420 



NA TURE 



[March 6, 1902 



W. Whitwell, in responding, spoke of the severe competition 

 which the iron trade was experiencing in America, and attributed 

 the successor the American iron trade in a great degree to the 

 opportunities afforded in that country for education. 



A 1 E\v of the items in the Civil Service Estimates for the 

 year ending March 31, 1903, are of interest in their connection 

 with science and education. In the class of Salaries and Expenses 

 of Civil Departments, the estimate for the Board of Agriculture, 

 England, is 5378/. less than last year, but the Department ol 

 Agriculture, Ireland, has an estimate increased by 17,439/. , of 

 which 41 10.'. is required for salaries and wages in connection 

 with institutions of science and art, 300/. for the Royal College of 

 Science for the purchase of books, specimens, &c., 1000/. for 

 annual grants for science instruction, and 5800/. for grants in aid 

 of day secondary schools. In the class of Education, Science 

 and Art, there is a net increase of 235,446/. , of which e.xtra 

 amount the Board of Education will receive 170,884/., while 

 scientific investigation, &c., will obtain a net increase of 15,242/. 

 The latter estimate includes an additional grant of 3000/. 

 towards the cost of adapting and equipping Bushy House for 

 the purpose of the National Physical Laboratory, this amount 

 completing a total grant of 19,000/. There is also a grant of 

 16,000/. as the first instalment on account of a total sum of 

 42,000/. estimated to be required in a period of three years in 

 cotinection with the international scheme for investigating 

 problems connected with the fisheries of the North Sea and 

 adjacent waters. 



• To celebrate the election of M. Bouquet de la Grye to the 

 presidency of the Paris Academy of Sciences, the Artistic 

 Union of Auvergne has had a medal designed and struck, and 



The three very interesting papers on electric shocks which 

 were read before the Institution of Electrical Engineers last 

 Thursday direct attention to a subject of which very little seems 

 to be known from either the electrical or the physiological side. 

 Mr. Aspinall quoted a number of cases in which death might 

 have been expected, but did nut occur, and formulated a list of 

 pertinent questions to which definite and certain answers would 

 be of the highest value. Mr. Trotter gave a practical 

 demonstration that the liability to shock at 500 volts is very 

 much less than is generally believed. With dry boots and 

 clothes he .showed that one could quite .-iafely stand or lie on an 

 earthed rail whilst handling a live conductor at 500 volts. In 

 other words, it is quite safe to fall across the rails of, say, the 

 Central London Railway provided bare skin does not touch 

 both the earthed and the live rail. Unfortunately, in a case of 

 accident one cannot arrange the conditions for safety, and, 

 moreover, a sudden unexpected shock may have much worse 

 effects than one taken carefully and deliberately. The discus- 

 sion of the papers on March 13 is likely to be of great interest. 

 What is, perhaps, most desirable is that some definite informa- 

 tion should be forthcoming on how best to restore life in a case 

 of apparent death from electric shock. 



An interesting account of the electrical manufacture of carbon 

 bisulphide is given in a recent number of the New \'ork Electrical 

 Review. The furnaces consist of tall slacks which are filled with 

 charcoal ; sulphur is fed in at the bottom of the furnace and 

 allowed to rise, when molten, as high up the electrodes as is 

 considered advisable. The molten sulphur acting as an insulator, 

 the height to which it rises serves to regulate the current. 

 Carbon bisulphide vapour is led off at the top of the furnace. 



it was presented to him with an album containing expressions 

 of esteem at a banquet held on February 13. The face and 

 back of the medal are illustrated in I.a Nature, and the views 

 are here reproduced. Colonel Laussedat presided at the 

 banquet and referred in appropriate terms to the numerous 

 scientific investigations of his colleague, from his first work in 

 hydrography and on the transit of Venus expedition to his re- 

 searches on the influence of the moon and his great scheme for 

 making Paris a seaport. In reply, M. Bouquet de la Grye 

 expressed himself conscious of the honour done him by the 

 Academy of Sciences, and gratified at the celebration of it by 

 his friends. 



The plant consists of two furnaces, each having a capacity of 

 20,000 pounds per day. One furnace lies idle, for cleaning, &c. , 

 whilst the other is running ; it is said that a furnace can be run 

 continuously for several months. The power is derived from 

 alternators direct-coupled to water wheels, and at present only 

 half the available water-head is being utilised. The larger out- 

 put obtainable when the full water-head is used is likely to be 

 considerably in excess of the demand. 



Wk have received an attractive pamphlet from the Acheson 

 (Graphite Company (Niagara Falls), which contains some useful 

 information and data relating to the electrodes which they manu- 



NO. 1688, VOL. 65] 



