812 



CHINESE METHOD OF SCENTING TEA. 



[1855. 



of the sm.all intestine consists of mucus. A considerable quantity of 

 mucus is seen in tlie cfecum, but it rapidly diminishes in tlie colon, 

 and is scarcely detectible in the fteces, except that on the surface, 

 which is probably derived from the mucous membrane of the rectum. 

 The author raises the question, whether one of the chief functions of 

 the ctecum is not to eifect the conversion of the intestinal mucous into 

 some other substance capable of re-entering the blood, and performing 

 some ulterior purpose in the animal economy. 



18. In normal digestion, the separation of the epithelium of the mu- 

 cous membrane of the intestine is the exception instead of the rule, 

 as stated by some physiologists. The author questions the theory of 

 the detachment of the epithelium of the villi in each act of absorp- 

 tion, on the grounds that the presence of detached epithelium -was 

 unfrequent in the whole course of his experiments ; that epithelium 

 is readily detached by manipulation ; that the continual reproduc- 

 tion of such a vast amount of cell-tissue must necessarily be accom- 

 panied by a vast expenditure of vital force ; and finally, that it is 

 not necessary, because fluids readily penetrate epithelial mem- 

 branes. 



19. The passage of a given food through the whole length of the in- 

 testinal canal may occupy a comparatively short time, especially when 

 the animal is fasting. In one experiment, where a pigeon refused food 

 until the fteces contained no visible debris of previous food, starch- 

 granules were detected in the foeees within two hours after a meal, 

 and this although the intestine of this animal is extremely narrow and 

 about a yard in length. 



20. A remarkable circumstance in tlie digestion of starch or starch 

 foods is the constant presence of myriads of Vibriones in the lower 

 part of the intestinal canal. They are generally first observed in the 

 lower part of the small intestine, as minute brilliant points, just visi- 

 ble with a power of 600 diameters, in .active movement. They increase 

 in numbers towards the cfecum, in which a large number of fully-de- 

 veloped vibriones are constantly seen. These minute organisms in- 

 crease in size and length in the colon and rectum, and their fissiparous 

 mode of propagation, first described by the author in the ' Quarterly 

 Journal of Microscopical Science,' may be distinctly traced by examin- 

 ing the contents of these portions of the intestine. 



Tlic Tempciimg of Steel. 



In the discussion on Mr. Sanderson's paper, " On the Manufacture 

 of Steel," an inquiry was made as to the kind of Steel suitable for 

 p,articular articles, and how its quality might be tested. This gave 

 rise to the remark that the tempering of steel depended on the skill 

 and experience of the workman. Mr. Harry Scrivenor, of Liverpool, 

 has, however, obtained from a clever workman the following memo- 

 randa on the subject: — 



" I received your letter inquu-ing what steel was best for different 

 kinds of manufactures. I should say cast-steel, if it can be applied ; 

 double shear for hatchets, or any kind of edge tool that cannot be 

 well made of cast-steel. The temper to be as follows : — 



" 1st. For boring cylinders, turning rolls, or any large cast iron, 

 let it be as hard as water will make it, minding not to heat it more 

 than a cherry red. 



Degrees. 

 Fahr. 



2nd. Tools for turning wrought iron, pale straw colour 430 



3rd. Small tools for ditto, shade of darker yellow 450 



4th. Tools for wood, a shade darker 470 



5th. Tools for screw taps, &c, still darker straw colom- 490 



6th. For hatchets, chipping chisels, brown yellow 500 



7th. For small rimers, &c., yellow, slightly tinged with pur- 

 ple 520 



8th. For shears, light purple 530 



9th. For springs, swords, &c., dark purple 550 



10th. For fine saws, daggers, &c., dark blue 570 



11th. For hand and pit saws &c., pale blue 590 



" The temper greatly depends on the quantity of carbon that is in 

 the steel — this the practical man soon finds out, and he tempers or 

 draws down his tool accordingly." — Jour. Soc. Arls. 



general facts of the highest interest have been reached by the use of 

 Schonboin's test (i. e. paper made sensitive by starch and iodid of 

 potassium). According to those observations there exists an intimate 

 I'elation between the quantiiy of ozone in the air and certain epidemic 

 diseases such as cholera, grippe, intermittent fever, &c. They think 

 they have established that the appear.ance of the grippe coincides 

 with the presence in the air, of an excess of ozone : that on the con- 

 trary the invasion of cholera is accompanied by almost complete 

 absence of ozone in the air ; this is at least true for the places above 

 named. 



