Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1884-09-05
hcieuftfic Gossip.

| lianSCil thtlinhitr tnt VuinulN Oh ldUl-
mated springs at present required on the
| English. Scotch, and Welsh railways at
| 231 800 tons, and Of the 1900 tons annu-
ally used sheffield gives about 10000 tons.
With regard 20 the American Exhibition.
| proposed 10 be held in London IN 1856, the
Iron says: eve can only assert that we
| heartily wish success 10 the efforts OF the
promoters Of this novel exhibition"
Or. Rouirc has projected the conversion
q the Shott Meghir into an inland sea by
means oil canal 10 miles long, commune
eating with the Mediterranean. bu, NJ. f..
COs-on regards a. ch,mcrical this scheme of
masking marine basin in Algeria and
Tunsia.
At the late annual meeting Of the Royal
Society Of New South Wales the Clarke
Medal for the year 1884 was awarded 10 Or.
Alfred X. 4. Sclwyn. in recognition OF his
scientific hbors IN Great Britain, and rs
director Of the geological surveys OF Can
ada and Of Victoria.
Contrary to the Ccnerallv.rcceiycd opin-
ion. NJ. Anne concludes from experiments
conducted on himself that whole meal or
household bread. containg all the ingrc-
dicnts Of the gram, is less wholesome and
more indlgestlble than pure white bread
made Of the -four alone.
Three cents an hour for each JahlOehkoif
candle having been found insufficient TO
meet the running expenses after a trial
lasting over five and half years. the COM
pany supplying that method Of electric
lighting have discontinued to employ it on
the Thames (Nietoria) emDankment, Lon
don.
VI. j. Carpenter claims that as far back
as january, 1881, he constructed az sppa-
ratus similar 10 the mercurial galyanome-
ter recently presented to the Academy Of
Sciences, Paris. and that he experimental
with It before witnesses long before the de-
scr,ptiou OF the instrument by NJ. Lippman.
In letter from Pcrak the Rev. j. L.
TenisOn-W Gods gives long account OF his
scientific experiences I'm the Malacca PENN
sua. lie had examined the rich tin mines
of the settlement and the geological fca-
lures Of the whole territory. and had spent
some time In The investigation Of the fauna
and flora.
VI. l.. CalliburgGs passed a current OF
purified air at ordinary temperatures. or
G5o &, through 52.S plnts OF grape Juice.
The fermented liquor obtained was per-
fectly clear and free from cottOn-lile Sedi-
ment when examined after the lapse OF
thirteen months. II contained 1910 per
cent. Of alcohol by volume.
A sunshine recorder made by placing q
water lens in front Of an old camera box
has been exhibited by Professor Herbert
Mcleod before the Physical Society. Lon
don. Sensitzed paper is placed in the
bottom Of the box so that the focused raw
strikes on il and, as the sun moves. traces
a curved line or band on the paper
At the close OF paper by Mr.. W. II.
stone on the physiological bearing Of elec-
tricity TO health there were suggestions
made a. TO the therapeutic uses TO which elec-
,ricity, administered. not rs now. hlp-haz-
ard. but quaniilatiyely and scientifically,
might he put, classifying such uses as mus
cular. senSoTy, neurotic. eliminaliye, and
vaso-mOtOrial.
Miss Sophia Bryant, mathematical MIS-
trcss Of the North London Collegiate School
for Girls. and daughter Of the late Rev. DIR.
". A. Wilcox, sometime rectOrsOf Clein-
ish, Ennlskiien. and Fellow OF Trinity
College, Dublin, is the fir't ladytO obtain
the degree Of ID. Sc. from the University Of
lbuNoii. CIT NbnlliihN'l Utl hulttN ~ ltdCU-
er while she working for her degree.
Experiments on an extensive scale have
been made by the Dutch Government 10
ascertain the relative strength Of iron and
steel girderS. The soft.Steel girders proved
TO be % per cent. and the hard-steel gIrd.
ers Go per cent. stronger than the iron
girders. II was pretty well established that
the strength of steel girders is about the
same for the two tlanges II they are made
alike In section.
Colchicine. according to VI. A. IIoudes.
appears in the form OF prisms. grouped in
colOrless MANILA. Ii is intensely bitter.
turns litmus paper blue. and though
readily soluble in alcohol. benzole, and
chloroform, IS sparincly so in water, ely.
cerine, and ether. with certain organic
acids il forms combinations, though the
more energetic Of these acids decomposc
II, as well as the mineral acids.