June 28, 1889] 



SCIENCE. 



505 



■other charge. After six ounces of the mixture had been added, 

 the contents of the crucible was covered with fused chloride of 

 ■sodium in powder, the cover replaced, and the heat carried to quiet 

 fusion. After the flux became entirely fluid, the heat was con- 

 tinued for ten minutes. The crucible was then removed from the 

 •firq, and, after cooling, the metal was found as a button at the 

 bottom. 



Three crucibles, of the capacity of eight fluid ounces each, were 

 used at a time in a furnace without artificial blast. Care is neces- 

 sary not to urge the heat too high, otherwise the crucibles will not 

 ■resist the action of the fluorspar flux. The French-clay crucibles 

 ■(Beaufay) were used, on account of their greater freedom from iron 

 and silica ; they also resist the flux better than the Hessian, black 

 lead, or iron crucibles. The yield of manganese, under favorable 

 circumstances, was about twenty per cent of the chloride used. 



Reduction was also tried by using fused chloride of sodium 

 without fluorspar. The yield of metal was much less, and differ- 

 ing in some of its properties from that obtained with the use of 

 fluorspar. Manganate of soda was formed when sodium chloride 

 alone was used as a flux. Manganese thus obtained is very brit- 

 tle, with a steel-white fracture so hard that a file will scarcely 

 touch it. The edges of the fractures scratch, and almost cut, 

 glass. The metal retains the brightness of a fractured surface 

 after prolonged exposure to the air, and appears not more disposed 

 to oxidation than iron. It is entirely passive to magnetic attrac- 

 tion. 



The specific gravity of the metal obtained when fluorspar was 

 used was 7.072. When remelted under fused sodium chloride, the 

 specific gravity rose to 7.153. The metal obtained without the use 

 of fluorspar was less brittle, and had a different fracture. Its spe- 

 •cific gravity was 7.231. Authorities differ regarding the specific 

 gravity of manganese, ranging it from 6.85 to 8.013. 



An examination of the metal obtained, using fluorspar as a flux, 

 showed the absence of iron and the presence of calcium, demon- 

 strating the reduction of some of the latter metal from the spar. 

 This may account in a measure for the increased specific gravity 

 on remelting under sodium chloride, as also the greater specific 

 gravity of the metal when the spar was not used. As calcium has 

 the specific gravity of 1.57, a small amount alloyed with the man- 

 ganese would sensibly affect its gravity. 



ETHNOLOGY. 

 Marriage Ceremonies of the Bilqula. 



Mr. Ph. Jacobsen, in a letter to his well-known brother, Capt. 

 A. Jacobsen, gives the following description of the marriage cere- 

 monies of the Bilqula of British Columbia. An Indian who intends to 

 marry, calls upon his intended wife's parents, and arranges with them 

 how much he is to pay for permission to marry the girl. Among 

 people of high descent this is done by messengers, sometimes as many 

 as twenty being sent to call on the girl's father. They are sent by 

 the man's parents before the young man is of age. In many in- 

 stances both man and girl are not more than eight or nine years 

 old. The messengers go in their boats to the girl's house, and 

 carry on their negotiations without going ashore, where the rela- 

 tives of the girl are standing. The messengers of the young man's 

 parents praise his excellence and noble descent ; the great exploits 

 of his father, grandfather, and ancestors; their wars, victories, and 

 hunting expeditions ; their liberality at festivals ; etc. Then the 

 girl's relatives praise the girl and her ancestors, and thus the 

 negotiations are carried on. Finally a number of blankets are 

 thrown ashore by the messengers ; and the girl's relatives protest, 

 and maintain that the number is not sufficient to pay for the per- 

 mission to marrj' the girl. In order to obtain their consent, new 

 blankets are thrown ashore one by one, the messengers continually 

 maintaining that the price paid is too great. Generally from 

 twenty to fifty blankets, each of the value of about half a dollar, 

 are paid. 