It is well known that ozone is regarded as an isomeric or allotropic 

 condition of oxygen. MM. Becquerel and Frijmy have called it elec- 

 trized oxygen and have prepared it, by submitting pure oxj-gen to the 

 electrical current. 



The following is a new mode of preparing it in abundance for at 

 least a similar body) capable of oxydizing silver, of decomposing iodid 

 of potassium, of burning ammoui.a, of disengaging chlorine from 

 hydrochloric acid, and of forming water with hydrogen. This simple 

 process consists in treating peroxyd of barium (Ba02) with monohy- 

 drated sulphuric acid at a temperature below 70° C. The oxygeu 

 disengaged in this process possesses the properties named above, and 

 it has the characteristic odor which is known as the Lobster odor. M. 

 Houzeau assistant to M. Boussingault, is the author of this process 

 which he discovered during a series of researches on the preparation 

 of oxygen from the peroxyd of barium by heat. — Cor. of M. Nicldes. 

 — Sill. Journal. 



Cliiuesc Metliod of Sceii^iug Tea. 



O-^ygen in the Kasceut state— Ozone. 



For some time past, observsitions have been made in Europe on 

 atmospheric ozone. Owing to the persevering efi'orts of MM. Wolf of 

 Berne, D. Boeckel of Strasburg, and Dr. Simonin of Nancy, some 



A few weeks ago I sent you on account of the Chinese method of 

 dyeing teas with Prussian blue and gypsum, to suit our depraved 

 tastes in England and America. I shall now endeavour to describe a 

 much more agreeable and rational manufacture — namely, that of 

 scenting teas. That it is so in the eyes of the Chinese, may be 

 gathered from the fact, that while they dye their teas not to drink, but 

 only to sell, they consume and appreciate highly these scented teas. 

 The following account of this interesting process is copied from my 

 journal: — 



" I have been making inquiries for some time past about the curious 

 process of scenting teas for the foreign markets ; but the answers I 

 received to my questions were so unsatisfactory that I gave up all 

 hopes of understanding the business until I had an opportunity of see- 

 ing and judging for myself. During a late visit to Canton 1 was in- 

 formed the process might be seen in full operation in a tea factory on 

 the Island of Honan. Messrs. Wilkinshaw and Thorburn, two gentle- 

 men well acquainted with the various kinds of teas sent annually to 

 Europe and America, consented to accompany me to this factory, and 

 we took with us the Chinese merchant to whom the place belonged. I 

 was thus placed in a most favourable position for obtaining a correct 

 knowledge of this curious subject. When we entered the tea f^ ctory 

 a strange scene was presented to our view. The place was' crowded 

 with women and children, all busily engaged in picking the stalks and 

 yellow or brown leaves out of the black tea. For this labour each 

 was paid at the rate of six cash a catty, and earned on an average sixty 

 cash a day, — a sum equal to about threepence of our money. The 

 scene altogether was uot unlike that in the great Government Cigar 

 Manufactory at Manilla. Men were employed giving out the tea in its 

 rough state, and in receiving it again when picked. With each por- 

 tion of tea a wooden ticket was also f iven, which ticket had to be 

 returned along with the tea. In the northern tea countries (he leaves 

 are carefully' weighed when they are given out and when they 

 are brought back, in order to check peculation, which is not un- 

 frequent. I did not observe this precaution taken at Canton. 

 Besides the men who were thus employed, there were many others 

 busily at work, passing the tea through various sized sieves, in 

 order to get out the caper, and to separate the various kinds. This 

 was also partly done by a winnowing machine, similar in construction 

 to that used by our farmers in England. Having taken a passing 

 glance at all these objects on entering the building I next directed my 

 attention to the scenting process, which had been the main object of 

 my visit, — and which I shall now endeavour to describe. 



" In a corner of the building there lay a large heap of orange flowers, 

 which filled the air with the most delicious perfume. A man was en- 

 gaged in sifting them, to get out the stamens and other smaller portions 

 of the flower. This pi'ocess was necessary, in order that the flowers 

 might be readily sifted out of the tea after the scenting had been 

 accomplished. The orange flowers being fully expanded, the large 



