256 



THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY, 



cannot wash out the bottom contained in 

 the conical cup. Thus Commander Belknap 

 has discovered a practical and unfailing 

 method of not only bringing up safely a 

 larger amount of bottom from the ocean- 

 bed than has hitherto been brought up, but 

 also as much water as is caught between 

 the two valves in the lower cylinder at the 

 moment of striking the bottom. 



NOTES. 



More than a thousand lives are lost each 

 year in England from accidents in coal-min- 

 ing. 



According to a writer in Iron, peals 

 of bells were in use in England in the tenth 

 century. 



An Aged Grape-vine. — At the Septem- 

 ber meeting of the Royal Horticultural Soci- 

 ety, a bunch of grapes was exhibited, taken 

 from the parent plant of the Hampton Court 

 vine. This vine dates from 1761. 



F. V. Kallab states, as the result of nu- 

 merous experiments, that the dyes fixed on 

 animal textile fabrics are in general more 

 permanent than those on vegetable tissues. 



A new currency is soon to be issued in 

 the German Empire. Twelve different kinds 

 of coins will represent all the variations of 

 value, and four metals, gold, silver, nickel, 

 and copper, will be used for the purpose. 

 The system will be decimal throughout, but 

 not uniform in values with any existing 

 system. 



Nobbe maintains that potash-salts in 

 soils are necessary in order to enable the 

 chlorophyl-grains of the leaves to form 

 starch. Sodium and lithium are unable to 

 replace potassium in this function, and the 

 latter is even positively hurtful. The chlo- 

 ride of potassium is the most effective form 

 in which this element can be supplied to 

 the soil. 



Dr. Adam Smith, in a paper read before 

 the London Society of Arts, recommends 

 the use of tea in the following cases : After 

 a full meal, when the system is oppressed ; 

 for the corpulent and the old ; for hot cli- 

 mates, and especially for those who, living 

 there, eat freely, or drink milk or alcohol ; 

 in cases of suspended animation ; for sol- 

 diers who, in time of peace, take too much 

 food in relation to the waste proceeding in 

 the body ; for soldiers and others marching 

 in hot climates, for then, by promoting 

 evaporation and cooling the body, it obvi- 

 ates, in a degree, the effects of too much 

 food, as of too great heat. 



A general meeting of Italian savants 

 was to open at Rome on the 20th of Octo- 

 ber, to remain in session for two weeks. 

 An invitation was extended to scientific 

 men of foreign countries to attend the ses- 

 sion. The committee of arrangements say 

 that " this is the first time in many cen- 

 turies that reason and science could freely 

 and thoroughly make their voices heard in 

 the city of Rome." 



Dr. C. Purdon, of Belfast, reports that 

 lung-diseases are far more fatal to the flax- 

 operatives of that town (in number 25,000) 

 than to the artisans and laboring-classes. 

 The most unwholesome branch of the flax 

 industry is the work of the "preparing- 

 room," which carries off annually 31 per 

 thousand of the workers. Dr. Purdon as- 

 serts that this great mortality is chiefly due 

 to these three causes : Putting children to 

 work at too early an age ; neglect of sani- 

 tary law ; and defective food and clothing. 

 He insists that the wearing of the Baker 

 respirator should be made compulsory on 

 the operatives. 



In the printing-office of the Cleveland 

 Ledger a gas-pipe had been plugged with a 

 hard-wood stopper, at a point several feet 

 from any burner. About six inches below 

 it passed a belt, running from one pulley to 

 another, and in operation during the day. 

 About four days after the plug had been 

 driven into the pipe it was noticed to be on 

 fire, and a bright jet of light, as if from a 

 burner, burst forth from the side of the 

 plug, which was already charred, and being 

 rapidly burned up. The question now was, 

 how the flame had originated. It was 

 certain that no one had lighted it, nor 

 had any fire come near it. The only con- 

 clusion possible was, that it was caused 

 by electricity from the belt, and a full in- 

 vestigation confirmed this conclusion. Had 

 it happened in the night-time, it might 

 have enkindled an extensive conflagration, 

 and its origin would never have been known. 



According to official reports, there were 

 consumed in Paris, during the first half of 

 1867, 893 horses, asses, and mules, which 

 supplied about 255,000 lbs. of meat. Dur- 

 ing the first half of 1870, 1,992 of these 

 animals were slaughtered, giving about 

 980,000 lbs. of meat. For the first half of 

 the present year the figures amounted re- 

 spectively to 5,186 animals, and 2,368,000 

 pounds ; and the same progress is shown 

 by the provinces. Horses slaughtered for 

 consumption fetch, on an average, from 125 

 to 150 francs per head — adding thus 100 

 francs per head to the value of worn-out 

 horses. According to the reports, the public 

 wealth of France is increased, by the eating 

 of horse-beef, to the extent of 480,000,000 

 francs. 



