Miscellanies. 183 



arising in the interior parts of the wood, from the sap which remains 

 in it. At first, the vegetation is scarcely perceptible. Shortly, the 

 white filaments increasing in number, extend themselves towards the 

 surface, and interlacing with one another, present an appearance 

 somewhat like leather. The fibre of the wood is now attacked and 

 corroded, and in the course of a short time the ligneous mass be- 

 comes a loose cellular tissue, readily falling into powder. Frequent- 

 ly the surface remains sound, while the whole central part is thus de- 

 composed ; but occasionally this process commences at the surface. 



The immediate causes of the disease are dryness, heat, and a vi- 

 tiated atmosphere. The presence of water, or even moisture, in the 

 air, will prevent or lessen the rapidity of the development of the dis- 

 ease ; though, if this moisture is accompanied by mephitic exhala- 

 tions, it rather contributes to it. 



If it is true that the sap promotes this disease, the wood which is 

 stripped of its bark in the spring, and cut the following winter, is 

 probably, as has been supposed, less subject to it. 



In the mines of the Hartz, it is a very general practice, according 

 to M. Regnault, to preserve the timbers by means of water, carried 

 over them in troughs or lead tubes, which permit the water to pass 

 out in small quantities on the timbers. This has been found to be 

 quite a successful method. It has also been proposed to cause the 

 wood that is to be used to absorb water, by placing it in this fluid 

 under a strong pressure. The wood retains the absorbed water for 

 a considerable length of time, and thus is not so soon attacked by 

 the disease. — D. 



34. Taxidermy. (L'Institut, No. 115.) — M. Gannal, proposes a 

 solution of the following salts, for the preservation of animal sub- 

 stances, which from its cheapness and superior preservative qualities, 

 seems to be preferable to the materials heretofore used. 



Alum, ------ 2 parts. 



Chlorid of soda, - - - - 2 do. 



Nitrate of potassa, - - - - 1 do. 



Two dead bodies were immersed in a Hquid containing these salts 

 in solution, and at the end of two months were found to have un- 

 dergone no change in their appearance. In general, the tissues and 

 internal organs are perfectly preserved. Sometimes those immedi- 

 ately in contact with the fluid, lose their natural color, but farther 

 than this, no change takes place. The muscular fibres offer less re- 



