SCIENTIFIC SUMMARY. 
545 
quantity of urine secreted greater than before, but the per centage of urea 
was also larger, having been increased from 2-29 per cent, to 2 80. We 
confess we have not been startled by M. Namias’ achievement, and from 
the circumstance that the increased secretion of the urea was accompanied 
by an increased proportion of albumen, we question the expediency of 
employing electrical agents as means of cure in such cases. If the gland 
be really disorganized, all the batteries in the world would be unavailing. — 
Vide Comptes Rendus, lviii. No. 19. 
METALLURGY AND MINING. 
A New Form of Amalgamator has been proposed by Mr. Farrand, of 
San Francisco. It consists of a trough-shaped machine of wood or iron, 
with dies to fit upon its inner surface. The mullers are attached to a 
rocking shaft, and are moved backwards and forwards instead of in a 
circular direction. The dies are a parallelogram in shape, with grooves or 
recesses for the quicksilver, in which it is gently agitated with stirrers. 
The machine is reported to act very well, and is expected to give rise to 
important results. — Vide Mining and Smelting Magazine , May, 1864. 
Chrome Pig Iron. — Some specimens of this compound were exhibited at 
the last meeting of the Austrian Engineers’ Association, by Herr Friese, 
who had obtained them from some experimental charges of chrome clay 
iron-stone, at the St. Stephan iron works. The iron has a white, almost 
lustrous fracture, and is very brittle, for which reasons the ores, notwith- 
standing their high per centage, have been hitherto considered to be 
useless. Accurate analyses of the ore and iron have not yet been made, 
but it may not be impossible, with proper treatment, to obtain useful pig 
iron from them. At the same meeting Herr Friese exhibited some 
samples of blasting powder, which, besides being cheaper, is consider- 
ably more effective than the ordinary blasting powder. The inventor 
calls it “ non-explosive blasting powder,” or alcaloxide. So far as was 
observed it seemed to burn very slowly, but its properties have not yet 
been fully investigated. 
A New Mining Journal.— W e understand that a new periodical to be 
devoted to mining interests is about to be started at New York. It is 
to be called The American Coal Trade Review. It will be published weekly, 
and besides reliable statistics regarding the mining and shipping of coal 
throughout the United States, it will contain occasional historical and 
scientific articles upon the subject of coal, and its bearings* on the com- 
mercial and manufacturing prosperity of that country. A new monthly 
has also been issued, bearing the title of the American Mining Gazette and 
Geological Magazine. 
Petroleum as a Substitute for Coal. — The commission appointed by the 
American Government to inquire into the relative evaporative powers of 
petroleum oil as compared with anthracite coal, the practicability of its 
use, if unattended with danger, and its advantages, if any, have issued 
their report. The commission was composed of three chief engineers, and 
their experiments extended over a period of five months. As regards 
evaporation the reply was, that it is 105° higher in power than anthracite 
coal, while the time required for generating steam to 20 lbs. pressure was 
28 minutes as compared with GO. The commissioners accordingly reeom- 
