SCIENCE AND ART.

THE CUP USED BY LUTHER IN THE LORD'S was found that the action of the colored light was SUPPER-The King of Prussia has purchased the thus rendered more immediate, and more intense, wine-vase and cup with which Luther used to than when the surface of the paper was dry. administer the Sacrament; and which are de- The action of the spectrum, at the junction of the scribed as of silver, gilt in the inside. The cup lavender with the violet rays, was found, in some resembles an ordinary goblet, but inclining in its cases, to be different from what it is with either circle to the oval; the vase has the form of a jug, of these colors separately, indicating a break in is covered with subjects representing the Passion, the continuity of action, and suggesting the idea and is said to be of admirable workmanship of a secondary spectrum. In many instances the From Berlin, it is stated, too, that the house of yellow and green rays exert a powerful influence the celebrated Jewish philosopher, Mendelsshon, on vegetable substances, an influence appahas been purchased by the Jewish commune of rently unconnected with heat; for the darkthat city, at a cost of 35,000 dollars, for conver-ening is generally least under the red rays, and sion into a free school for the children of the Jewish poor.-Ath.

RESTORED FRESCOES-We learn, from the Roman States, that the frescoes with which the celebrated Luca Signorelli had adorned the vault of the cathedral of Orvieto having long disappeared under a thick coating of soot, two young German painters, MM. Bothe and Pfannenschmidt, natives of Wurtemberg, undertook, at their own cost, and solely for the love of Art, to restore these paintings;-in which they have had complete success. The municipality have rewarded the artists with the freedom of their city; and are about to publish engravings of the frescoes,-dedicating the proofs to them.-Ath.

ACTION OF THE RAYS OF THE SPECTRUM ON VEGETABLE JUICES-An extract from a letter by Mrs. M. Somerville to Sir John Herschel. In the experiments, of which the results are here recorded, the solar spectrum was condensed by a lens of flint-glass of seven inches and a half focus, maintained in the same part of the screen by keeping a pin-hole or pencil mark constantly at the corner of the red rays, which was sharply defined by being viewed through blue spectacles; and the apparatus was covered with black cloth, in order to exclude extraneous light. Thick white letter-paper, moistened with the liquid to be examined, was exposed wet to the spectrum, as it

immediately below them, where the calorific rays are most abundant. The action, in a great number of cases, produces insulated spots in different parts of the spectrum, but more especially in the region of the rays of mean refrangibility, in which neither the calorific nor the chemical powers are the greatest. The point of maximum intensity is sometimes altered by the addition of acids, aĺkalies, or diluted alcohol. But altogether, as the author states, the action of the different parts of the spectrum seems to be very capricious, the changes of color produced being exceedingly irregular and unaccountable.-Lit. Gaz.

FIRE-DAMP OF COAL MINES.-"A report on the composition of the fire-damp of the Newcastle coal-mines, and the means of preventing accidents from its explosion," by Prof. T. Graham. The gases experimented on were from the fivequarter seam in the Gateshead colliery, the Bonsham seam in the Hepburn, and from the Killingworth colliery in the neighborhood of Jarrow. They were collected with every precaution to insure purity and prevent admixture with atmospheric air. The details of their examination were given, and the result proved that the only additional matters present, besides light carbu retted hydrogen, were a small per centage of nitrogen and oxygen, or air; thus confirming the results of Davy and of the author's experiments made some years ago. The remarkable absence

285

the foundation of a college at Kishnagur, in the district of Nuddia; the pupils to be admitted on the 1st of November without reference to caste or religion; and the course of study to be the same as that pursued at the Hindoo college. Yearly examinations are to take place, when scholarships are to be awarded to the most deserving. Zillah schools have also been established in various Zillahs. At a meeting held at Allahabad, on the 15th September, it was proposed to establish a proprie tary college in England for the exclusive education of Anglo-Indian children.-Literary Gazette.

of all oxidable matters, at the temperature of the distinction to every class and every institution, to air, in the fire-damp is of geological int rest, as it give a fair reward to those who have spent years proves that almost indefinitely protracted oxidat- in the acquisition of knowledge, and to produce a ing action must be taken into account in the for- better educated body of public servants, superior mation of coal. Professor Graham next proceeded to their predecessors both in character and in atto suggest two measures for preventing the ex-tainments. The government has also sanctioned plosion of the gas in coal-mines, and of mitigating the effects of such accidents. The first, based on the gas ceasing to be explosive when diluted beyond a certain point with air, and the fact, that, from its extreme lightness, it continues near the roof for a great length of time. It was recommended, that an early intermixture of the firedamp and air be promoted by agitation with a light portable wheel, with vanes, so placed as to impel the air in the direction of the ventilation, and not to impede the draught. The second, that to remove the afterdamp, or carbonic acid gas, which results from the explosion, and by which the large proportion of deaths is occasioned, a cast-iron pipe, from eight to twelve inches in HOMERIC ILION," by Dr H. N. Ulrichs, Professor diameter, be permanently fixed in every shaft, of Latin Literature in the University of Athens. with blowing apparatus above, by which air Mr Patrick Colquhoun, to whom the society is could be thrown down, and the shaft itself imme-indebted for the translation and editing of this diately ventilated; by means of flexible or fixed tubes this auxiliary circulation might be carried into the workings.-Lit. Gaz.

