St. Bartholomew's; and is under trial at feveral others. Still farther to inform myfelf of the public opinion, I lately requested an interview with a numerous' and moft refpectable committee, at apothecaries Hall: it is impoffible, without a breach of propriety, to repeat the compliments its members were pleafed to pay me. Whether I deferve them or not, it would be equally improper in me to determine; but of this the fociety may be affured, I never will reft till I do. In a word, my purpofe was fully answered. The article which I exhibited met with the most unqualified approbation, and full permiffion was given to publish this circumftance. I beg leave, before I conclude, to apologize for the egotifm which prevails throughout this communication. It is fcarcely poffible to avoid it, when, in cafes like the prefent, a man is under the neceffity of fpeaking of himself. It is a fubject I have much at heart, and it would give me much real concern to keep back a fingle circumftance likely to be useful to future adventurers. Its production and adoption, with the attendant difficulties, have been to the beft of my abilities amply confidered; the former in the communications before-mentioned, the latter in this paper. If the fociety are of opinion that the fteps I am purfuing to effect this laft and defirable purpose deferve fuccefs, it will be highly flattering. Under their aufpices I commenced my plantation eight years ago, and I hope and truft my proceedings fince have been fuch that the purpofe to which it has been appropriated will occafion no regret. I am, fir, No. 13, Fish-treet-hill. Extract from a Memoir containing fome Refearches refpecting the Duration of the Time of Geftation in the Females of different Animals. By M. Teffier. Read at the National Infiitute. TH HE author firft takes notice of the difcuffions which took place, about twenty years ago, among phyfiologifts, refpecting the poflibility of the time of geftation being prolonged beyond the ufual term. Bouvard and Louis maintained, in oppofition to Bertin and Petit, that the time of geftation in animals was invariable. But the fact was not afcertained; on which account M. Teffier refolved to inveftigate the fubject, and for that pupofe eftablished a correfpondence concerning it, and kept very exact journals of every circumftance that could tend to elucidate the matter. The refult of his inquiries, which he offers to the national inftitute, is as follows. I. Cows. One hundred and fixty cows were observed. 14 calved from the 241ft to the 266 day, that is, from 8 months and 1 day to 8 months and 26 days, 3 50 on the 270th day. 67 brought 4 Confequently there were 67 days between the two extremes. II. Mares. One hundred and two mares were obferved, 3 foaled on the 311th day. on the 326th day. on the 325th day. 1 2 47 25 21 1 102 on the 330th day, that is, exactly at the end of 11 months. This gives a latitude in the time of geftation, of 83 days; and the following obfervation may be made refpecting cows and mares, namely, that more of the first brought forth before the completion of the 9th month, than of the second before that of the eleventh. III. Sows. Of these only fifteen were obferved. 1 brought forth young, which lived, on the 109th day, that is, 3 months and 19 days. 10 from the 110th to the 120th day. 2 on the 121ft day. Confequently, the difference between the two extremes was 14 days. IV. Rabbits. One hundred and thirty-nine were observed, during the courfe of three' The difference between the two extremes, in thefe animals, was 7 days. M. Teffier propofes to make fimilar inquiries refpecting the hatching of the eggs of birds; on which fubject, he mentions a curious obfervation, made by M. Darcet, namely, that, of the eggs of the fame brood, I was hatched on the 13th day, 2 on the 17th, 3 on the 18th, and 5 on the 19th and 20th days; there were fome others which were not hatched. Experiments refpecting the Circulation of the Sap in Trees. By M. Coulomb; from the Journal de Phyfique. ΤΟΝ OWARDS the middle of April, in the year 1796, I had feveral large Italian poplars cut down; the fap had already begun to rife, and the trees were covered with budding leaves. As I was overlooking the workmen, I obferved that one of thefe trees, which was already divided to within a few lines diftance from the axis of the tree, made a noife, when cut, fimilar to that produced by air, when it rifes in large quantities and in fmall globules, through the furface of a fluid. By having feveral more trees, of the fame fort, felled, I obferved that this noife, as well as the flowing of a very limpid and taftclefs water, took place only when the trees were about half cut through. I afterwards caufed feveral trees to be cut through, in a circular form, fo that they were only fupported by a cylinder, of from 30 to 40 millimetres in diameter, at the axis of the tree.