The Sun.
London, England, 1867-09-10 00:00:00

THE BRITISH ASSOCIATION.

DUNDEE, Monday.
The Chemical Section has been occupied with a
subject which is, in a certain sense, of national in-
terest. A discussion on the decay of stone applic-
able to building purposes was originated by Mr.
Spiller, who is of opinion that the corrosive action
of the atmosphere on our public buildings is owing
to the sulphuric acid diffused through the air. Mr.
Spence also took this view. The latter gentleman
stated that 120 tons of sulphur were poured annu-
ally into the atmosphere by the chimneys of Man-
chester. If they got rid of the black smoke they
would have a still stronger acid than at present.
Mr. Spiller estimated that the combustion of a ton
of coal evolved nearly 701 b. of vitriol. Here, then,
is the source of the sulphates found in the loosened
crust of decayed stones. Fresh from the quarry
the stones of Caen, Portland, and Bath contain
scarcely a trace of sulphates, whereas they make
the scrapings from the decayed portions of the new
Palace at Westminster bitter to the taste. Among
the places to which Mr. Spiller says the aqueous
solution of superphosphate of lime has been success-
fully applied are St. John's Church, Woolwich ;
the almshouses at Northfleet College ; the facade of
the 61-rand Hotel, Brighton ; and the Army Cloth-
ing Establishment, Woolwich. Professor Ansted
is of opinion that appliances to save buildings
from decay should be made while the stone is in
the quarry.
Dr. RICHARDSON read a paper on " Methyl Com-
pounds." He stated, as the result of experiments,
that chloroform caused death by arresting nervous
action, and not by a muscular action of the heart.
He said that the danger of using it as an anpasthetic
arose from the difficulty of eliminating it from the
body. The titachloride of carbon he declared to be
still more dangerous, and its use was to be de-
nounced. He recommended nitrate of methyl, and
still more bichloride of methylen. He showed by
experiments that the latter was harmless and easily
manageable. Mr. Nunnelly, of Leeds, praised
these researches, and stated his belief that pure
hydro-carbon would turn out to be the best
anaesthetic.
The question whether " Man was originally
savage" was revived in the Ethnological Department
by an elaborate paper read by Sir John Lubbock,
who took the round that civilised races are descend-
ants of races that have arisen from barbarism,
controverting the theory of the late Archbishop
Whately that no community ever did or ever
can emerge, unassisted, from a state of utter
barbarism into anything that could bo called
civilization; and answering the objection that the
natives of Australia and New Zealand have shown
no symptoms of advance to civilisation, and show-
ing that those races nossess no cereals nor animals
that can be domesticated with advantage, and were
thus entirely ignorant of cattle rearing and cultivat-
ing the soil, which had been always the early basis
of the civilising races. Neither were there any traces
of the arts in their ruder forms, such as pottery
found in the Australasian group ; whereas in Pales-
tine, Syria, and the East generally, the cradle of
civilisation, marks of progress, though slow, have
been discovered. Considerable discussion followed,
the generality of the speakers supporting Sir John
Lubbock's reasoning.
In the Mathematical Section the theory of light
\vas under discussion, and Mr. Henry Schaffer read
a paper contributed by Mr. John Smith, of Perth,
following out the theory, which he first brought
up at Aberdeen, that light is simple and homo-
geneous. Mr. Smith believes that the varieties
of colour are entirely due to the alterations of
light and shadow, and to the different character of
vibrations caused by the introduction of the prism.
He attempts to confirm this theory by the fact that
certain opaque bodies under pressure may be made
to change colour. To this section Colonel Sykes,
M.P., also contributed a paper on the subject of
storm signals, and advocated their resumption. He
spoke in terms of high admiration of Admiral Fitz-
roy's system of warnings, and asserted that they
had been discontinued in obedience to the demands
of the pedantic affectation of science. In his opinion
the storm signals were of the utmost importance to
the maritime communities. Mr. Sturrock, president
of the Dundee Chamber of Commerce, agreed with
the views broached by Colonel Sykes. Mr. Gassiot
defended the course taken by the Royal Society, as
also did Mr. Balfour Stewart. Mr. Milne Home,
president of the Meteorological Society, moved a
resolution calling upon the council to petition Go-
vernment to resume the storm signal l. The Duke
of Buccleuch, without entering into the scientific
question, expressed his belief that the warn-
ings were useful, and seconded the motion, which
was supported by Sir J. Ogilvy, M.P. Mr. Glaisher
urged that the warnings, and not meteorological
notices that might not be understood, should be at
once resumed. Great interest was manifested in
the question, the section being crowded. Even-
tually the motion was carried.
The department of Geology was occupied in deal-
ing with a paper read by Sir William Thomson,
written by Dr. Schwarez, on the internal heat of the
earth. The writer denied that any perceptible effect
could have been produced by internal heat on the
surface of the earth within the last 50 million years,
and called upon the British Association to inquire
into the alleged increase of temperature in descend-
ing pits. Sir William Thomson believed that a
committee would be appointed to consider the
matter-.

