Feb. 3, 1870] 
NATURE 
365 
SCIENTIFIC SERIALS 
Potts Annali di Chimica applicati alla Medicina (No. 1, 
1870) has a long preface relating to mzasma palustre and the use 
of febrifuges ; these topics being discussed in view of the compe- 
tition for which the Royal Institute of Lombardy has offered a 
prize in 1872. The competition is restricted to a discussion of 
the use of sulphites and hyposulphites in intermittent fevers. 
The editor ae s to his preface a list of thirty-seven memoirs 
which have been published on these subjects between 1863 and 
1859. Carlo Pavesi contributes a note on a speedy method of 
preparing mercurial ointment, in which the use of oil of turpen- 
tine as an ingredient is specially recommended. Belardi draws 
attention to the fact that pharmaceutical preparations of bismuth 
are liable to contain antimony. Pagano gives an illustration of 
the therapeutic value of magnesic sulphite ; and Moretti records 
some clinicat observations on the use of the same salt as well as 
sodic sulphite. 
THE Moniteur Scientifique (January 15th) contains an unne- 
cessarily fecious (aiticle on Sodic Bromide, by Casthélaz, which 
does not contain any original matter. M. E. Kopp contributes 
extracts from foreign journals (practical chemistry). M. J. Per- 
sonne compares the process of Roussin for preparing hydrated 
chloral, which he condemns as imperfect, with that given in 
Dumas’ Zraité de Chimie, which he eulogises (it yields “185 per 
cent.) M. Jonglet reports ably on the progress of the sugar in- 
dustry in France. 
THE Astronomische Nacrichten, No. 1788, January 19, 1870, 
contains (1) Observations with the Reichenbach Circle at the 
Warsaw Observatory, by C. Deike, Second Assistant at the 
Observatory ; (2) Observations of Comet III., 1869, by Arge- 
lander; (3) and (4) Elements and Ephemeris of the same 
Comet, by Bruhns and Von Littrow. Von Littrow states that 
the comet will hardly be visible after the end of January, as its 
lvilliancy on 13th January only amounted to one-fifth the bril- 
liancy at the time of its discovery. The fifth paper in the present 
number is by Peters, and gives Elements and Ephemeris of 
Velicitas (109) from January 30th to 22nd March. In the sixth 
and last paper Dr. Oppolzer communicates a definitive determina- 
tion of the orbit of the planet (64) Angelina. 
Annales de Chimie et de Physigue, January.—M. Achille Cazin 
contributes a memoir on “internal work in gases.” It contains a 
theoretical discussion and an experimental proof of such work, 
the latter being in principle a repetition of Joule’s experiment, in 
which air is allowed to flow from a full into an exhausted receiver. 
M. Boussingault determines carbon in iron by mixing the filings 
with mercuric chloride and a little water, allowing the mixture to 
repose in contact with aqueous hydric chloride for about an hour, 
filtering and igniting the precipitate (carbon, mercurous chloride, 
&c.) in hydrogen. Successive ignitions in air and hydrogen then 
give the comébined carbon; successive ignitions in oxygen and 
hydrogen next give the graphite. This number also contains an 
unfinished paper, by M. Vicaire, on the ‘‘temperature of flames 
and dissociation.” 
SOCIETIES AND ACADEMIES 
“LONDON 
Royal Society, January 27.—The following papers were read : 
“‘Observations on the temperature of the strata taken during 
the sinking of the Rose Bridge Colliery, Wigan, Lancashire, 
1868-69.” By Edward Hull, M.A., F.R.S., Director of the 
Geological Survey of Ireland. The manager of the Rose Bridge 
Colliery, Mr. Bryham, sensible of the value of observations of 
the temperature of the strata in what is probably the deepest 
colliery in the world, certainly in Britain, made a series of 
observations with as much care as the circumstances of the 
sinking of the shaft would admit, and entrusted them to Mr. 
Hull for publication. The mode of taking the observations was 
as follows :—On a favourable stratum, such as shale, or even 
coal, having been reached, a hole was drilled with water in the 
solid strata to a depth of one yard from the bottom of the pit. 
A thermometer was then inserted for the space of thirty minutes, 
the hole having been sealed and made air-tight with clay. At 
the expiration of the half-hour the thermometer was taken up 
and the reading noted. While the temperatures of the strata 
were being measured, observations were carried on fart fassu on 
those of the open pit ‘during the descent. These are given in the 
Table_annexed, By a comparison of the results in the two 
columns, it will be observed that, as the depth increased, the 
differences between the corresponding temperatures in the pit and 
the strata tended to augment; in other words, the temperature of 
the strata was found to augment more rapidly than that of the open 
pit. The effects of the high temperature and pressure on the strata 
at the depth of 2,425 feet are making themselves felt, and cause 
an increase in the expense both of labour and timber for props. 