GASTRIC JUICE.-M. Boyer describes the properties of the gastric juice, which he conceived might be usefully employed in pathology, as follows: 1st. The gastric juice of a dog (at 38°C) rapidly dissolves portions of bones of a certain size; it would not be difficult to apply it to chalkstones, &c., to facilitate their destruction. 2d. It dissolves also fibrous, albuminous, gelatinous tissues, &c.; and among others, as M. Boyer is directly assured, of cancer, tubercles, false membranes. Could it not be then made use of for the dispersion of these abnormal productions? 3d. M. Boyer has neutralized with it the poison of a viper. Ought it not to produce the same effect on poisons and virus in general? It is known that these substances introduced into the stomach produce no injurious effect. M. Boyer believes that this depends on the decomposing action of gastric juice. If such results be confirmed and extended, may not gastric juice be useful in wounds made by venomous animals, in abrasions, and the introduction of virus, in septic maladies, &c.? It may be artificially procured in a natural state from dogs, or artificial gastric juice may be employed.-Lit. Gaz.

CALCUTTA UNIVERSITY.-The establishment of a university at Calcutta is the theme of much notice in the last Indian journals: the object of which is to confer academical degrees on the students of Indian colleges, to enable them to take rank with the members and graduates of the universities of Europe. In order to accomplish this object, it is proposed to have the university incorporated by a special act of the legislature, and endowed with the privileges enjoyed by all chartered universities in Great Britain and Ireland, and empowered to grant degrees in art, sciences, law, medicine, and civil engineering. The university of London is proposed as a model for the Calcutta institution: the governor-general of India to be the chancellor; the president of the council of education the vice-chancellor. The adoption of this plan (it is added) is expected to open the path to

"AN EXCURSUS ON THE TOPOGRAPHY OF THE

memoir, was already engaged on the spot in re-
searches into that vexata quæstio to which it re-
lates, when, in December 1843, he became inti-
mate at Athens with its learned author, one of
the first Greek scholars and antiquaries of his
time. The attention of Dr. Ulrichs also had been
particularly turned to the subject, and although
he had not yet visited the Trojan plain, he had
prepared himself for a personal examination of it
by collecting all passages in any way bearing on
the subject, and had drawn certain conclusions
from the preponderating evidence. These con-
clusions led him to reject both the Novum Ilium
of the Romans, and the spot selected by Chev-
alier; and, adopting in preference the view of
Strabo, to examine the localities with special re-
ference to that writer. Scarcely had the professor
finished his notes, when he was attacked by a
sudden illness on his return to Athens, where, in
a few days, he expired. The present excursus,
one of many works by him hitherto unpublished,
chiefly on the subject of ancient topographies, has
been prepared to be laid before the learned world
in an English dress, in conformity with his wishes,
as expressed to Mr. Colquhoun. The reading of
this day ended with the close of the prefatory re-
marks: in our next report we hope to give an out-
line of the author's arguments against the two
theories rejected, and in support of that adopted
by him.-Literary Gazette.

MAGNETIC DISCOVERY.-The phenomena of
Magnetism have been attracting the attention of
scientific men for some time past; and it appears,
from the results of their investigations, as if we
were advancing to a knowledge of many of the
A very inte-
more secret operations of nature.
resting discovery has been recently made by Mr.
Robert Hunt-whose discoveries in thermography
and photography have appeared in our columns.
on the poles of a power
By placing a glass trough
ful magnet, and filling it with any fluid from
which a precipitate is slowly forming, it is found
that the precipitate arranges itself in the magnetic
curves. Crystallization, taking place under the
same circumstances, exhibits also the influence
of magnetism on their molecular arrangements—
all the crystals bending and arranging themselves

286

The ex

in the order of the magnetic curves.
periment is very beautifully shown by filling the
trough with a solution of nitrate of silver, and
placing a globule of mercury on the glass, equi-
distant from the poles of the magnet:-the re-
vived silver shoots out in all directions, in a very
pleasing arborescent form; but it maintains in a
striking manner the curvilinear tendency, and
distinctly marks out the lines of magnetic direc-
tion. It would appear, from the results already
obtained by Mr. Hunt, that this influence is uni-
versal; and, if it is satisfactorily proved to be
we shall certainly approach much nearer to the
truth regarding the influences of electricity on the
structure of the earth than we have hitherto done.
--Athenæum.

