NEW YORK, OCTOBER 2, 1886

Scientific American Supplement. Vol. XXII., No. 564.

Scientific American established 1845

Scientific American Supplement, $5 a year.

Scientific American and Supplement, $7 a year.

TABLE OF CONTENTS.

I.BOTANY.—A Century Plant in Bloom.—Interesting account of the recent blossoming of an Agave Americana at Auburn, N.Y.8965

Alpine Flowers in the Pyrenees.—1 illustration.8965

II.CHEMISTRY.—Probable Isolation of Fluorine.—Decomposition of hydrofluoric acid by an electric current.—By M.H. MOISSAN.—Production of a new body, possibly fluorine, or perfluoride of hydrogen.8963

The Determination of Nitric Acid by the Absorption of Nitric Oxide in a Standard Solution of Permanganate of Potash.— By H.N. MORSE and A.F. LINN. Full description of a new and important volumetric determination.—1 illustration.8964

Water of Crystallization.—By W.W.J. NICOL, M.A., D.Sc.— Discussion of the state of water of crystallization in a salt in solution.8964

III.ENGINEERING.—Combustion, Fire Boxes, and Steam Boilers—By JOHN A. COLEMAN.—Address before the June Convention of the Master Mechanics' Association.8953

Compound Hydraulic Presses.—Different forms of presses designed for pressing bales for shipment.—Very fully illustrated by 8 figures.8951

Examination Papers in General Construction.—Eighty-six questions in engineering propounded by the civil service examiners of New York city.8956

IV.MEDICINE AND PHYSIOLOGY.—A New Apparatus for the Study of Cardiac Drugs.—By WILLIAM GILMAN THOMPSON, M.D.—Ingenious application of instantaneous photography to the study of heart movements.—Apparatus and views produced.—3 illustrations.8966

Creosote a Specific for Erysipelas,—A new cure for this complaint.8966

V.METALLURGY.—Primitive Iron Manufacture.—Iron furnace and blowing apparatus in use in Bengal.—2 illustrations.8962

VI.MINING ENGINEERING.—The Catastrophe at Chancelade.— Application of photography to investigating mine disasters. —4 illustrations.8962

VII.MISCELLANEOUS.—Celebration of the 500th Anniversary of the University of Heidelberg. August, 1886.8957

Useful Bags and How to Make Them.—Interesting paper on the trunk makers' art.—4 illustrations.8960

VIII.NAVAL ENGINEERING.—Atlantic Steamers.—By W. JOHN.— Exhaustive comparison of representative Atlantic liners and war ships.—3 illustrations.8954

Jet Propellers.—Hydraulic propulsion of vessels.— Mathematical examination of this subject.8951

IX.ORDNANCE.—The New Army Gun.—Description of the 8-inch steel gun as manufactured at the West Point, N.Y., Foundry.—1 illustration.8952

X.PHYSICS.—A New Thermo Regulator.—1 illustration.8959

Cohesion and Cohesion Figures.—By WILLIAM ACKROYD, F.I.C.—Laws of vortex rings examined, and relation of solubility to cohesion.8963

Pipette for taking the Density of Liquids.—Apparatus and calculations for use.—1 illustration.8959

XI.TECHNOLOGY.—Impurities in Photographic Chemicals, and Tests for Same.—Table referred to in a paper read before the Birmingham Photographic Society by G.M. Jones, M.P.S.8957

Molasses, how made.—Work on Plantations Graphically Described.8961

Optical errors and human mistakes.—By ERNST GUNDLACH.—On the examination of optical glasses.—A paper read before the Buffalo meeting of the A.A.A.S.8963

Soap.—By HENRY LEFFMANN, Ph.D.8962

Somzee's New Gas Burners.—Interesting description of regenerative burners.—9 figures.8958

The Clamond Gas Burner.—Of value as a supplement to the above named article, describing an incandescent burner. —1 illustration.8959

Wood Oil.—A new industry worked on the large scale in Sweden.8962