Skptembek 14, 18S3. 



SCIENCE. 



:Uo 



they are expected to learn, and probablj' do 

 learu, all that the oUicers acquire iu the eight 

 daj-s wliich is allowed them for practice iu me- 

 teorology. When it is remembered tliat the 

 sole occupation of the great majority of these 

 men, during the entire period of their enlist- 

 ment after leaving Fort Myer, is to make and 

 record meteorological observations, it seems 

 little short of folly to subject them to such a 

 course of training in preixtration. That onl^- 

 ten days, out of the one hundred and eight3- 

 spent in the school, should be occupied iu 

 jiractical training in observation, and the use 

 of instruments, is certainly an inversion of the 

 true order of things. It is diflicult to see 

 the value, to such men, of the long training 

 in ' cavahy tactics,' the 'manual of the car- 

 bine,' the ' manual of the kit,' — whatever that 

 may be, — and many other things found in the 

 course. It is true, that, to observers stationed 

 on the seacoast, a knowletlge of naval signals 

 is necessary ; and, to all, a degree of familiarity 

 with the practical working of the electric tele- 

 graph would be desirable: but the business of 

 the great majority of the observers is purel}' 

 scientific, and, it is to be hoped, peaceful in 

 its character. It is clear that the skill and 

 knowledge necessary to the successful per- 

 formance of these duties must be largely ac- 

 quired after active service has begun. 



The chief signal-officer very properly re- 

 marks, that the criticism to which the service has 

 been sulyected is evidence of its success. No 

 well-informed person can fail to feel great pride 

 in the results achieve<l by the signal-service 

 since the organization of the weather-bureau. 

 The general increase in the accuracy of its 

 forecasts, the efforts made to communicate im- 

 portant meteorological information to locali- 

 ties likely to be seriously affected by probable 

 changes in the weather, and its valuable 

 services in the display of cautionary- and dan- 

 ger signals, have given it a hold upon the con- 

 fidence of the people not easily weakened. 



The percentages of verification of predictions 

 since the organization of the weather-service, 

 as given in the various reports, are as fol- 

 lows : 



1878 

 IS-'.I 

 1880 

 18S1 



In the display of cautionary and danger signals, 

 the success has been about equally great. In 

 forecasting, in which the character of the 

 weather only is considered, the percentage of 

 verification is generally as high as ninet\'. 



While these figures do not indicate anj' 

 marked progress during the past five years, it 

 must be remembered that a point has been 

 reached from which farther advance must 

 necessarilv be difficult and slow. 



'REX MAGNUS: 



At the suggestion of the editoi's of Scikxck, 

 I have carefully examined the ' viandine ' 

 brand of the new preservative ' Rex magnus,' 

 and find it contains boracic acid, sodium, 

 jiotassiura, and water as ingredients; and I 

 believe its composition can be roughly form- 

 ulated as follows : — 



I5oracic acid I p_ „„. „„„. 



Horax f 67 per cent. 



Pola<sic chloride 1.5 " 



Waler 18 " 



The mixture also contains vcr3- small 

 amounts of suli)hur and magnesium. Both, 

 however, are probably accidental ini|)urities. 



To determine the preservative properties of 

 the viandine brand, a number of experiments 

 were undertaken, the general result of wiiich 

 can best be shown by copying some of the 

 notes taken during the course of the experi- 

 ments, and su[)pleinenling them with a for- 

 mulated table. 



July 5, I dissolved one-lialf pound of vian- 

 dine in one gallon of water contained in a 

 stone jar, and placed one pound of beef-sttak, 

 one pound of veal-steak, and one pound of 

 fresh mackerel in the solution. 



July G, the beef, veal, and fish, which had 

 remained in the solution twenty-six hours, 

 were removed, and, after allowing them to 

 drain for two or tliree minutes, were placed 

 on plates in the laboratory. 



July 7, I boiled the solution which had been 

 useil witii the meals and fish, and removed the 

 scum that rose to the surface. When cold, I 

 added about two ounces of viandine, and poured 

 the solution into a stone jar containing one 

 pound of mutton-chops and one pound of liver. 