In this section Mr. Pengelly read the report of
the committee appointed to investigate the Kent's
Cave at Brixham. He reported that they had found
mammalia and traces of man. Among human relics
they had found bone implements, a bone comb,
highly finished, a highly finished pin, a grit spindle,
a whole and a portion of a nitched stool-looking
measuring rod. The most interesting discovery this
year was portions of a human skeleton, including
vertebra, lower jaw, loose teeth, and part of skull.
These remains rendered it impossible to doubt that
man occupied Devonshire while it was the home of
extinct lions, hyenas, mammoths, and their contem-
poraries. The most finished tools were at the
lowest levels. There was a hope of finding human
remains in red earth. The geological and
archwolgical evidences were concurrent, and
caused great interest. Sir Charles Lyell em-
phatically praised the manner of the explo-
rations. Mr. Wyatt had found the same type
of implements in the low level gravels of Bedford,
associated with the bones of the Elephus Antiguus.
Other speakers concurred that the evidence was
conclusive.

Six papers were read in the Economic Section,
by local members and associates, on the linen man-
ufactures, engineering trade, iron shipbuilding,
whale fisheries, leather manufactures, and the con-
fectionery and marmalade trades of Dundee. A
variety of interesting facts were brought out illus-
trative of the progress of trade in the district.
It has been decided that Dr. Hooker, the Curator
of Kew Gardens, is to be the President of the Asso-
ciation for the year 1868-9.

THE LATE MR. WILLIAM WALKER.—We regret
to have to announce the death of Mr. William Walker, the
ancient historical engraver, who expired at his residence
in Margaret-street, Cavendish-square, on Saturday night.
Among the numerous works of excellence executed by the
deceased artist the most generally known aro the en-
gravings of the " Passing of the Reform Bill," the "Aber-
deen Cabinet," and the "Literary Party at Sir Joshua
Reynolds." The last-mentioned work must have pos-
sessed peculiar interest by Mr. Walker, who had married
the daughter of S. W. Reynolds, the engraver of all Sir
Joshua's pictures. One of his latest productions, " The
Distinguished Men of Science," the engraving of which
occupied him during six years, and cost him nearly £5,000
before bringing any return, is ono that must be familiar to
our readers as a remarkable specimen of that branch of
art.

THE DRAINAGE OF PARIS.—In the west of Paris
a large tunnel is at this moment being constructed at a
depth of 60 or 80 feet below the surface of the ground. It
starts from the Place de l'Alma, and goes to the lower end
of the island of tho Grande Jatte, at Neuilly, passing under
the Avenue Josephine, the Arc do Triomphe, the Ternes,
the Place Poreire, the Auteuil Railway, the fortifications,
and the villages of Courcelles and Levallois. This for-
midable undertaking, which requires shafts to be sunk
every 50 yards, is now approaching its completion, and
will form a second grand connecting sewer to discharge
is waters into the Seine below tho Ile de Neuilly.