Painting, were the use of it universal, would be a powerful means of
instruction to children and the lower orders; and were all the fine
surfaces, which are now plain, and absolutely wasted, enriched with
the labours of the art, if they once began to appear, they would
accumulate rapidly; and were the ornamented edifices open to all, as
freely as they ought to be, a wide field of new and agreeable study
would offer itself. A person, who thoroughly understood the
well-chosen subjects, and was qualified to explain them to a stranger,
could not be devoid of knowledge, nor could his mind want food for
constant contemplation. The sense of beauty has hitherto been little
cultivated in Great Britain; but it certainly exists, and shows itself
principally in laying out gardens and pleasure-grounds with unrivalled
skill.--_Edin. Review_.
* * * * *
Spirit of Discovery.
* * * * *
_Hydrophobia_.
In the _New Monthly Magazine_ for October, 1826, is the following
statement of the efficacy of the guaco for the cure of the bite of a
mad dog, published by the gentleman who first made use of the plant in
South America, as an antidote to that scourge of human nature,
hydrophobia; his words are, "I shall simply state, that during my
residence in South America, I had frequent opportunities of witnessing
the direful effects of hydrophobia, without having in any one case
that came under my care been successful in its cure by the usual modes
prescribed in Europe. It fortunately occurred to me, that the guaco,
so celebrated for curing the bite or sting of all venomous snakes,
might prove equally efficacious in hydrophobic cases. How far my idea
was correct that an analogy existed between the virus of a serpent and
that of a rabid dog, I leave to others to determine; but such was my
opinion, and I acted upon it in all subsequent cases with complete
success."
We understand the same gentleman has received from South America two
plants which he was in the habit of prescribing for insanity and
pulmonary consumption, with the happiest effects; and as it is his
intention to give them an immediate trial, should they be found to
answer in Europe, as in South America, of which he has not the least
doubt, the discovery may be considered as of the first consequence in
medicine.
_Mutton Hams_.
The _Journal Des Reconnaissances Useless_ gives the following method of
curing legs of mutton like ham:--It is necessary that the mutton
should be very fat. Two ounces of raw sugar must be mixed with an
ounce of common salt and half a spoonful of saltpetre. The meat is to
be rubbed well with this, and then placed in a tureen. It must be
beaten and turned twice a day during three consecutive days; and the
scum which comes from the meat having been taken off, it is to be
wiped, and again rubbed with the mixture. The next day it should be
again beaten, and the two operations ought to be repeated alternately
during ten days, care being taken to turn the meat each time. It must
be then exposed to the smoke for ten days. These hams are generally
eaten cold.
_Potato Chestnuts_.
A mode has been adopted to prepare potatoes as food, which has at
least one advantage--that of economy. The potatoes are roasted in a
kiln or oven, and are thus prevented from sprouting, (which injures
their quality so much at this season of the year,) and are thus
preserved for some time in a fit state for consumption. They are
better for being again heated before they are used, and though it is
to be regretted that persons should be reduced to such food, yet they
are cheaper and more wholesome than the bread usually given in times
of scarcity to the poorer classes.
_New Pyrometer_.
A new air-thermometer has been invented by M. Pouillet, for the
purpose of measuring degrees of heat in very high temperatures; an
object hitherto of very difficult attainment. By means of this
instrument it has been ascertained, that the heat of melted silver is
1677°; of a melted mixture of one part gold and three parts silver,
1803°; and of melted pure gold 2096°.
_To Destroy Slugs_.
A correspondent of the _Gardener's Magazine_ states, that after in
vain trying salt, lime, and dibbling holes for preserving young
cauliflowers and cabbages from slugs, he succeeded by spreading some
well cut chaff round the plants under hand glasses, and some round the
outsides of the glasses. The slugs in their attempt to reach the
plant, find themselves immediately enveloped in the chaff, which
prevents their moving, so that when he raised the glasses to give the
plants air, he found hundreds of disabled slugs round the outside of
the glasses, which he took away and destroyed.
