138 Chronicles of Science. [Jan.* 



great interest, " On the Effects of Prussic Acid on the Animal 

 Economy." He administered prussic acid to various animals, 

 flies, bees, maggots, rabbits, &c, and in all cases found con- 

 cretions of Prussian blue afterwards in the tissues, having failed 

 to detect any such coloured masses previously. In two cases 

 of persons to whom prussic acid was administered as a medicine 

 the films and concretions of Prussian blue w T ere noticed in the blood 

 with the microscope. From these observations which appear to 

 have been most carefully made, he feels satisfied that prussic acid 

 causes a change in some of the constituents of the blood, that it 

 attacks the iron when in some particular condition, and, with 

 perhaps the aid of some alkaline base, the Prussian blue is formed, 

 which may vary very much, as is well known, in its constitution. 

 He further finds that at the same time as the ferrocyanide is formed, 

 amylaceous particles are set free, and draws some valuable con- 

 clusions as to the formation of corpora amylacea, and suggests that 

 the iron in the blood may not improbably have other functions 

 besides that connected with oxygen ; viz. that of being a vehicle or 

 medium for holding carbon and hydrogen together, and for their 

 more ready distribution to the tissues. Dr. Hassall' some years 

 since pointed out the formation of indigo in the urine and tissues 

 of the body. Mr. Ealph's experiments show that the blue particles 

 are not indigo, but Prussian blue or a cyanide of iron. 



The physiological working of Deodorizing agents. — At a recent 

 meeting of the Ashmolean Society of Oxford, Mr. Chapman, of 

 Merton College, described some experiments which he had been 

 performing with regard to the action of various deodorizing agents 

 on the life of ferments. Equal portions of water containing de- 

 composing animal matter were taken, one was left untouched, to a 

 second carbolic acid was added; to a third, sulphate of iron; to 

 another, Condy's fluid, and to a fourth, Burnett's. The develop- 

 ment of vegetable life, which is the invariable accompaniment of 

 the destructive fermentation of organic matters, was then looked for 

 daily, in each portion of liquid. In the untouched liquid, abundance 

 of bacteria, and afterwards infusoria, were apparent. In that to 

 which carbolic acid was added the organisms previously occupying 

 the solution were killed, but their lifeless bodies were preserved and 

 remained floating in the liquid. In the case of sulphate of iron 

 there was complete destruction of all trace of organized matter, 

 and a brown sediment of peroxide fell to the bottom of the vessel. 

 Burnett's fluid had an action similar to that of carbolic acid, whilst 

 Condy's fluid was found to act at first similarly to sulphate of iron, 

 but after a short period its virtue was exhausted and a re-development 

 of ferment-causing organisms occurred. The subject is one of great 

 interest, and might be treated in a much more philosophical way 

 than that which Mr. Chapman has adopted. His only object 



