340 Foreign Interature and Science. 
INTELLIGENCE AND MISCELLANIES. 
—~o— 
Foreign Literature and Science. 
(Communicated by Professor Griscom, of New-York.) 
The number of books in all the public libraries of Ger- 
many, (including Austria and Prussia,) amounts at least to 
four millions, without reckoning memoirs, pamphlets, peri- 
odical publications, dissertations, and manuscripts. 
Professor Goerg, of Leipsick, has proved, it is said, very 
satisfactorily, that the vinegar of wood (pyrolignous acid,) 
possesses all the antiseptic powers that have been ascribed 
to it. Anatomical preparations, and other animal substan- 
ces, in which putrefaction had commenced, were complete- 
ly restored by contact with this acid. An animal body 
in the opinion of this professor, may be readily converted 
into a mummy by this substance. The discovery of this 
acid is likely to become important to anatomy, domestic 
economy, and medicine. 
In the empire of Austria, there are no less than twenty- 
three botanic gardens. 
The unfolding of the manuscripts of Herculaneum, is car- 
ried on with very considerable success by a chemical pro- 
cess, under the direction of Sir H. Davy. Of one thousand 
six hundred and ninety-six pieces which have been found, 
eighty-eight have been happily unrolled, and the writing 
is very legible ; three hundred and nineteen are not legible, 
and twenty-four have been given as presents to foreign 
princes. There remain one thousand two hundred and 
sixty-five, of which one hundred, or one hundred and twen- 
ty will, it is hoped, be saved from oblivion. 
A plant, called Chinininha by the natives of Peru, has 
been analyzed at Madrid. It proves to be an excellent 
febrifuge. 