After this the boy and the girl are considered engaged. When 

 they come to be grown up, the young man has to serve a year to 

 his father-in-law. He must fell trees, fetch water, fish, and hunt 

 for the latter. During this time he is called Kos, which means 



" one who wooes." After a year has elapsed, the marriage is cele- 

 brated. At this time great festivals are celebrated. Seven or 

 eight men perform a dance. They wear dancing aprons and leg- 

 gings, trimmed with puffin-beaks, hoofs of deers, copper plates, and 

 bells. If the groom should be a wealthy man, who has presented 

 to his wife many small copper plates, such as are used as presents 

 to a bride, these are carried by the dancers. The singing-master, 

 who beats the drum, starts a song in which the dancers join. The 

 song used at the marriage festival is sung in unison, while in all 

 other dances each dancer has his own tune and song. The first 

 dancer wears a ring made of cedar-bark. His hair is strewn with 

 eagle-down, which flies about when he moves, and forms a cloud 

 around his head. The groom presents the first dancer with a 

 piece of calico, which the latter tears to pieces, which he throws 

 down in front of each house of the village, crying, " Hoip ! " in 

 order to drive away evil spirits. These pieces of calico which he 

 throws down in front of the houses have a lucky meaning, and at 

 the same time express the idea that the groom, when he comes to 

 be a wealthy man, will not forget the inhabitants of any house 

 when giving a festival. The dancers swing their bodies and arms, 

 stamp their feet, and show the copper plates to the lookers-on. 

 Then the bride's father brings a great number of blankets, gen- 

 erally double the number of those he had received from the groom, 

 and gives them to his daughter. The bride orders a few blankets 

 to be spread before the groom. She sits down, and he puts his 

 hand upon her head. Then the groom is given for each of the 

 parts of his body one or more blankets. Finally he is given a new 

 blanket. After the bride's father has given a blanket to each 

 dancer and to the drummer, the villagers are invited to a great 

 feast. At this time groom and bride eat for the first time together, 



HEALTH MATTERS. 

 American Public Health Association. 



The preliminary circular relating to the next meeting of this 

 association has just been issued. The meeting will be held at 

 Brooklyn, N.Y., Oct. 22-25, 18S9. 



The executive committee have selected the following topics for 

 consideration at said meeting: — i. The causes and prevention of 

 infant mortality. 2. Railway sanitation : (a) Heating and ventila- 

 tion of railway passenger-coaches ; (i) Water-supply, water-closets, 

 etc.; (c) Carrying passengers infected with communicable diseases. 

 3. Steamship sanitation. 4. Methods of scientific cooking. 5. 

 Yellow-fever : (a) The unprotected avenues through which yellow- 

 fever is liable to be brought into the United States ; (i) The sani- 

 tary requirements necessary to render a town or city proof against 

 an epidemic of yellow-fever ; (c) The course to be taken by local 

 health authorities upon the outbreak of yellow-fever. 6. The pre- 

 vention and restriction of tuberculosis in man. 7. Methods of 

 prevention of diphtheria, with results of such methods. S. How 

 far should health authorities be permitted to apply known preven- 

 tive measures for the control of diphtheria. 9. Compulsory vacci- 

 nation. 10. Sanitation of asylums, prisons, jails, and other elee- 

 mosynary institutions. 



Papers upon miscellaneous sanitary subjects not included in the 

 above list will be received by the executive committee, subject to 

 the requirements of the By-Laws. Preference will be given, how- 

 ever, to papers upon the subjects selected by the committee in 

 making up the daily programme of the meeting. 



It is confidently expected that the Brooklyn meeting will be the 

 largest and most important ever held by the association. The 

 local committee of arrangements have already organized, and have 

 the preliminary local work well under way. No efforts will be 

 spared to make the meeting a grand success, and every arrange- 

 ment necessary to the comfort of those attending will be made in 

 ample season. 



The growth and work of this association constitute a monument 

 to American hygiene. It was organized in 1872, and has grown to 

 be the largest association of its kind in the world, and embraces in 

 territorial area the L'nited States, the Dominion of Canada, and the 

 Provinces. It has published fourteen large volumes on health 

 subjects, one volume on disinfectants (which is the most complete 



