TRANSACTIONS OF THE SECTIONS. 
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On the Concentration of Alcohol in Sommcring’s Experiments. 
By Professor Graham, F.R.S. 
The author stated that when an open vessel is filled with a mixture of alcohol an d 
wermd exposed to the air, tlic alcohol goes off first and leaves the water; but if, as in 
t imiering'8 experiments, a bladder be completely filled with dilute alcohol, the liquid 
vll decrease in bulk, and the water pass through the membrane, leaving a much 
or jKr-ccntoge of alcohol in the bladder. Sbmniering describes the action of 
"• 'laane to be improved by coating it with isinglass. Prof. Graham removed the 
t:Tibranc entirely, aud made use of u septum of gelatin itself. Cotton calico wa* 
-i KVenl times with a solution of isinglass and ullowed to dry. A retentive 
thus prepared, in which alcohol in different states of dilution trai placed, 
, ‘'P 1 100° and 12° Fahr. fur twenty-four hours. Evaporation took place, 
*orh waniniformly attended by concentration of the spirit:— 
180 grammes of alcohol 0*860 gave ISO grins, of O’Su l 
„ „ 0*860 gave 116 „ of 0*832 
180 » „ 0*880 gave 1-16 „ of 0*871 
180 0*900 gave 154 
of 0*888 
nil!! Un 'i £ Pa *' n nlone acted exactly like the coats of bladder. Further, 
mu.m waioU i i S datin (isinglass) placed in alcohol 0*86.) increased 11 per 
rt, >x nn Hn, I’fli at l i le same t,n ’° lowered the gravity of the spirit to 0 857. There 
Cliferous fid, ’ ,lierG ‘ 0le » that gelatin per te separates wnter from alcohol, and the 
1 aluorbeil ! PS H osscss the same property. In the bladder experiment, the water 
bin» constnnil/ l ° evaporates from the outer surface, and its place 
concentred 1Ct * ^ r0m l ' le ^'* ute alcohol within, the litter comes to be 
Results of Experiments on the Preservation of Fresh Meat . 
This inn, • G. Ham! LTO.V, F. C.S. 
i inquiry w 
!«•* Wu-liMi, “ n ^ e,tH ^ 0U "'ith a view of discovering a method hy 
.. nclotingpieces nf) Fe f • sta,t ‘ bom South America. The experiments 
£ 
which beef 
were made 
, 0Sin 8 pieces of beef' i , um America, ...... 
v .‘"8 g®*e*cli lorih *v j 1 P8 containing one, or n mixture of two or more of the 
'•“<iile of iiitr 0een 2ft oyavogsti,nitrogen, ammonia, carbonic acid) carbonicoxide, 
f 'Tautioi, r 1 these, the last two only possessed the power of retarding 
^ "cek* was found * i piecn > n contact with carbonic oxide for the space of 
,i' r '5 en Is ®npiib| eo f.... 0 . l ,cv tcctly fresh, and of n fine red colour. Binoxide of 
[ 1 l ‘inc the beef ietV Sei ^ in ^ lroin putrefaction for at least five months, during 
by t| 1Q {' *?* Its nntl »al colour ami consistence. When meat that had 
r_,.L Wat, ' e flavour ip r r °CM8 wus cooked hy roasting, it was found to possess a 
length Of timn°ri filing, the ebullition must be continued for a 
8 oi time than is necessary for fresh meat. 
Hint* 
on the M - - 
& 2} nt difficult subjects in the application o 
C,ence> % Sa.mli;;. Migklev. F.G.s"f.L\S. " 
if 
photography had 
* displayed by 
, pathology and 
valuable aid 
:stn,iJT“ IS 01 , . uuurul unjicts were of importance, 
• r ^itl IS-rtsht hi his closi’t" H ! >c ''Pp'icathm of stereoscopic prin- 
ll, r Flora ; ‘ , ‘ a *">"*'* ^‘unt Luos, or 
Sys,«7 ««» mSm“^ ”*?!• “W-ining.mi^o- 
-■Tiff* » t0I «SemcMa^;in t ^ g m r^^Sfillomhinted 
