Miscellaneous Intelligence. 303 
ce in elementary English books. It is used in papers read before the 
al Society, On the other hand, the English weights and measures 
are so complicated that it is impossible to use them, and some of them, 
such as the scr uple and the drachm, are eile known even by name. The 
grain has been decimally divided for more than 30 years, aed ‘Mr. Oert- 
ling of London now makes delicate a with grain weights, which 
are commonly used by chemists and 4 the colleges. As far as scientific 
investigations are concerned, the o Engiish method is entirely 
. In our scientific jo ournals, ee are almost universally given in 
grams, and lengths in millimetres. In Switzerland, as well as in other 
continental nations, the Metric System is the only one in use for scientific 
Purposes : without its adoption se conte write on chemical or physical 
matters. In Alexandria the bui ali use the metric form employe 
by the Prench and Italians, Pei Sint and confusion being pro- 
duced in architecture and enginee ring the diversity of wei hts and 
u t the late International Bslibiticn in London the foreign 
jurors endanas in despair Pe task of drawing parallels between the 
values of British and foreign go 
: The claims of scie ence, to eh the benefit of the Metric System, have 
___ likewise been represented at an interview, on the 18th of Nov ember, with 
the Rt. Honorable Milner Gibso n, M.P., President of the Board of Trade. 
On this occasion, Professor Cae of ‘the British Museum showed the 
Value of the system in the study of natural history. The majority of 
Be Pets in this science include the elements of weight and imeasure, 
‘Zn science, innumerable mistakes arise from their variety, their Gr iotrieee 
and their want of system. Uncertainty arises between avoirdupois and 
Woy, and between eee of the inch into tenths and twelfths, both of 
Which are called “lin 
the United Tayng and the South American States, the employment 
é Metrical System for scientific purposes is all bat: universal, and, ii 
: Si institutions of learning where this system is employed by teachers, 
‘“¢ results are always most apres ory. 
2. Pasteur has been chosen and confirmed a member of the French 
o Academy, j in ae section of Mineralogy, in place of De Sénarmont, de- 
a feet, Des Cloizeaux was his competitor (ez equo), in the second rank 
es and in the third Hébert. The vote stood thus: 60 votes, 31 
avis for a majority, the first ballot AA Pasteur 36, Des Cloizeaux 
Delesse 3.—Session of Dec. 8 
VIII. BOOK NOTICES, 
Storer’s Dictionary of Solubilities of lr ped Substances, 1_Mr, 
a here presents us the first installment of a work on which he has 
i long engaged with well known seus and which is destined to 
®onnect his name inseparably with chemical literature. This of the 
First Outlines takes us nearly to the close of the letter C, probably a 
Near approach to one third the bulk of the entire work. 
Paar itst Outlines of a Dictionary of the Solubilities of Chemical Substances. 
‘Be : H. Stoner. pe cease t a 4 I, Svo, pp. 232. Cri 
ei Francis, 1868, B. Westermann & Co., New York, 
