Scientific American Supplement, No. 514, November 7, 1885 eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 116 pages of information about Scientific American Supplement, No. 514, November 7, 1885.

Scientific American Supplement, No. 514, November 7, 1885 eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 116 pages of information about Scientific American Supplement, No. 514, November 7, 1885.
Sheep 1-4912 1-5300 Ibex 1-6445 Goat 1-6189 1-6366 Sloth 1-2865 Platypus (duck-billed) 1-3000 Whale 1-3099 Capybara 1-3164 1-3190 Seal 1-3281 Woodchuck 1-3484 Muskdeer 1-12325 Beaver 1-3325 Porcupine 1-3369 Llama, Long diam. 1-3201 1-3361 Short " 1-6408 1-6229 Camel, Long diam. 1-3331 1-3123 Short " 1-5280 1-5876
WORMLEY               GULLIVER. 
Birds.            Length.  Breadth.      Length.  Breadth.
Chicken              1-2080   1-3483      1-2102   1-3466
Turkey               1-1894   1-3444      1-2045   1-3599
Duck                 1-1955   1-3504      1-1937   1-3424
Pigeon               1-1892   1-3804      1-1973   1-3643
Goose                                       1836   1-3839
Quail                                       2347   1-3470
Dove                                        2005   1-3369
Sparrow                                     2140   1-3500
Owl                                         1736   1-4076

The subject of minute measurements was discussed in an interesting manner in an address before the Microscopical Section of the A.A.A.S. last year, an abstract of which was published in this journal, vol. v., p. 181.

The slight differences in size accurately given in this table are not always appreciable under modern amplification, but under a power of 1,150 diameters “corpuscles differing by the 1-100000 of an inch are readily discriminated.”  For the conclusions of Prof.  Wormley as regards the possibility of identifying blood of different animals, the reader is referred to his book on Micro-Chemistry of Poisons.—­Amer.  Micro.  Jour.

* * * * *

THE ABSORPTION OF PETROLEUM OINTMENT AND LARD BY THE SKIN.

[Footnote:  From the American Druggist.]

E. Joerss has investigated the question whether ointments made with vaseline or other petroleum ointments are really as difficult of resorption by the skin, or of yielding their medicinal ingredients to the latter, as has been asserted.  In solving this question, he considered himself justified in drawing conclusions from the manner in which such compounds behaved toward dead animal membrane.  If any kind of osmosis could take place, he argued, from ointments prepared with vaseline, etc., through dead membranes, such osmosis would most probably also take place through living membranes.  At all events, the endosmotic or exosmotic action of the skin of a living body must necessarily play an important role in the absorption of medicinal agents; and, on the other hand, it is plain that fats, which render the living skin impermeable, necessarily also diminish or entirely neutralize its osmotic action.  To test this, the author made the following experiments: 

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Scientific American Supplement, No. 514, November 7, 1885 from Project Gutenberg. Public domain.