
A further telegram from Kiel communicates an 
observation by Prof. Schorr. On May 16)" abt 
1th, 12-9m. Bergedorf mean time, the comet was of 
the 4th magnitude, and its position was R.A. 
3h. 17m. 37s., declination + 49° 51’ 7’. 
TeLEescopic METEoRS.—One of the interesting con- 
tributions to the Observatory for May is an account 
by Mr. W. F. Denning of observations of telescopic 
meteors. Thirty years ago Mr. Denning directed 
attention to the importance of making combined ob- 
