VARIETIES. 
185 
Deodorizing  Tanks. —  The  Town  Council  of  Glasgow  have  recently  con- 
structed some  tanks  for  purifying  water,  and  a  chemist  has  since  been 
appointed  to  advise  the  sanitary  committee  in  making  the  necessary  ex- 
periments. The  council  have  now  three  tanks,  60  feet  in  diameter  and  six 
deep,  with  a  mixing  well  10  feet  in  diameter,  an  engine  of  eight-horse 
power,  and  a  pump  capable  of  raising  1,000  gallons  in  a  minute,  the  cal- 
culation being  that  these  tanks  are  quite  capable  of  purifying  the  whole 
of  the  Pinkston  Burn.  The  cost  is  £750,  but  that  includes  £195,  for 
which  sum  the  contractors  have  engaged  to  work  the  engine  for  three 
months,  or  £250  if  for  six  months.  At  Mr.  Wickstead's  works  in  the  neigh- 
borhood of  Leicester,  the  deoderant  used  is  lime,  the  process  precipitation. 
It  is  thus  described  : — The  whole  of  the  sewage  mater,  including  the 
refuse  from  dyers  and  scourers,  is  brought  by  the  main  sewers  of  the  town 
to  the  works  at  the  outfall,  and  in  its  passage  to  the  reservoir  the  proper 
proportion  of  cream  of  lime  is  pumped  into  the  pipe  through  which  the 
sewage  water  passes.  It  is  then  passed  through  agitators  before  entrance 
into  the  reservoir,  and  when  admitted,  the  solid  matter  begins  to  pre- 
cipitate immediately,  while  the  sewage  water,  thus  gradually  freed  from 
impurities,  flows  into  the  river  in  a  disinfected  state  at  the  further  end  of 
the  reservoir.  From  the  beginning  to  the  end  of  the  works  no  unpleasant 
smell  whatever  was  perceivable,  although  the  subsiding  tanks,  and  all  the 
processes  mentioned  are  in  the  covered  part  of  the  buildings.  The  de- 
oderization  is  complete. — Ibid. 
Acetic  Acid  in  Emulsions  with  Borax.  Translated  by  Geo.  W.  Fexner. — 
It  is  a  well  known  fact,  that  when  Borax  is  added  to  a  mucilage,  it  soon 
thickens,  so  that,  if  the  quantity  of  Borax  be  large,  a  compact  mass  even 
is  formed.  Such  mucilages  and  emulsions  with  borax  being  frequently 
prescribed  by  physicians,  Dr.  Geisler  has  made  a  long  series  of  experi- 
ments to  overcome  this  difficulty,  and,  according  to  the  Archives  of  Phar- 
macy, vol.  87,  p.  196,  has  at  length  completely  succeeded.  He  puts  into 
the  liquid  with  which  the  emulsion,  &c,  is  made,  a  few  drops  of  diluted 
acetic  acid,  adding  the  pulverized  borax  after  the  emulsion  is  formed.  This 
is  a  perfect  remedy  for  the  difficulty  complained  of. — Druggist's  Circular. 
Testing  of  Woollen  Tissues  for  intermixed  Cotton.  By  Dr.  A.  Overbeck. 
— The  tissue  is  laid  in  a  solution  of  1  part  of  alloxantine  in  10  parts  of 
water,  pressed  and  dried.  This  process  is  repeated  twice.  It  is  then  ex- 
posed to  dry  vapors  of  ammonia,  and  washed  with  distilled  water.  The 
woolly  fibres  are  now  permanently  dyed  crimson  ;  the  cotton  fibreii  remain 
colorless. —  Chem.  Gaz.,  from  Archiv  der  Pharm. 
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