PROFESSORSHIPS.--
--The Minister of Public In-
struction in Paris has appointed M. Damiron to
the Professorship of the History of Modern Phi-
losophy at the Faculty of Letters in that Univer-
sity, vacated by the death of M. Royer Collard:
--and M. Garnier Professor of Philosophy in the
same Faculty, in the place of M. Damiron.--

Athenæum.

means of making experiments on an extensive and practical scale. The questions to be determined by M. Regnault, were-1. The law which unites the temperatures and elastic powers of aqueous vapor at saturation. 2. The quantity of heat absorbed by a kilogramme of water at 0 degree, to be converted into steam for saturation at different degrees of pressure. 3. The quantity of heat absorbed by the same quantity of water in order to raise the temperature to the point in which it assumes the state of vapor under different pres4. The specific heat of aqueous vapor at sures. So, different stages of density, and at different degrees of temperature. 5. The co-efficients of dilatation of aqueous vapor in different stages of density. In his present paper M. Regnault gives the law of the elastic powers of steam up to 230 degrees cen tigrade, which temperature corresponds to 28 atmospheres and a half. He next fixes the total heat of steam taken at different pressures, from 1-5th to 15 atmospheres, and finally, he treats of the calorific capacity of water from 0 to 190 deMany distinguished men have devoted grees. their attention to the elastic powers of steam. We may mention Achard, Greu, Dalton, Christian, Arzberger, Watt, Robinson, Betancourt, WORKS IN IVORY, CAMEOS, ETC.--The Paris pa- Schmidt, Southern, Ure, Gay-Lussac, August, pers speak of the bequest, by M. J. H. Beck,--a Kaemtz, Dulong and Arago, the two latter of merchant of that capital, recently deceased, of whom commenced their experiments in 1823, at two fine works in ivory, sculptured in the 16th the request of the Minister of the Interior, and They century, to the Museum of the Louvre; some an- published an account of them in 1829. tique cameos, of the highest order, and a superb carried their operations up to 25 atmospheres. medallion of enamelled gold, attributed to Ben-About the same period a commission of scientific venuto Cellini, to the Cabinet of Medals; and Americans performed a series of experiments on two magnificent pieces in jude (a sort of precious this subject, but went up to only 10 atmospheres. green stone), and a curious stone-mosaic, of ad- The results, however, of these different experimirable workmanship, to the Museum of Natural ments were not alike, consequently M. Regnault had to take entirely new ground, greatly aided, History-Athenæum. however, by the progress which science has made since the period alluded to. In his results he agrees most with MM. Dulong and Arago, particularly as regards high rates of pressure. Watt had supposed that the total quantity of heat necessary for the transformation of a kilogramme of water into the state of steam was certain under a constant pressure. The number admitted was 650. This law, although not exemplified by any precise experiment, had been until very lately regarded as positive, and so adopted in theory and practice. M. Regnault, however, has ascertained that this number increases constantly from 622 under the pressure of one-fifth of an atmosphere up to 670 under 15 atmospheres. At the ordinary pressure the average of 38 experiments gives 636,37. As to the calorific capacity of water it is 1,000 between 0 and 30 degrees, 1,005 between 30 and 120, 1,013 between 120 and 190.--Athenæum.

MONUMENTS OF ATHENS.-M. F. Boulanger, the French architect, whom his Government have commissioned to furnish them with restorations of the monuments of ancient Athens, has nearly, we understand, brought his interesting labors there to a close; and is about to explore the islands of the archipelago, Egina, Delos, Milo, and those parts of the continent, such as Eleusis and Delphi, which have not yet been examined for the French government,-the Art Commission sent to Greece in 1831 having confined its investigations to the Morea.--Athenæum.

CORRESPONDENCE BETWEEN CUVIER AND PFAFF.-Dr. Behn, of Kiel, has lately published a voluminous correspondence between the illustrious Cuvier and the celebrated chemist, Pfaff. Cuvier and Pfaff had been friends from boyhood; and their letters, which on both sides are in German, embrace not only scientific subjects, but also literature, politics, and the occasional topics of the day. To this paragraph, we may add the announcement of a literary discovery which has recently taken place in the library of a schoolmaster near Stockholm. In making the inventory of his effects, after death, a collection of letters has been found, addressed by D'Alembert to Georges Brandt, the great Swedish chemist, who discovered the properties of arsenic in 1773.

Athenæum.

EXPERIMENTS ON STEAM. The Minister of Public Works assisted M. Regnault with the

PRESERVATION OF WOOD.-It is now four years since M. Boucherie communicated to the Academy of Sciences, a series of experiments, proving that he had discovered a means of forcing into the pores of wood liquids capable of giving to it great durability and entirely new properties. Since that time many patents have been taken out in France and England for different modes of preserving wood.