_To make Kitchen Vegetables tender_.
When peas, French beans, &c. do not boil easily, it has usually been
imputed to the coolness of the season, or to the rains. This popular
notion is erroneous. The difficulty of boiling them soft arises from
an excess of gypsum imbibed during their growth. To correct this,
throw a small quantity of subcarbonate of soda into the pot along with
the vegetables.--_From the French_.
_Beet Root Sugar_
Has now become an article of some practical magnitude in French
commerce; since the annual consumption is between seven and eight
million pounds.
_Silk Trade_.
It was lately mentioned by Mr. Huskisson, in the House of Commons, as
a proof of the flourishing state of our trade, that British Bandanna
handkerchiefs were in the course of shipment to India. In addition to
this fact, we can state of our own knowledge that they are now
exporting to France, in no inconsiderable quantities, not merely as
samples, but in the regular course of trade.--_For. Quart. Rev._
_Electricity_.
It is curious to take a retrospective view of the mode in which the
effects of the Leyden phial were announced to the world, on their
first discovery. The philosophers who first experienced, in their own
person, the shock attendant on the transmission of an electric
discharge, were so impressed with wonder and with terror by this novel
sensation, that they wrote the most ridiculous and exaggerated account
of their feelings on the occasion. Muschenbrok states, that he
received so dreadful a concussion in his arms, shoulder, and heart,
that he lost his breath, and it was two days before he could recover
from its effects; he declared also, that he should not be induced to
take another shock for the whole kingdom of France. Mr. Allemand
reports, that the shock deprived him of breath for some minutes, and
afterwards produced so acute a pain along his right arm, that he was
apprehensive it might be attended with serious consequences. Mr.
Winkler informs us, that it threw his whole body into convulsions, and
excited such a ferment in his blood, as would have thrown him into a
fever, but for the timely employment of febrifuge remedies. He states,
that at another time it produced copious bleeding at the nose; the
same effect was produced also upon his lady, who was almost rendered
incapable of walking. The strange accounts naturally excite the
attention and wonder of all classes of people; the learned and the
vulgar were equally desirous of experiencing so singular a sensation,
and great numbers of half-taught electricians wandered through every
part of Europe to gratify this universal curiosity.
It is on the nervous system that the most considerable action of
electricity is exerted. A strong charge passed through the head, gave
to Mr. Singer the sensation of a violent but universal blow, and was
followed by a transient loss of memory and indistinctness of vision.
If a charge be sent through the head of a bird, its optic nerve is
usually injured or destroyed, and permanent blindness induced; and a
similar shock given to larger animals, produces a tremulous state of
the muscles, with general prostration of strength. If a person who is
standing receive a charge through the spine, he loses his power over
the muscles to such a degree, that he either drops on his knees, or
falls prostrate on the ground; if the charge be sufficiently powerful,
it will produce immediate death, in consequence, probably, of the
sudden exhaustion of the whole energy of the nervous system. Small
animals, such as mice and sparrows, are instantly killed by a shock
from thirty square inches of glass. Van Marum found that eels are
irrecoverably deprived of life when a shock is sent through their
whole body; but when only a part of the body is included in the
circuit, the destruction of irritability is confined to that
individual part, while the rest retains the power of motion. Different
persons are affected in very different degrees by electricity,
according to their peculiar constitutional susceptibility. Dr. Young
remarks, that a very minute tremor, communicated to the most elastic
parts of the body, in particular the chest, produces an agitation of
the nerves, which is not wholly unlike the effect of a weak
electricity.
The bodies of animals killed by electricity, rapidly undergo
putrefaction, and the action of electricity upon the flesh of animals
is also found to accelerate this process in a remarkable degree.
The same effect has been observed in the bodies of persons destroyed
by lightning. It is also a well-established fact, that the blood does
not coagulate after death from this cause.
_Transplanting Shrubs in full Growth_.
