494 
OBITUARY. 
acid gas, which are diffused in the atmosphere, no decomposition whatever of the gas 
takes place, although a tendency to separation is set up between the atoms of carbon 
and oxygen. Now, when the gas with this tendency to change comes into contact with 
the leaves of trees, there is something in those leaves which decomposes the gas beneath 
the action of the solar rays. In this way trees get most of their food, for they often 
take up more from the atmosphere than they do from the soil. The nitrite of butyl is 
not directly decomposable by waves of light; but in the presence of hydrochloric acid 
gas its constitution is broken up by light, just as carbonic acid gas is decomposed by the 
joint action of light and vegetation. But waves in white light differ vastly in length 
and mechanical power, hence it would naturally be expected that when the little parti¬ 
cles in the vapour are small, they would first be able to reflect the shortest or blue waves, 
so as to produce the beautiful blue seen in the tube. As the particles of the cloud ac¬ 
cumulated other waves would be stopped till the cloud, as they now saw, became in¬ 
tensely luminous, and to some extent illuminated the whole theatre. The two great 
standing puzzles to meteorologists were the causes of the blue colour of the sky, and the 
polarization of the light of the sky. Supposing like conditions to be present in the at¬ 
mosphere as in the experimental tube, it was evident that the blue colour of the sky 
might be caused by the presence of infinitely small drops of liquid, each, perhaps, mil¬ 
lionths of an inch in diameter. Similar conditions would cause polarization of the light 
of the sky. 
Among the afternoon lectures delivered in the Institution, is a course which was com¬ 
menced on the 16th of January by Dr. Odling, F.R.S., on hydrogen and its analogues. 
Dr. Odling has recently been appointed the Fullerian Professor of Chemistry here in the 
place of Dr. Frankland, who resigned. 
©irituarg. 
Died on the 13th December, 1868, in the 75th year of his age, Dr. Carl Friedrich 
Philipp von Martius, ex-professor of Botany in the University and Secretary of the 
Mathematico-physical Class of the Academy of Sciences of Munich, Foreign Member 
of the Royal and Linnean Societies of London, Honorary Member of the Pharmaceutical 
Society of Great Britain. 
Few names among the philosophers of Germany occupy a higher place than that of 
this eminent savant, whose brilliant and versatile genius and unceasing activity enriched 
all branches of literature and science. Among botanists Dr. von Martius will ever be 
remembered as the author of a grand work on Palms, in three splendid folio volumes 
which it took 27 years to complete; and also for his Flora of Brazil, a work of even 
greater magnitude commenced in 1840 and still carried on with the co-operation of other 
botanists. He also wrote two small publications on Brazilian Materia, Medica and nu¬ 
merous papers on ethnological and philological subjects. 
In private life Dr. von Martius was remarkable for his amiability and great conversa¬ 
tional powers. 
REVIEWS. 
The Chemists and Druggists’ Almanack, and Pharmaceutical Text-Book, 1869. 
London: ‘ Chemist and Druggist ’ Office, 44a, Cannon Street. 
We regret that this useful publication reached us too late for notice last month. 
It contains, as well as the information to be found generally in almanacks, matter of 
especial interest to the pharmacist: as, for instance, chapters on “Weights, Measures, 
and Arithmetical Formulae,” by J. C. Brough, F.C.S. ; “A Few Practical Hints on 
Dispensing and Kindred Subjects,” by Joseph Ince, F.L.S.; “Photography,” by the 
Editor ; “Directions for Restoring the Apparently Drowned ;” “ Digest of the Principal 
Acts of Parliament affecting Pharmacists “ Pharmaceutic Specialities “ Novelties 
of the Year;” “Books for the Pharmacist,” etc. etc. The chapters on “Weights, 
Measures, and Arithmetical Formulae,” and “Practical Hints on Dispensing ” are of par¬ 
ticular interest, and ought to be read carefully. Altogether we can speak highly of this 
little work, which all pharmacists would do well to obtain. 
