132 
NATURE 
[Dec. 15, 1870 

form, it is hoped, a not uninteresting page in her note- 
book. 
The authorities for most of the statements in this paper 
are, besides Mr. Mallet’s very valuable work before referred 
to, two exceedingly interesting papers in the Proceedings 
of the Royal Artillery Institution, by Captain F. S. Stoney, 
R.A., Assist. Supt. Royal Gun Factories, entitled ‘‘ A Brief 
Historical Sketch of our Rifled Ordnance,” and “The 
Theory of Gun Architecture.” 


NOTES 
WE learn by telegraph that the Sicilian section of the Eclipse 
Expedition, under Mr, Lockyer’s directions, arrived safely at 
Rome on the morning of the 12th; thanks to the capitalarrange- 
ments made by Mr. Vignoles with foreign railways: for the 
transit of the party. Through carriages for the observers and 
instruments were taken from Ostend over the Brenner Pass to 
Verona ; and they would have been sent further had not a 
breakage occurred in passing over the Brenner. The party 
intended leaving Naples for Syracuse in H.M.S. Psyche in the 
course of yesterday. All the Governments are aiding to the 
utinost in their power. 
WE are glad to be able again to report favourably of the state 
of both Sir R. Murchison and Prof. B. Stewart. The former 
has continued to gain somewhat in strength, and the progress of 
the latter from day to day has been as satisfactory as could be 
desired. 
WE have to announce that Mr. C. L. Bloxam has succeeded 
the late Dr. W. A. Miller as Professor of Chemistry in King’s 
College, London, and that Dr. Debus, F.R.S., has been ap- 
pointed Examiner in Chemistry to the University of London, in 
the place of the late Dr. Matthiessen. 
PRESIDENT WoOoOLsEY of Yale College, U.S.A., has an- 
nounced his intention of resigning his office. He has been 
President of Yale for more than a quarter of a century. 
L’AsBeE Morcno has discontinued the pubiication of his 
Les Mondes owing to the scarcity of paper and the impossibility 
of sending his periodical to the subscribers. L’Abbé Moigno, 
however, attends regularly the sittings of the Institute. M. de 
Parville is now the scientific editor of the fournal Officiel, as in 
former times. He is the only contributor to that paper who has 
been kept in office, which is highly creditable both to M. de 
Parville and to the French Government. M. de Parville’s con- 
tributions are pirated by almost every French paper published in 
Paris, the only exception being the Zzberté when M. de Fonvielle 
was in Paris. Now, Ziderté must do like others. Reports on 
scientific matters are published in the ¥ournal Offciel with more 
regularity and space devoted to them than in former times. 
M. DECAISNE, Professor of Agriculture at the Museum, has 
laid before the French Institute, of which he is a member, a 
scheme for the early growing of cabbages, radishes, &c., &c., 
which are to be sown in land richly manured, kept for a fortnight, 
and used stem and root, as a new description of vegetable. 
This diet is intended to protect Parisians against scurvy when 
the use of salt beef becomes still more frequent than it is now. 
The working of this scheme is superintended by M. Toigneaux, 
the editor of several agricultural papers, Different pieces of 
waste land close to the walls were appropriated, and vegetables 
~ of that description must be now actually on sale. 
As soon as the investment of Paris was completed, the 
authorities took measures for preventing the destructive effects 
of shelling. Bills were printed and affixed to almost every 
house with directions for stopping the fire set up by the bursting 

of shells. Large tubs, filled with water, were placed on every 
floor of the large houses and private buildings. Although 
covered carefully with canvas, the water, having been left for 
weeks and weeks, became corrupted and foetid. Proper in- 
structions were given for stopping the infection by the using of 
charcoal. Two of these tubs are placed in the hall where the 
French Academy held its sittings, and two others in the Sa//e 
des pas perdus, by which visitors and members are introduced 
to it. 
M. Barra, well known for the part he took in balloon 
experiments twenty years ago, has volunteered with his son for 
the balloon service. M. Barral was for many years the editor of 
the Presse Scientifique, a periodical which was discontinued a 
few years ago. 
THE Société Chimiguz continues its sittings, devoted exclusively 
to warlike, culinary, and sanitary purposes. This body has 
offered a gun to the Provisional Government. It was built on 
new principles, and paid for out of the funds of the society, 
which do not flow out of the national exchequer, the Société Chi- 
migue being one of the very few French scientific bodies which 
are not supported by the State. 
M. DuMaAs is always in earnest for any improvement of diet. 
He has patronised the use of gelatine obtained from the carcasses 
of oxen, sheep, and pigs, by hydrochloric acid. The French 
Institute appears to have reversed the verdict given thirty years 
agoagainst the gelatine as proposed by D’ Arcet, the only difference 
being that gelatine is not now prepared by steam, but by the 
action of acid on animal products, and that a new name, osseize, 
is given to the substance. He has also supported a scheme for 
grinding the whole of the corn, except the exterior coating, 
and the making of the flour so obtained into bread. “But there 
is so large a quantity of corn and flour at Paris that the Govern- 
ment, although approving the scientific principles of this new 
method of grinding corn, declared the suggestion to be useless 
for the moment. 
THE same answer was given to another suggestion, relating to 
the roasting of the corn for makinga kind of gruel called dozsllie 
romaine. It appears that this was the diet of the Roman 
legions, and that the gruel so obtained is very acceptable indeed, 
A kitchen for public distribution was said to be opened, but 
Government interfered, thinking, very properly, that it would 
be good to delay such steps for many weeks. They will use it 
only if the siege is prolonged so long that there is some danger 
of actual starvation. 
M. BERTHELOT, although not a member of the French 
Institute, is the president of a standing committee for using 
scientific discoveries in the defence of Paris. That committee 
holds its sittings at the Ministry for Public Instruction, of which 
M. Jules Simon is the head. Many valuable suggestions have 
been adopted by that committee, which was closely connected 
with the Committee of Barricades, presided over by Rochefort. 
M. JAMIN, the celebrated Professor of Natural Philosophy at 
the Sorbonne and member of the French Institute, has enlisted 
as a private in the artillery of the National Guard, and is doing 
his duty regularly, although begging for a weekly authorisation 
from the lieutenant in command to enable him to attend the 
sittings. 
THE two Becquerels, father and son, have left Paris, and their 
place is filled by supernumeraries. Some papers have remarked 
very sharply upon it, and asked for the discharge of the younger. 
THE following notification has been issued from the Home 
Department respecting the International Exhibition of 1871, 
dated Simla, October 11, 1870:—His Excellency the Viceroy 
and Governor-General in Council has been pleased to nominate 
— 
Jind ee 
ee reed 
1 ees eNO Ng peli Cre AE 
