The New York herald., 1868-06-20
FOREIGN SCIENTIFIC ITEMS.

The Prussian Cabinet has decreed 5000 thaers
towards defraying the expenses OF expedition to
Alden in order to study the eclipse of the sun of the
18th Of August next.
The geological changes that have occurred in
China and Japan almost incredible, and de-
cidedly are more rapid than in other parts OF the
world. The land Is elevated and gains on the sea.
Mr.. Bickmore, an American traveller, has made
careful observations from Canton up to the mouth
OF the AmOOr river, and his general conclusion Is
that the facts taken in connection with the dry beds
Arctic Ocean and "F the remnant Of the old gulf that
once washed the eastern flank of the Ural, enable
the ge00gist to form idea Of the large increase or
the Asiatic continent within comparatively recent
period.
One OF the prizes awarded by the French Academy
OF Sciences-namely that vaccination-to DIR.
His experiments show that the natural virus NAV be
produced at will on the horse, and that the
p0stul0us anectOn known as hOrsepox, and
which has always been considered a spontaneous
disorder, may also be produced by incubation. T e
manner OF performing the operation differs, how
ever, from the common one. II the virus be inocu
lated under the epidermis it is well known that the
disease is localized and pustules are formed in one
particular spot BY injecting the matter directly
eruption s obtained all over the body but more par
tculary about the nOstrils. This eruption, expert
spontaneous one, since they will both communicate
the cOwpOX to man. the horse and to horned cattle.
The question arises why the absorption Of the virus
by the skin does not produce generazed eruption,
as in the OF injection into the blood vessels. This
is replied to by showing that this is not owing to
there being more considerable absorption of virus
in one case than in the other, but to the greater
papidity with which the effect Is produced by the
cutaneous incubation, whereby the generalization
OF the eruption Is prevented-while on the con-
trary, the injection into the veins requires an incu
baton of at least week to produce its effect. Inocu
lation on the skin is almost immediate in its action
anu AT tne END OF nve days only the patient Is safe
from smallpox. The author of the essay has, more
over, proved the curious fact that even by inocua-
ton generaized eruption may be obtained il, on
the morrow after the operation the skin be peeled
OF from the place where vaccnal puncture had been
effected.
Owing to the numbers of accidents caused by the
variations OF the compass, especially now so much
more iron Is employed in shipbuding, the attention
OF scientific men has been directed to the discovery
OF some plan by which these variations might be
detected and the evil results avoided. conlpara-
lively simple plan of ascertaining the error or
amount Of variation and deviation combined was
devised and put In practice some time snce 1t con-
ssts In taking an ordinary compass card and erect
ing upon its centre and perpendicular to its plane
fine copper wire. At the time of the suns meridian
passage as indicated by the noon observation for
latitude, the direction OF the shadow cast by the
wire on the compass card is noted. The angle con-
tanned between this direction and that of the north
and south line OF the card will give the local attrac
tion and variation combined. Small errors and
many disadvantages are, however, found to attend
this plan, owing to the uncertainty of obtaining the
exact meridian altitude when the sun is partially
obscured. To obviate this most ingenious instru-
ment has been invented by Mr.. LOwck, of the Royal
British Navy The instrument consists of q compass
DIAL needle, hour CIRCLE and latitude arc The hour
circle IeVoVeS ana Ii capaDle OF being adjusted to
the latitude thus forming an ordinary sun dial for
any latitude, which may be used whenever a shadow
from the sun can be obtained All that is required
to ascertain the error Of compass by this beautifully
simple instrument is the latitude and apparent time
at Ship
Some old clay smoking pipes lately found in Scot
land threaten to derange some OF our accepted
theories. Till now the various camps Of Caesar only
produced lamps. urns, medals, &c, but arrives
the important question, Ibid. the ancient Romans
smOkeY' A Mr.. Wilson ventures a hardy concu
sion that the ancients did smoke, and tobacco only
suppanted less powerful narcotics. German
SdUd't, pipe In hand, asserts that Columbus only
retraced the routes that were well known 10 the
Carthagenans Pharaoh, PtOomeus, &c, and en-
deavOrs thereby to deprive the honest navigator of
the laurels that have been showered on his memory
for four centuries and all on account of an old pipe
1t Is to be hoped some definite conclusions will be
arrived at respecting these old clay pipes which may
tend to prove that they do not originate either from
the manufactures of Lille or st. Omer.