April 20, 1888.] 



SCIENTIFIC NEV/S. 



367 



Poisonous Adulteration. — Two bakers in Philadelphia 

 who had occasioned a number of deaths by adulterating 

 pastry with chrome-yellow (lead chromate) have, on con- 

 viction, been merely sentenced to nine months and six 

 months imprisonment respectively. 



Artificial Production of the Diamond. — Dr. Cailletet, 

 well-known for his success in liquefying the so-called 

 permanent gases,is now attempting the artificial production 

 of the diamond by the combined action of high-pressure, 

 heat, and electricity upon chalk in condensed carbonic 

 acid. 



Fixation of Atmospheric Nitrogen by the Soil. — 

 MM. Arm. Gautier and R. Drouin {Comptes Rendits) 

 show that in the absence of organic matter there is a 

 gradual loss of nitrogen, whilst if organic matter is 

 present — -as in all natural arable soils — atmospheric 

 nitrogen becomes fixed. 



Scientific Habits of Thought. — The Popular Science 

 Monthly, in discussing this subject, says : — "The expres- 

 sion ' schools of thought ' even is one not to be accepted 

 without caution, seeing that no one should wittingly 

 attach himself to any school save the great school that 

 Nature keeps open for all." 



Unification of the Calendar. — Russia and other 

 states still using the " old style " have resolved on accept- 

 ing the Gregorian Calendar by degrees, suppressing every 

 29th day of February for half a century. The unifica- 

 tion will be complete by January ist, 1941. 



Colliery Explosions. — Mr. Harris contradicts the 

 general belief that colliery explosions are always attended 

 by a low barometer. In Sir F. Abel's list of disasters in 

 the years 1875-85 only 1875 per cent, of the accidents 

 and 1 7 '4 per cent, of the deaths took place when the 

 mercury was at 29I inches, or below. Of this small 

 percentage of explosions one half took place with a low, 

 but rapidly rising barometer. 



Climatological Review for February. — M. A. Lan- 

 caster {Ciel et Terre) reviews the weather for February 

 last. On only two occasions for more than half a century 

 has the month been colder, i.e., 1845 ^nd 1855, when the 

 thermometric means were respectively -27° and -3'5°. 

 In 1845 there were 27 days of frost, and in 1855, 22. 

 This year the mean temperature of February has been 

 — o"8°, i.e., 4' 6° below the average, and 19 days of 

 frost. 



Speed of Transmission of Earthquake-Shocks. — 

 Prof. Newcomb and Mr. Dutton have examined the 

 speed of propagation of the Charleston earthquake of 

 1886. Taking as the basis of their calculations the times 

 marked by clocks stopped by the shock at different places 

 they find the velocity of transmission was 1 6,000 feet 

 per second. — American Journal of Science. This agrees 

 with the fact that on the explosion of a magazine the 

 shock is transmitted underground and may effect damage 

 before the sound reaches the place. 



earthquake were felt in various parts of North Wales. At 

 the large Baptist Chapel, Llangollen, while service was 

 proceeding, the shock was distinctly felt, and the walls 

 and ground were seen to shake. Shocks were also ex- 

 perienced at many of the residences in the valley, where 

 the crockery and windows quivered in their places. A 

 farmer residing at the Craig said that his farmstead 

 shook so much that he expected it to fall. The shocks 

 were also noticed at Corwen, Bala, and Dolgelly. 



The Rabbit Plague in Australia. — Says Science 

 Gossip, there is an ingenious scheme by which the rabbits 

 are perpetuated. A price per head is offered for them, 

 and a new industry has sprung up at the Antipodes. It 

 pays the rabbit exterminators to keep the rabbits from 

 extinction. In case of the last event their occupation 

 would be gone. In one colony the Government offered 

 so much per dozen rabbit-heads, in another per dozen 

 rabbit-tails. Forthwith there was business done, the 

 rabbit-catchers in the one colony dealing in tails, and those 

 in the next in heads, exchanging with each other to get 

 double Government grants. 



Utilisation of Carboniferous Schists. — Herr von 

 Schlieber, of Berlin {La Nature), has devised a process 

 for separating mechanically the two chief constituents oi 

 coal-shales, namely, coal and clay. The material is first 

 ground to a fine powder and then exposed to washing in 

 an apparatus similar to that used in washing gold. The 

 coal is first deposited in the channels, whilst the water 

 flows into large tanks and deposits there the particles of 

 clay which it holds in suspension. The coal-powder 

 thus obtained is used in the manufacture of " briquettes." 

 Of course the value of this process turns on the price of 

 coal in any district. 



Effects of a Siberian Winter. — At Werchojanok 

 in Eastern Siberia, says I'Astronontie, where the ther- 

 mometer has been known to fall to 68° below zero 

 Centigrade, the following effects have been produced : — 

 A threefold covering of reindeer skin scarcely suffices 

 to hinder the blood from freezing. Every respiration 

 causes a painful sensation in the windpipe and the lungs. 

 The moisture of the breath freezes instantly, becoming 

 converted into fine needles of ice, the friction of which 

 against each other produces a sound like that of tearing 

 of silk. On a journey the entire party in enwrapped in 

 a blueish mist formed by the breath of men and animals. 

 A raven which flew slowly past left behind it a long 

 train of frozen vapour. 



Earthquake in Wales. — On April nth shocks of 



Stagnant Water and Bad Milk. — Professor Law, 

 of Cornell University, caused some cows to drink for 

 several days from a stagnant pool of water, and having 

 examined the milk found it full of living organisms. Then 

 the water from the pool was examined, and the same 

 living creatures were found. Then the cows were 

 examined, and they were found to be in a feverish con- 

 dition, the result of their blood being charged with these 

 minute organisms. Then some pure milk was taken and 

 some of this pond water put with it, and these same 

 creatures multiplied within a few hours so as to take 

 possession of the milk. After this test no one can dispute 

 that living organisms may be introduced into milk by the 

 using of improper food and drink. It also shows that 

 there is a close relation between good pure water and 



