232 
Sitpplmmt to the ^^Tropkai Agncultmisi** 
[September i, 1890. 
starting the investigation which Mr. Chaplin pro- 
mised some time ago should be undertaken into the 
very grave question of the prevalence of tuber- 
culosis in cattle and milch cows used for human 
food. The frequency with which such tuber- 
culous cattle have been seized in the market, 
the certainty that a much larger amount is sold 
and enters into our daily food, the grave conse- 
quences which are believed to follow the drink- 
ing of uncooked milk from tuberculous 'milch 
cows, invest this promise of the Minister of 
Agriculture with serious importance. It is very 
desirable that the matter should not be indefi- 
nitely liimg up. 
Veterinary Surgeon Robert Mitchell states that 
ten oimces of chloroform and six ounces of ether 
were required before a bull (on which he opera- 
ted for tumour in the throat) succumbed to the 
inlluence of the anaisthetics. 
Prof. Duncan of Glasgow gives two instances? 
of food adulteration which came under his per-* 
sonal observation. An analysis of a sample of 
milk proved that it was a compoimd of about 
70 per cent of pure milk, 30 per cent of water, 
and an emulsion composed of borax, and colomnd 
with annatto. The other case was one of adul- 
teration of preserved vegetables with sulphate 
of copper — a subject which was engaging the 
attention of the I’reuch authorities. As a matter 
of fact, the Professor states, every large grocer in 
Glasgow sold green tinted articles of that kind 
whicn owed their colour to sulphate of copper. The 
vendors alleged that their customers would not 
buy peas imless they had the green colour, and 
they could not have that colour without the 
sulphate of copper. Many cases were on record 
where poisoning had occurred through the par- 
taking of food containing the salts of copper. 
Mr. JNh N. Banerjie, M.E.A.S., and P.H.A.S. 
having studied Pasteur’s system of inoculation 
for anthrax has been employed at Seebpore in 
experimenting on Indian cattle with great suc- 
cess. He is now working for the Government of 
India, and his laboratory has been transferred 
to Poona. 
The lint which clings to cotton seed, after it 
has gone through the gin, is being utilized to 
.make felt, which it is said, will be greatly used 
bats &c., as the process of felt-making in 
this manner is inexpensive and the material used 
has lip till now been considered a waste product 
The Indian Agricultural Conference at which 
representatives from all parts of the Empire will 
be present, is expected to meet at Simla about 
the end of November. 
Promentine is the name given to a new ali- 
mentary material which consists of the embryo- 
plant to be seen as an oval structure at the 
base of the wheat grain, which is discarded in the 
process of milling. By analysis it has been 
shown to contain ol'30 per cent of albuminoids, 
29 ’08 of carbo-hydrates other than cellulose, 12 ’03 
of cellulose, and 6'98 of mineral matter or ash. 
The richest kind of meat — that of sheep— con- 
tains only 21 per cent of nitrogen. The digesti- 
ble matter in fromentine is 87 per cent of the 
total weight. Owing to its high nutritive value 
and easy digestibility it is claimed for fromen- 
tine that it possesses special qualities as a food 
for infants, convalescents, and anaemic subjects. 
It is suggested that the germs of barley, oats, 
maize, &c. may be similarly utilized. It is, in 
any case, interesting to learn that in fromentine, 
a substance of exclusively vegetable origin, there 
exists a percentage of nitrogen much higher 
than those contained in the best kinds of meat. 
The latest horse-shoe in Berlin is constructed 
of layers of paper glued together and subjected 
to hydraulic pressure ; each layer is treated with 
oil, turpentine, &c., rendering it impervious to 
moisture, and the specially manufactured glue 
is insensible to the influences of moderate heat 
and water. This paper shoe is attached securely 
to the hoof by means of gutta-percha, and being 
very elastic, permits of the expansion of the 
hoof. It is very tough and durable, and wears 
rough, this greatly preventing horses slipping. 
S. W. H., in the Jaffna College “Miscellany,” 
says that the word “ paddy ” (corresponding to 
the Tamil word nellu) is evidently the same as 
the word batta, which is used to denote the 
allowance for money for daily food to persons 
away from home. They are both the Tamil 
word padi which means a measure. A measure 
of rice is the daily allowance for a man ; thus the 
word came to mean the rice which is allowed and 
hence rice in general ; and further (as batta)a.ii 
allowance whether in rice or its value in money. 
Received with thanks for the School Museum, 
samples of coffee (parchment, peaberry, and 
Liberian), and a mature miniature coconut about 
the size of an ordinary marble. 
