438 
POPULAB SCIENCE BEYIEW. 
Artificial Mammce. — That 'whicli is wrongly styled civilisation is certainly- 
at its zenith when w^e require artificial mammae for our imperfectly developed 
maidens. Strange, however, as it may appear, a patent has been actually 
taken out by Mr. J. D. Thomas, -of Liverpool, for what he terms an artificial 
bust, but which we conceive to be nothing less than what we have stated. 
Void the specification : — The inventor forms the whole of the parts of air- 
proof or nearly air-proof materials, the back, or that portion worn next to 
the person, being made of a rigid or stiffish material, such as cardboard, 
vulcanite, or other hardened india-rubber, and the front or raised portion of 
a flexible material, such as india-rubber or other so-called air-proof cloth. 
The inflating is effected preferably in an atmosphere of about 60° Fah., or 
air or other gas at that temperature is admitted before the parts are perma- 
nently closed. 
Experiments in Tinea Favosa. — At the meeting of the French Academy on 
August 16, M. de St. Cyr sent in a memoir detailing his experiments in the 
extension of this parasitic affection. He made some of his experiments on 
dogs, and he has since found that all the mice in the same locality are in- 
fected. Hence he concludes that the disease may be communicated to man 
from animals. 
Medical Science at the British Association. — The only medical communica- 
tion of importance at the British Association meeting was that of Dr. B. W. 
Bichard son, in the form of a Beport on Anjesthetics. The author dealt 
with the chemistry of the whole series of complex organic compounds 
relating to this class of bodies. He showed that they produced only marked 
effects when introduced subcutaneously, and that administered in this way 
they were twice as active as given in other ways. He again declared against 
the supposed advantage of alcohol as a food. 
Physical Action of the Atropine. — From a very elaborate series of expe- 
riments lately carried out by Dr. F. B. Nunneley, he states that the action 
of atropine on the heart is neither considerable nor energetic, a progressive 
weakening of its power being the most prominent visible effect. The heart 
continues to beat for some time after the manifestations of life in the rest of 
the animal have disappeared ; finally, it slowly dies itself, the ventricle 
being left in a state of relaxation. This occurs at the end of ten, twelve, or 
several more hours. 
METALLUBGY, MINEBALOGY, AND MINING. 
Analyses of Aspidolite and Parayonitc. — In tlie Jotmwl fiir jn'aldische 
CTicmie, No. 11, Herr von Kobell gives the following as the composition of 
these two minerals : — Aspidolite in 100 parts ; silica, 40*44 ; alumina, 10*60 ; 
magnesia, 26*30 ; protoxide of iron, 0*0; soda, 4*77 ; potash, 2*62 ; water, 
1*1.3. Paragonite — Silica, 48*00 ; alumina, .38*20; peroxide of iron, 0 01; 
soda, 6*70; potassa, 1 *80 ; magnc.‘<ia, 0*.30 ; water, 2*51. 
Enftaiite in Meteoric Iron. — In a paper rend before the Academy of 
Science of Vienna at a recent meeting, Herr Lang gave some details as to 
the form of enstafite contained in the meteoric iron of the Breitenbach 
