Progress of Invention. 313 



and then adding to the solution one-fifth part tin and one-fifth part 

 butter of antimony, and, after the application of heat, diluting with 

 five hundred parts water. The second compound is formed, by gently 

 heating sixteen parts sulphuric acid, sixteen parts Venice turpen- 

 tine, and thinning the uniform dark brown mass thus obtained with 

 fifty parts oil of lavender. The two compounds are to be mixed and 

 well stirred, heat being applied, until a uniform liquid is obtained. 

 The water and excess of acid separates, on cooling, from the resin- 

 ous mass, which having been well washed with water, and then 

 freed from moisture, is to be thinned by the addition of sixty-five 

 parts oil of lavender, and one hundred parts oil of turpentine, 

 the perfect incorporation of the constituents being hastened by 

 heat. Five parts basic nitrate of bismuth are now to be added 

 to the resulting uniform mass, and after the mixture has been 

 allowed to rest, the clear portion is to be poured off'. This 

 is the material used for gilding. It is applied to the porcelain in 

 any convenient way, and dries very quickly. After the porcelain 

 has been subjected to a high temperature the gilded portions are 

 very brilliant. 



New Textile Fibres. — There are many plants found in great 

 abundance, that would furnish large quantities of excellent textile 

 fibres, were it not found extremely difficult to separate them from 

 the woody portions. It has been found that this difficulty may be 

 overcome by very simple means. The stalks are first to be passed 

 between rollers for the purpose of disaggregating them. Having 

 then been placed in a vessel containing a very weak solution of 

 commercial soda, steam, having a pressure of four or five atmos- 

 pheres, is to be passed into the solution, which is to be kept at a 

 boiling temperature for a time, which varies with the nature of the 

 plant. The yellow brown cellulose thus obtained, is to be washed 

 with water, to which a small quantity of hydrochloric or sulphuric 

 acid has been added, to neutralize any alkali that may be Dresent, 

 and is then to be placed in any bleaching fluid. When removed from 

 this, to prevent colorization being again produced, it is to be washed 

 in any extremely dilute solution of carbonate of soda, and is then to 

 be left in a weak solution of chloride of lime. The brown colour 

 first produced by this latter treatment, is succeeded by a brilliant 

 and permanent whiteness. 



PANORAMIC Photographs. — Very simple means have been re- 

 cently devised for producing panoramic views of almost any extent 

 with the ordinary camera, and the results thus obtained are such as 

 leave nothing to be desired. For this purpose the camera is made 

 to revolve on a centre, the positions to be given to it in succession 

 being indicated by a graduation on the plate upon which it . 

 and the glass plate is made to slide in a groove, so' that different 

 portions of it may come successively into the required position 

 behind the objective, the proper changes of position being indi- 

 cated by notches. Such an arrangement will, it is evident, in 

 theory, secure the desired effect ; but in practice it is, as might be 

 expected, found, from the impossibility of making the boundary of 

 one part of the view exactly to correspond with that of the succeed- 



