The Sun.
London, England, 1861-01-09 00:00:00

.PIZOTEsSOR RJRAD4Y'S LEC2t7RES.

Yesterday afternoon Professor Faraday con-
cluded his short course of juvenile lectures " On.
the Chemical History of a Candle." In his previ-
ous lectures he had explained the nature of flame,
and of the productsof combustion, the propertiespf
hydrogen and oxygen, the nature of the atmosphere
and of carbonic acid gas, and in this concluding
lecture he noticed the properties of carbon, or char-
coal, and the analogy of its combustion to the pro-
cess of respiration. Several introductory experi-
ments exhibited the combustion of charcoal as
distinct from that of flame, each particle being
separately burnt, and the burning of charcoal in
oxygen gas was shown to leave no ash, as is the
case with other solid combustibles, the result of the
process being the solution of the carbon in the
oxygen, thus producing carbonic acid gas. The
opposite kind of combustion, which results in tho
production of an ash or oxide by the combination
of the oxygen with the combustible in a solid form,
was shown by the exposure cf pure lead in powder
to the air, its affinity for oxygen being so strong
that the lead burns with a bright flame as soon as
it comes in contact with oxygen, though the ash
formed upon it prevents the further combustion.
After having illustrated by a variety of experiments
the combustion of carbon in different forme, and
the exiinguiehine• of flame by carbonic acid gas,
which is the product of such combustion, r corersior
Faraday directed attention to the process of respira-
tion. That process, he observed, is another form of
the combustion f charcoal, which is effected by
the peculiar organisation of the lungs, by which
the combustion of the carbon contained in the
blood takes place at a low temperature. To prove
that the exhaled breath contains carbonic acid, he
placed a lighted taper at the bottom of an upright
glass tube, which was connected with a similar
tube by a horizontal branch. The taper burned
brightly as it was supplied with air descending the
other tube ; but wken Professor Faraday breathed
gently over the opening of that tube, the exhaled
breath descended and extinguished the flame. The
production of carbonic acid in the lungs by
respiration was illustrated by a variety of other
experiments, among which was the turbidity of
lime water byblowing through it. The quantity
of charcoal exhaled by a single man in the form of
carbonic acid gas in the course of 24 hours was
stated to be seven ounces, while a mulch cow exhales
as much as 70 ounces, and a horse 79 ounces in the
same time. The deterioration of a quantity of air
by a single respiration shows, as Professor Faraday
observed, the importance of attending to ventilation,
without which the same air is breathed over and
over again though rendered unfit to continue the
combustion of carbon in the lungs, and therefore
unfit to support life. He alluded to the beautiful
provision of nature by which the carbonic acid gas
contained in the air is appropriated by, and forms
the sustenance of, plants, the carbon that constitutes
the substance of all trees being derived front the
carbonic acid contained in the atmosphere, and the
latter being again rendered fit for respiration by
having the carbon abstracted, whilst the oxygen
remains pure as before. Professor Faraday,
addressing the juvenile portion of the audience, at
the conclusion of his lecture, hoped that, like a
taper, they, in their progress through life, would
shine forth, and would throw light on their fellow
men, and burn brightly and purely to the end.
The lecture ended amidst loud applause, and the
young people, who occupied the lower benches,
rushed to the table to ask questions, and to take
cave of the great philosopher.

HEALTH OF LONDON DURING THE WEEK.

(Front;ke Registrar-General's Weekly Return.)
The weekly return of births and deaths in Lon-
don, issued by authority of the Registrar-General,
states that the cold which has been experienced in
the last three weeks, however seasonable it maybe
to the young and robust, the well-fed and well-
clothed, is destructive to the health and life of others
who are less able to resist it. In the last two weeks
of 1860 the deaths in London were 1,269 and 1,407 ;
in the first week of the new year they rose to 1,707.
In the early part of December the mean tempera.
ture of the air was 43 deg. ; in the three weeks that
followed, and that ended last Saturday, it was
successively 32.1 degs., 25.9 degs., and 32.4 degs.
On Friday, the 4th inst., the lowest temperature
was 20.5 dogs., and the mean 28 degs.
The average number of deaths as derived from
the first week in each of the 10 years 1851-60, and
corrected for increase of population, is 1,388. The
effect of the cold weather as yet developed in the
returns is therefore measured by an excess of 319
deaths in one week above the estimated number.
In the deaths caused by zymotic diseases the chief
facts to be remarked are au increase in scarlatina
from 45 in the previous week to 63 last week, and an
increase in whooping-cough from 59 to 90. No less
than 8 children died from measles in the sub-district
of Kensington-town. Scarlatina was fatal in four
caws in the Belgrave sub-district, in three in Plum-
stead. In the last two weeks the deaths by pul-
monary diseases, exclusive of phthisis, rose from
348 to 485. Those by bronchitis increased from
217 to 273 ; those by pneumonia from 95 to 143.
Phthisis .increased from 171 to 188. Pulmonary
uerso
anothero ure
e
diseases, which, as stated above, include 485 deaths,
exhibit a considerable excess onath the corrected aver-
age,'
which is .318. The des
nod 11wpa
f
rds. ns
recorded at the age of 90 years a p
e of 98 years ;
ao ft tlhoeos ey
eoacrcau
irne ecd
aapt
:ohne,
agOf the 11 aged persons

only 3 were men.
yt
children,a died by burns,
d to have been
speraiindcst afil lve
are te
s
budN ienneete ebthny,
burnt beir clothes taking fire. Of 15 deaths
by suffocation, 12 occurred to children in bed. A
Dutch pilot was choked by a piece of beef, which
was afterwards found to weigh one ounce. A man
and a woman were returned as having perished
from cold and want ; the former, a painter, aged
80 years, on 27th December, at 4, Terrace-place,
Stepney-green, and the latter, aged 70 years,
found dead on Christmas-day at the door of the
Marylebone Workhouse.
Last week the births of 1,003 boys and 889 girls,
in all 1,892 ciirdren, were registered in London.
In the ten corresponding weeks of the years
1851-60 the average number was 1,650.
At the Royal Observatory, Greenwich, the
mean hight of the barometer in the week was
29.714 in. The readings fell to 29 in. on Tuesday,
January Ist, and rose to 30.17 iu. on Thursday the
3d. The mean temperature of the air in the week
was 32.4 deg., which is 4.3 deg. below the average
of the same week in 43 years (as determined by
Mr. Glaisher), The mean daily temperature
was about 8 deg. below the average on the
last four days. The thermometer in the shade
rose to 47.3 deg. on Tuesday, and fell to 20.2
deg. on Friday, being the highest and lowest point
respectively in the week. The range in the week
was therefore 26 8 deg. The mean daily range was
10.8 deg. The difference between the mean dew-
point temperature and air temperature was 3.2 deg.
The mean degree of humidity of the air was 88,
complete saturation being represented by 100, which
point was attained on nday and Tuesday. Tbl
wind blew generally from the north-east. Rain fei
to the amount of 1.07 inches, most of it on Sunday
and Tuesday. The mean temperature of the water
, of the Thames was 334 deg.