22 
A FEW NOTES FROM PARIS. 
In the Austrian section vre only observed one series of an} r note, that of 
Herr Moll, of Vienna. But far better worth seeking out, in the same court, 
are the educational collections of Herr W. Fric, of Prague; and any one 
interested in the spread of elementary teaching of the natural sciences will 
spend an hour with pleasure in examining the various series of illustrations 
his case contains. The models especially deserve comment; and the clever 
way in which the difficulty of representing certain classes of organism, 
hitherto excluded from our museums, from their perishable nature, or other 
inherent disqualifying circumstance, is met by va^ing the material used in 
the production of the models, will elicit unqualified admiration. There is 
much to be learnt sometimes from the quiet study of even an inconspicuous 
case, when, as here, utility is sought rather than mere glitter. 
The chemist or the pharmaceutist will do well to visit the British depart¬ 
ment before devoting himself to the space allotted to the French manufac¬ 
turers ; for, somehow or other, the general appearance of the section occupied 
by our cases lacks the brightness and cheerfulness that characterize the por¬ 
tions furnished by our more lively neighbours. It is not that the specimens 
in the British court are deficient in beauty or massiveness ; nor is it that 
many of our collections are surpassed in quality or completeness by those of 
any other country ; neither can it be from a want of care in the disposal of 
the objects in the displays of the individual exhibitors ; but, whatever the 
cause, the fact is undeniable that there is an absence of the brilliancy'' so fine 
an assemblage of beautiful bright-coloured chemicals should have. It is pro¬ 
bably partially owing to the insufficient light, and partly to the overcrowding 
consequent on the limited allowance of space. Possibly the sombre effect of 
the black and gold decorations has something to do with it, though under more 
favourable conditions the same selection might have been unexceptionable. 
It may be left for another, with more time and opportunity for study, to 
enter into detailed descriptions of the contributions of our manufacturing 
chemists and pharmaceutists. The deficiencies in the representation of these 
departments of British industry, so much deplored by many writers, are 
rather in the class of heavy chemicals than in the delicate preparations in 
which we are especially interested. The huge chemical manufactories on the 
Tyne, the Clyde, and the Mersey can scarcely be said to be represented at 
all. .Nor is it wonderful that this should be the case, with the experience of 
three previous exhibitions before their eyes, heightened by the illiberal 
“ shoppy ” disposition manifested by the Imperial Commission, and the just 
appreciation of South Kensington red-tape complications. It is a matter for 
regret, rather than of surprise, that it should be so. 
As might be expected, the French manufacturing chemists and pharmaeiens 
appear in great force in their own department, and there has probably never 
been a more attractive display of the products of the laboratory than that 
here brought together. Hot only are the “ stock ” show-chemicals presented 
by numberless exhibitors in their most brilliant conditions,—chromium and 
manganese salts, iodine, iodides, and the like,—but we find interspersed, 
splendid platino-cyanides, aniline compounds, and a host of alkaloids whose 
names are enough to warn any one whose chemistry dates from but a few 
j T ears back, that he had better, on his second visit, come armed with the 
new edition of ‘ Watts’s Dictionary.’ 
W r e must leave these to abler commentators, and not do them the injustice 
of a passing notice. Some of the individual cases might be made the sub-; 
ject of a long paper, such as those of the Pharmacie Centrale, Messrs. Pou- 
lene et Wittmann, Lamoureux et Gendrot, Kousseau, Dubose et Cie., and 
others. M. Lamy’s series of thallium compounds will give an opportunity to 
those addicted to controversial chemistry for comparison with the equally 