M. Boucherie's process consists in the introduction of solutions by a sort of filtration. A tub containing the liquid, is placed in contact with one end of the wood; the pressure produced by raising the level of the liquid a little above that of the wood, suffices for its perfect im

that a great number of sheep perished on the occasion. Much uneasiness is felt at the duration of the eruption, as the lava, when it receives fresh supplies, always approaches nearer to the cultivated lands.-Lit. Gaz.

pregnation, with the exception of the central part | erable quantities of pumice-stone, and it is feared or heart. In the experiments now referred to, some of these pieces of wood were left in their natural state; others were impregnated to only half their length, and others in the entire length. The liquids used were pyroligneous acid, sulphate of copper, chlorunate of pyrolignated calcium, double chlorurate of sodium and mercury. The woods were buried in the ground, at the depth of a few centimetres, in an enclosed yard, at Compiégne, where they remained nearly three years. On taking them up the prepared wood was found sound, and that which had not been prepared rotten.-Athenæum.

THE POET GRAY'S LIBRARY, ETC.-A considerable portion of the library and manuscripts of Gray, the poet, were last week sold by auction, and brought large curiosity prices. A MS. copy of the "Elegy in a Country Churchyard," in the author's holograph, brought 100; and was remarkable for having the names of Tully and Cæsar in the places of Milton and Cromwell of the printed publication. The Strawberry Hill edition of "The Bard" and "Progress of Poetry" was sold for a like sum; and a Ms. of the " Long Story," 45l. Gray, it is well known, was one of the early examples of persons who kept regular journals of their excursions about the country, which now furnish memoranda of considerable interest. We are not, therefore, surprised that seven of these little books sold for 301.; and that above forty unpublished letters reached nearly 150 Two other letters, and some satirical poetry on the heads of Houses in Cambridge, thirty guineas; and another lot, including several minor poems, and an epitaph on a child, 401. Some very neatly executed pen-and-ink drawings, and small paintings, also found purchasers at high prices. Mr. Penn, of Stoke Pogeis (whose residence is close by the churchyard reputed to be the site of the Elegy,) was the principal buyer, for the sake of pre servation; but some of the other articles have, it is believed, been obtained with a view to publi

cation.--Lit. Gaz.

*

For this excellent translation of a truly erudite and critical work, we are indebted to one of the most estimable members of our aristocracy, Lord Francis Egerton. This fact (so honorable to the noble lord) is thus stated in the preface, and justice to him requires that it should be known: having alluded to the success with which philand to their comparative neglect in this country, ological studies have been pursued in Germany, Mr. Wilson proceeds :-"Influenced by these considerations, Lord Francis Egerton was some time since induced to propose the translation of a work which occupies a prominent place in the literature of Comparative Philology on the Continent-the Vergleichende Grammattik of Professor Grammatik is especially dedicated to a compreAs the Vergleichende Bopp, of Berlin hensive comparison of languages, and exhibits, in ground-work and connecting bond of the comparsome detail, the principles of the Sanscrit as the ison, it was regarded as likely to offer most interest to the Philologers of this country, and to be one of the most acceptable of its class to English THE ERUPTION OF MOUNT HECLA.-From Ice- students: it was therefore selected as the subject land, 12th October, it is stated that the eruption of translation. The execution of the work was, still continued with the same violence; the lava however, opposed by two considerations-the exrun from the south-west crater without intermis- tent of the original, and the copiousness of the ilsion, and had already covered a space of three lustrations derived from the languages of the East, miles, and heaped up a mass in a plain at the foot the Sanscrit and the Zend. A complete transla of the mountain, thirty to forty cubits in height. tion demanded more time than was compatible This river of lava presented on a clear night a with Lord F. Egerton's other occupations; and, spectacle at once magnificent and imposing; like as he professed not a familiarity with Oriental a river of flaming fire precipitating itself from the Literature, he was reluctant to render himself resummit of a lofty mountain, and assuming as it sponsible for the correctness with which the oriadvanced from the crater a redder color, or a sort entalisms of the text required to be represented. of bluish red. Three immense columns of smoke This difficulty was, perhaps, rather over-rated, as constantly ascended from the three craters which the Grammar itself supplies all the knowledge had formed and spread themselves over the sur-that is needed, and the examples drawn from the rounding districts. Up to this period the lava had Sanscrit and Zend speak for themselves, as intelnot destroyed any farm, but the ashes which had ligibly as those derived from Gothic and Sclavofallen into the meadows had already exercised nic. In order, however, that the publication most pernicious effects upon the cattle, especially might not be prevented by any embarrassment on the cows. In some districts as many as forty had this account, I offered my services in revising this perished. The pastures in the district of Ran- portion of the work; and have hence the satisgarvalla, situate to the eastward of Hecla, were faction of contributing, however humbly, to the entirely devasted on the first eruption by consid-execution of a task which I consider likely to