This colliery, in fact, will be in a position to put to the test our 
views and speculations on the effects of high temperature and 
pressure on mining operations. In order to obtain the average 
rate of increase of heat, as shown by the experiments at Rose 
Bridge Colliery, we may assume (in the absence of direct obser- 
vation) the position and temperature of the zzvavzable stratum to 
be 50 feet from the surface and 50° F., which is probably nearly 
the mean temperature of the place. With these data, the in- 
crease is 1° F. for every 54°57 feet, which approximates to that 
obtained by Professor Phillips at Monkwearmouth of r° F. for 
about every 60 feet. If, on the other hand, for the purpose of 
comparison, the measurements for the zzvariadle stratum as 
obtained at Dukenfield be adopted, the rate of increase is found 
to be 1° F. for every 47°2 feet as against 1° F. for every 83:2 feet 
in the case of Dukenfield itself. So great a discordance in the 
results is remarkable, and is not, in the opinion of the auther, 
attributable to inaccuracy of observation in making the experi- 
ments. On the other hand, he suggests that it is due, at least in 
some measure, to dissimilarity in the position and inclination of 
the strata in each case. 
THERMOMETRICAL OBSERVATIONS AT ROSE BripGE CoLtirry. 
Tem- | Tem- 
mate Depths Strata. perature perature 
yards. in open in solid 
pit. strata. 
|. 
r. F. 
°o Co 
July 1854..... 161 Blue'shalevarere a rsia ons 64°5 
August 1854 .. . 188 Warrant earth. . 66 
May 1858..... 550 Blue shale... . 78 
INTIS SEES ceo oe 600 | Warrant earth. . 80 
May 18,1868... 630 “Raven” coal. . 73 83 
July 24, 1868... 665 Linn and wool 75 85 
April 29, 1869. . . 673 &VardiCoal’?mme =. = 2). 76 86 
November 18, 1868 700 Strong Blue Metal ..... 76 87 
February 22, 1869 736 yt ig bet 76 884 
March 12, 1869. . 748 Shiale}venyesaa- tel emeiaaehe 77 89 
April 17, 1865 . . 762 Linn and wool, or strong shale 78 go's 
May 3, 1869 ... 774 Srrongishalemcsa.t2 ot ala 80 ors 
May 19, 1869... 782 Blue metal. 79 2 
July 8, 1869 ... 801 Strong blue she eels 79 93 
July 16, 1869... 808 Coal (Arley mine). .,... 79 93} 
Remarks.—All holes vertical in solid at bottom of pit drilled with water one 
yard deep, and thermometer remained thirty minutes in hole made air- 
tight with clay. 
“On the Theory of Continuous Beams.” By John Mortimer 
Heppel, Mem. Inst. C.E. Communicated by W. J. Macquormn 
Rankine, F.R.S. The chief object of this communication was to 
remedy some acknowledged defects inthe theory of the above-men- 
tioned subject. The principal steps by which it has reached its 
present state of development were also noticed, and may be briefly 
recapitulated as follows :—The great defect in the theory up to 
the present time has been that, in order to avoid an inextricable 
complexity, it has been necessary to consider the load in each 
span as uniformly distributed over it, and the moment of inertia 
of the section as uniform throughout each span. The method 
now given treats these conditions rigorously ; and although the 
equations obtained are such as necessarily require some laborious 
computation to obtain numerical results, they are by no means 
inextricable. 
“Remarks on Mr. Heppel’s Theory of Continuous Beams. 
By W. J. Macquorn Rankine, C.E., LL.D., F.R.S. The 
author states that the advantages possessed by Mr. Heppel’s 
method will probably cause it to be used both in practice and in 
scientific study. With a view to the instruction of students in 
engineering science, he proposes an abridged way of stating the 
theoretical principles of Mr. Heppel’s method, considering at 
the same time that Mr. Heppel’s more detailed investigation 
forms the best model for numerical calculation. He then uses 
Mr. Heppel’s improved form of the ‘‘Theorem of the Three 
Moments” to test the accuracy of the formulze which he obtained 
in another way, and published in “ A Manual of Civil Engineer- 
ing,” for the case of an uniform continuous beam with an indefinite 
number of equal spans, the successive spans being loaded alter- 
nately with an uniform fixed load only, and with an uniform 
” 
