SCIENTIFIC SUMMARY. 
265 
the “shunt” principle, this gun having 10 grooves, turning once in 65 
calibres. It carries a conical cast-iron shot weighing 510 lb., or a shell of 
600 lb. with a bursting charge of 40 lb. of powder. The charge for the 
gun was 70 lb. with the shot, and 60 lb. with the shell. With shot the 
range attained was 1,160 yards with 2° elevation ; 2,300 yards with 5° ; 
4,100 yards with 10°, The mean initial velocity of the shot was 1,260 
feet per second. The lateral deviation varied from 0 to 4 yards only. A 
shot from this gun perforated a target representing a section of the 
W armor’s side, making a clean hole 2 feet long by 20 inches broad. 
The Lynall Thomas Gun. — Experiments of a less satisfactory character 
have been made with a Lynall Thomas 300-pounder rifled gun, the riding 
being formed of ridges instead of grooves. Charge of powder 40 lb. ; 
initial velocity of projectiles, 1,075 to 1,217 feet. Range at 5°, 1,883 to 
2,161 yards ; at 10° elevation, 3,600 to 4,000 yards. The inequality of 
velocity and range is the most objectionable feature developed by the 
trials. 
Mr. Reed’s Target. — Mr. Reed has constructed a target with a facing 
of 6-inch armour plates, and a backing of 10 inches of teak and two 
thicknesses of f-inch plates. As might be expected, it has resisted all the 
ordinary projectiles and even the steel shell fired from Mr. Whitworth’s 
150 pounder, with a charge of 23 lb. of powder. These last penetrated 
the armour plate, but did no injury to the backing. It remains to be seen 
how far it can resist the blows of the 300-pounder and 600-pounder 
projectiles with charges of 40 lb. and 60 lb. of powder. 
MEDICAL SCIENCE. 
The Structure of Cartilage. — Our medical readers are of course familiar 
with the circumstance that the structure of cartilage is a subject which, 
since the appearance of Schwann’s celebrated work enunciating the “ cell 
theory,” lias been of much interest to histologists. It is customary in 
most works on human microscopic anatomy to lay it down as certain and 
established that cartilage is composed of a clear homogeneous basis, through 
which are scattered myriads of cells containing nuclei, and that the carti- 
lage grows by the development of new cells. Professor Lionel Beale, of 
King’s College, who may fairly be regarded as one of the first, if not the 
first, microscopic anatomist in Great Britain, has recently advanced some 
original views as to the structure and growth of cartilage. We presume 
they are promulgated with the object of supporting his theory of the 
development of all tissues from germinal matter (endoplasts of Professor 
Huxley). Be that as it may, his paper is a most valuable one, and may 
be found in “ The Transactions of the Microscopical Society,” vol. xi. 
The beautiful plates accompanying the memoir convey a clearer descrip- 
tion of the structure of the tissue in question than any verbal explanation, 
and must be referred to by all interested in this subject. The conclusions 
at which the author has arrived are the following : — (1) That the so-called 
intercellular substance of cartilage and other tissues is never formed inde- 
pendently of cells , or, more correctly, masses of living or germinal matter ; 
