VARIETIES. 
475 
grains.  The  long  diameter  of  the  fruit  is  from  three  to  four  millimetres, 
the  short  diameter  a  little  less  ;  it  is  then  about  the  size  of  pepper.  The  taste 
is  at  first  somewhat  aromatic,  oily  and  astringent,  and  leaves  for  some  time 
afterwards  a  tolerably  persistent  acid  sensation  in  the  pharynx.  M.  Schim- 
per  states  that  the  dried  fruit  is  administered  in  powder,  in  doses  of 
32  to  44  grammes ;  that  it  purges,  and  kills  and  expels  the  worm  entire, 
without  affecting  the  health  of  the  patient. 
The  tatze  is  the  fruit  of  the  Myrsina  Africana,  a  native  of  Abyssinia,  the 
Cape  of  Good  Hope,  the  Azores,  and  Algeria.  It  is  a  more  disagreeable 
remedy  than  the  saoria  ;  and  in  six  cases  in  which  it  was  administered,  the 
patients  did  not  conplain  of  any  colicky  symptoms  being  induced,  and  its 
purgative  operation  is  not  constant.  It  imparts  an  inky  tinge  to  the  urine. 
It  is  said  to  be  tsenicide.  It  succeeded  in  expelling  the  taenia  in  each  of 
the  six  cases  in  which  it  was  given,  and  in  one  of  these,  several  other  active 
vermifuges  had  failed.  The  medium  dose  of  the  powder  of  tatze  is  fifteen 
grammes,  followed,  if  necessary,  by  a  dose  of  castor  oil. — Brit,  and  Foreign 
Med.  Chur.  Review,  from  Bull.  Gen.  Therap,  July,  1854. 
Description  of  a  New  Gas  Furnace.  By  Peter  Hart,  Manchester. — The 
apparatus  I  am  about  to  describe  was  devised  by  me  to  answer  the  purpose 
of  a  Russian  spirit  furnace,  at  the  same  time  employing  gas  as  fuel.  Its 
leading  feature,  and  the  one  in  which  I  think  it  differs  from  most  other  gas 
furnaces  consists  in  the  substitution  of  a  jet  of  steam  for  one  of  compressed 
air.  With  this  apparatus  I  can  get  a  platinum  crucible  to  a  white-red  heat 
in  a  few  seconds,  which  is  more  than  sufficient  for  all  ordinary  ignitions, 
fusions,  and  other  analytical  operations.  When  once  set  to  work  and  pro- 
perly regulated,  it  may  be  left  to  itself  for  a  considerable  time,  thus  sparing 
the  operator  the  annoyance  of  standing  by  and  working  the  blowing  appa- 
ratus for  half  an  hour:  no  bellows,  or  other  such  instrument  is  required  to 
work  it ;  and  lastly,  it  is  so  simple  and  inexpensive  that  any  tin-worker 
would,  I  think,  be  able  to  make  one  in  at  least  a  couple  of  hours. 
My  apparatus  consists  of  a  copper  basin,  about  five  inches  in  diameter  ; 
the  edges  are  soldered  down  to  a  circular  copper  plate,  in  the  centre  of  which 
a  small  hole  is  drilled  ;  into  this  (to  serve  for  a  jet)  is  soldered  one  of  the 
small  copper  tubes  cut  from  a  Leslie's  patent  gas  burner  ;  this  jet  is  inserted 
into  what  in  gas-fitters'  parlance  is  termed  an  elbow-joint,  standing  exactly 
in  the  centre  of  the  upright  tube  ;  this  elbow-joint  has  screwed  into  it  a 
short  piece  of  ordinary  gas-tubing;  when  this,  together  with  a  short  tube 
for  the  purpose  of  admitting  water,  is  soldered  on,  the  apparatus  is  com- 
plete. To  set  it  to  work,  fill  the  vessel  half  full  of  water,  and  set  it  in  the 
ring  of  a  retort-stand  over  a  gas  flame,  having  first  inserted  a  good  cork 
into  the  short  tube ;  then  connect  by  means  of  a  length  of  india-rubber 
tubing  with  a  supply  of  coal-gas  ;  when  the  waAer  boils,  turn  on  the  gas, 
