184 
VARIETIES. 
Europe  for  an  article  like  this,  so  simple  in  its  culture  that  we  ought  to  be 
the  largest  exporters  of  it,  thus  adding  another  item  to  our  '  granary  of  the 
world/ 
"  It  has  long  been  extensively  cultivated  in  Spain,  and  from  the  com- 
mencement of  Queen  Elizabeth's  reign  it  has  been  largely  grown  in  various 
parts  of  England/' 
Besides  its  employment  in  medicine,  liquorice  is  extensively  used  in  the 
manufacture  of  porter  and  other  preparations  containing  saccharine  ingre- 
dients, and  its  introduction  into  this  country  could  not  fail  to  be  profitable. 
Boston  Med.  and  Surg.  Jour. 
On  the  Artificial  Preparation  of  Alcoliol.  By  M.  Marx. — Berthelot  has 
lately  stated,  that  alcohol  may  be  formed  from  olefiant  gas.  Marx  shows 
that  this  discovery  was  made  twenty-seven  years  ago  by  Henry  Hennell.  In 
the  Philosophical  Transactions  for  1828,  p.  365,  there  is  a  theory  of  the  for- 
mation of  ether,  in  which  Hennell  says,  "  This  theory  is  illustrated  by  the 
employment  of  olefiant  gas  as  the  hydrocarbonous  base  ;  for,  by  combining 
this  gas  with  sulphuric  acid,  we  may  form  sulphovinic  acid,  from  which  we 
may  obtain  at  pleasure,  by  varying  the  decomposition,  either  alcohol  or 
ether." — Jour,  fur  Praki.  Chem.,  Ixv.  p.  92. 
Castor  Oil  as  a  Mechanic  d  Lubricant.  By  Alexander  Chaplin.— In  these 
times,  when  workshop  economics  are  claiming  so  large  a  share  of  attention, 
it  may  be  of  importance  to  the  readers  of  the  Practical  Mechanics'  Journal 
to  know  that  there  is  considerable  advantage  and  economy  in  the  use  of 
pure  castor  oil  as  a  lubricating  material  for  machinery.  For  this  purpose, 
I  have  found  it  to  go  at  least  twice  as  far  as  any  other  oil.  The  causes  of 
this  gain  are,  that  this  oil  does  not  run  out  of  the  bearing,  whilst  it  does 
not  clog  from  viscidity,  and  it  is  entirely  free  from  acidity  of  every  kind. 
Actual  experience  has  told  me,  that  bearings  which  formerly  required  oiling 
twice  or  thrice  a  day,  are  kept  in  perfect  order  by  one  daily  application  of 
fine  castor  oil.  As  to  cost,  the  present  market  price  leaves,  under  the  cir- 
cumstances, a  saving  of  50  per  cent. — Lon.  Prac.  Mech.  Journ.,  Oct.  1855. 
Note  on  the  Natural  Mineral  Waters  of  Algeria.  By  Sir  Joseph  F.  Qliffe. 
— Amongst  the  valuable  products  of  Algeria  exhibited  in  the  Palais  d'ln- 
dustrie,  not  the  least  worthy  of  study  and  attention  is  the  collection  of  natu- 
ral mineral  waters  of  that  country.  No  less  than  forty- eight  specimens  of 
chalybeate,  acidulous,  saline,  and  sulphurous  waters  are  exhibited,  derived 
from  various  springs  in  Algeria.  Many  of  these  spas  were  well  known  to, 
and  frequented  by  the  Komans,  as  the  remains  of  magnificent  thermce, 
piscinae,  &c,  still  attest.  At  the  present  day  most  of  them  enjoy  reputa- 
tion amongst  the  Arabs,  and  the  French  Government  have  granted  consider- 