Dig a narrow trench round the plant, leaving its roots in the middle
in an isolated ball of earth; fill the trench with plaster of Paris,
which will become hard in a few minutes, and form a case to the ball
and plant, which may be lifted and removed any where at
pleasure.--_French Paper_.
_Freezing Mixture_.
A cheap and powerful freezing mixture may be made by pulverizing
Glauber's salts finely, and placing it level at the bottom of a glass
vessel. Equal parts of sal ammoniac and nitre are then to be finely
powdered, and mixed together, and subsequently added to the Glauber's
salts, stirring the powders well together; after which adding water
sufficient to dissolve the salts, a degree of cold will be produced,
frequently below Zero of Fahrenheit. But Mr. Walker states, that
nitrate of ammonia, phosphate of soda, and diluted nitric acid, will
on the instant produce a reduction of temperature amounting to 80
degrees. It is desirable to reduce the temperature of the substances
previously, if convenient, by placing the vessels in water, with nitre
powder thrown in occasionally.
_Microscopic Examination of the Blood_.
By the aid of Tulley's achromatic microscope, and under highly
magnifying powers, it has recently been discovered that the globules
of the blood congeal into flat circular bodies, and arrange themselves
in rows, one body being placed partly underneath another, and in like
manner as a pile of similar coins, when thrown gently down, would be
found to arrange themselves. This curious effect has been attributed
to the vitality yet remaining in the blood, during the act of
congealing. At any rate it is a most singular fact, for although we
might naturally conceive that the flattened circular plates would
place themselves in juxtaposition, yet we never could have supposed
that they would have partly slipped underneath each other. In order to
make this very curious experiment, it is necessary that the blood, as
freshly drawn, be slightly and thinly smeared over the surface of a
slip of crown, or window glass, and be covered with a very thin slip
of Bohemian plate glass; and thus some slight inequalities in the
thickness of the layer of blood between them will be produced, and
which are necessary to succeed in producing the very curious
appearances abovementioned.--_Gilt's Repository_.
_To make the Liqueur Curaçoa_.
Put into a large bottle, nearly filled with alcohol, at thirty-four
degrees of Baumé (or thirty-six) the peels of six fine Portugal
oranges, which are smooth skinned, and let them infuse for fifteen
days. At the end of this time, put into a large stone or glass vessel,
11 ounces of brandy at eighteen degrees, 4-1/2 ounces of white sugar,
and 4-1/2 ounces of river water. When the sugar is dissolved, add a
sufficient quantity of the above infusion of orange peels, to give it
a predominant flavour; and aromatise with 3 grammes of fine cinnamon,
and as much mace, both well bruised. Lastly, throw into the liqueur 31
grammes (1 ounce) of Brazil wood, in powder. Leave the whole in
infusion ten days, being stirred three or four times a day. At the end
of this time taste the liqueur; and if it be too strong and sweet, add
more water to it; if too weak, add alcohol, at 30 degrees; and if it
be not sweet enough, put syrup to it. Give it colour with caramel when
you would tinge it.--_From the French_.
_Subterraneous Growth of Potatoes_.
A mixture of two parts Danube sand, and one part common earth, was
laid in a layer an inch thick, in one corner of my cellar; and, in
April, thirty-two yellow potatoes with their skins placed upon its
surface. They threw out stalks on all sides; and, at the end of the
following November, more than a quarter of a bushel of the best
potatoes were gathered, about a tenth part of which were about the
size of apples--the rest as large as nuts. The skin was very thin; the
pulp farinaceous, white, and of a good taste. No attention was given
to the potatoes during the time they remained on the sand, and they
grew without the influence of the sun or light. This trial may be
advantageously applied in fortified places, hospitals, houses of
correction, and, in general, in all places where cellars or
subterraneous places occur, being neither too cold nor too moist; and
where it is important to procure a cheap, but abundant nourishment for
many individuals.--_From the French_.
* * * * *
Retrospective Gleanings.
* * * * *