536 
those cases, and practically nothing is known of its action 
on the human economy, especially when taken in the con- 
siderable doses that would be contained in the substances 
preserved by this proposed compound. So that it seems 
at least desirable that a little more inquiry should be 
made as to the physiological action of boron compounds 
before it is proposed as a wholesale preserver of food 
stuffs. 
Of the other constituent of this compound something 
more is known. It exists naturally in many articles of 
food or drink, and its physiological action has been toa 
considerable extent investigated, and proved to be on the 
whole quite harmless. 
As a preservative against fermentive or bacterial action, 
it has also beer investigated more fully than boric acid. 
In a concentrated condition it will resist both ordinary 
fermentation and the fermentation of various bacteria in 
a high degree. 
As the compound BO%C,H; is decomposed into boric 
hydrate and glycerine on contact with water, it would 
scarcely appear that there is any advantage in forming the 
etherial compound. 
It would appear indeed that all the preservative effects 
_ claimed for this ether can be obtained by the use of gly- 
cerine alone, thus excluding a possible source of danger 
in the use of a comparatively unknown substance (physio- 
logically) like boric acid (see Kletzinsky, Ding/. pol. /., 
171, 370; Kunath, zdzd@., 193, 439 ; Wagner, /ahresé., 1868, 
523; Fleck, Ding?. pol. /., 196, 487). 
NOTES 
WE are pleased to learn that the Imperial Government has 
granted a sum of 2500/. (1500/. this year, and 10co/. next), and 
that the Canadian Government has further voted $4000 for a 
station for circumpolar observations. 
IN the discussion on the New Code, on Monday night, in the 
House of Commons, Sir John Lubbock pointed out several of 
its weak points as regards the teaching of science. He com- 
plained that children of the fourth standard were excluded from | 
specific subjects, and that, as at present worded, children who 
take class subjects, might never be taught any science at all, 
as one of them must be English, and another might be his- 
tory. It would certainly be disappointing, if, after so much 
thought had been expended in drawing up the New Code, the 
evident desire of its tramers to encourage science teaching 
should have been-defeated. Mr. Maskelyne, Lord G. Hamil- 
ton, and others, while supporting Sir John Lubbock’s criti- 
cisms, pointed out other defects, which, we hope, will have 
Mr, Mundella’s attention. Indeed, he promised to take the 
suggestions made into consideration, and, we believe, that if he 
does so seriously, he will see it to be advisable so to frame the 
regulations as to class and special subjects as to secure that the 
elements of natural knowledge will have a chance of becoming 
a regular part of elementary education. The old bugbear 
attached to the name ‘‘elementary science,” and to scientific 
terminology, was alluded to again, but that is a bugbear long 
ago dissolved, and not worth a moment’s consideration ; by all 
who have given the matter any attention, or who have had any 
experience in teaching, it is admitted that nothing is more in- 
teresting to children of all ages than ‘‘ object lessons,” ze. prac. 
tical instruction in science, and nothing more dreary and un- 
profitable than “grammar” as usually taught. Our New Code 
as it stands is a contrast, so far as science is concerned, to 
the Primary Education Act of France, which has just been pro- 
mulgated. The Primary Education which is compulsory in 
France comprises ‘‘ Moral and civil instruction, reading, writing, 
geography, history, some notions of law and political economy, 
the elements of natural, physical, and mathematical science, 
NATURE 
labour, and the use of the tools of the principal crafts, the 
elements of drawing, modelling, and music, gymnastics, for boys 
military drill, for girls needlework.”” We shall doubtless reach 
this standard some day, and one step to it would be to mak 
attendance at school compulsory on all up to the age of fourtee 
years. 
Dr. NAcHTIGAL, the well-known African explorer, has been 
appointed German Consul in Tunis. 
M. PAuL BERT was on Monday elected a Member of the 
Paris Academy of Sciences, in the Medical Section. 
THE directors of the Crystal Palace ‘have appointed the fol- 
lowing twenty-one British jurymen for the International Electric 
Exhibition:—Capt. Abney, R.E., F.R.S., Prof. W. Grylls 
Adams, F.R.S., Major R. F. Armstrong, R.E., Prof. W. E. 
Ayrton, F.R.S., Mr. Shelford Bidwell, Sir S. Canning, Prof, R. 
B, Clifton, M.A., F.R.S., Mr. T. RK. Crampton, C.E., Mr. 
Horace Darwin, Prof. G. Carey Foster, F.R.S., Prof. E. 
Frankland, F.R.S., Capt. Douglas Galton, C.B., F.R.S., 
Lieut.-Col. W. Haywood, Dr. J. Hopkinson, F.R.S., Prof. D. 
E. Hughes, F.R.S., Prof. Fleeming Jenkin, F.R.S., Prof. J. 
W. Keats, Mr. W. H. Preece, F R.S., Prof. Silvanus Thomp- 
son, B.A., D.Sc., Mr. C. E. Spagnoletti, C.E., and Lieut.-Col. 
Webber, R.E., president, Society of Telegraph Engineers. 
THE present season seems to have been as remarkably early 
and open in the Arctic regions as it has been with ourselves. 
The captain of the French steamer S¢. Germain reports having 
encountered an ice-floe of vast extent during his last outward 
voyage across the Atlantic. During the night of February 24-5 
the vessel passed through two fields of ice estimated at from two 
to three miles in width. On the following morning there lay in 
the course of the ship an immense agglomeration of masses of 
ice, many of which resembled the dédris of shattered icebergs, 
to which no limit could be seen west, north, or south, At this 
time the vessel was in lat. 46° N., and long. 50° W. The ice 
was drifting from north to south, and for two hours the ship 
steamed in a southerly direction along the eastern side of the ice- 
floe, at full speed, without seeing any opening, its eastern face 
being perfectly level. Soon after eight o’clock a channel about 
two miles wide, and running north and south, opened out, 
which the captain entered, hoping to reach the open sea to the 
south, but after about an hour’s steaming the channel narrowed 
into a deep strait, when he decided to continue his course slowly 
and push through the ice, and after three hours perilous naviga- 
tion, saw open water to the west, which he at last entered in 
lat. 44° N., and long. 51° W., or about 120 miles to the south, 
and 60 miles to the west of the point at which the ice-floe was 
first encountered. Even then the southern limit of the floe 
could not be seen, although the atmosphere was exceptionally 
clear at the time. Another report informs us that during the 
latter half of March quite a hundred icebergs were seen off 
Cape Race. 
From Nottingham is reported the death this week, at the age 
of seventy-nine years, of Mr. Sydney Smith, the inventor of the 
steam-pressure gauge, and many other important engineering 
appliances. Mr. Smith was a native of Derby, and was educated 
at Repton Grammar School. By the invention of the steam- 
pressure gauge in 1847 his name became widely known in the 
engineering world. 
THE death is announced of Mr. William Menelaus, a 
gentleman well-known and highly esteemed in connection with 
the iron and steel industries of this country. He was in the 
sixty-fourth year of his age. Mr. Menelaus was past president 
of the Iron and Steel Institute, of which he was one of the first 
members. He was also the founder of the South Wales Institute 
their applications to agriculture, health, industrial arts, manual | of Engineers, 