-Thefe trees, as they fell, frequently remained joined to this axis, by fibres partly broken; at which time, bubbles of air were seen to come out in great abundance; infomuch that the quantity of air which came from them was incomparably greater than that of watery fap; but the laft-mentioned fluid was perfectly limpid and taftelefs. From this experiment, I fufpe&ed that, in large trees, the fap rifes perceptibly only near the axis of the tree which forms the medullary canal leading to the young branches, or at least in the veffels which are contiguous to this canal. In order to try if my conjecture was true, I immediately canfed four or five poplars, of from three to four decimetres in diameter, to be pierced with a large auger: the opening was made at the distance of one metre above the ground, and directed horizontally towards the axis of the tree. I obferved that, till within the diftance of two or three centimetres from the centre of the tree, the fpiral ferew of the auger was fcarcely wetted; but, as foon as it had arrived at this di tance from the axis of the tree, the water came out in abundance; and a continual a continual noife was occafioned by the bubbles of air, which rofe with the fap, and which burft in the opening made by the auger. This noile continued to take place, in trees pierced in this manher, during the whole fummer; it gradually decreafed however, and was, as may be imagined, proportionally greater, as the heat of the fun increafed the perfpiration of the leaves. Scarcely any noife could be heard during the night, or when the days were wet and cold. From the noife, and from the quantity of bubbles of air which efcape, it appears that the quantity of air, or of gas, of whatever fort it may be, which rifes with the fap, is, as I have already faid, incomparably greater than the quantity of fap itself. May it not be fuppofed, from the above obfervation, that the only circulation which exifts in trees, takes place in thofe parts which are near the central canal of the tree, and in that infinite number of medullary horizontal rays at the end of which we always fee the buds form themfelves and expand, and eftablish a medullary communication with the axis of the tree; the diameter of which communication increafes, in proportion as the bud enlarges and becomes a branch. I fubmit thefe experiments to the confideration of botanifts, who I hope will repeat them. They will perhaps ferve to throw fome light on the phyfiology of vegetables. On the Ufes of the Juniper Flant, by S. Alopaus; from the Tranfactions of the Economical Society of St. Petersburgh. THE juniper plant is too well known in our northern cli THE mates to require any particular defeription in this place. It is a very useful plant, both in medicine and economy. Every part of it-its leaves, its refin, its berries, its wood, and its roots, may all be applied to fome ufeful purpose. I fhall pafs by the ufes to which this plant may be applied by apothecaries, and fhall here only confider that which is made of it in Finland, both for economical pur pofes, and as a domeftic medicine. Ift. The leaves are employed for fumigating houfes, in order to expel or correct noxious air. 2d. All the water ufed for brewing malt-liquors is previously boiled with juniper twigs, which renders the beer both better tafted and more wholefome. 3d. All veffels ufed for containing milk are washed with water in which juniper twigs have been boed, which is fuppofed to contribute to keep the milk fweet, and to improve its tafte. 4th. Veffels for that purpose are made of juniper wood in preference to any other. 5th. Warm decoctions of juniper are given to cows, in order to increate their milk. The fame is also fometimes practifed with refpe&t tỏ fheep. 6th. Juniper-berries contain a refinous aromatic oil, which is eme ployed for various ufes. 7th. The ripe berries, pounded and infufed in hot water, are drank as tea. They are excellent purifiers of the blood, also diuretic and gently aperient. 8th. Some roaft and infufe the berries in the manner of coffee, and confider them as a palliating remedy in gouty and calculous affections, 9th. In Finland and Carelia, a well-tafted and wholefome very beer beer is brewed from the berries of the juniper. It is not many years fince this art was difcovered, and it has only very lately become univerfally known. The method of brewing this beer is as follows: Take about 50lbs. of clean juniper-berries, pound them well in a mortar, put them into the common mah-tun ufed in brewing beer, pour immediately upon them 2 buckets of cold water, and fo let them ftand for the space of twentyfour hours. When the juices of the berries have thus been properly extracted, draw off the liquor by the cock of the mafi-tun, and put it to boil in a copper, taking care to fkim it well whilft it is boiling. If it be not properly fkimmed, it acquires a bitter refinous taste. When the liquor has been well boiled and fkimmed, take out a quantity of it, and boil with this as much hops as may be fufficient for the quantity of beer you intend to brew, after which pour it again to the reft. Let the liquor ftand till it is lukewarm; then add the yeaft, and let it ferment. This beer ferments more flowly than that brewed from malt. When the fermentation is completed, barrel your beer, and bung it tight, putting into each barrel a fmall quantity of ifinglafs to fine it. This beer has a fweet aromatic tafte, very grateful to the palate: it is very wholefome; but does not keep well, being apt to turn four. It is therefore advifeable to brew only a fmall quantity of it at a time. During the laft autumn I drank daily of this beer, and found it agree very well with my health. 10th. By boiling the wort to a proper confiftence, we obtain a fyrup of juniper, which is very 3 useful in pectoral and other complaints. 11th. If we make the wort ferment, by adding yeast, but no hops, and then diftil it, we obtain the most palatable and wholefome fpecies of gin. 12th. After the ardent fpirits have been drawn off, the oil depofits itself in globules upon the mafs. Thefe are generally collected upon bits of clean cotton, from which they are afterwards pressed out into a glafs. A drop of this oil, taken in aylafs of brandy, gives it a very pleafant tafte, and diffufes a glow throw the whole body, Five or fix drops, taken in the courfe of the day, are fuppofed by fome to be a good remedy in the epilepfy. 13th. An oil is alfo extracted from the wood of the juniper by the following procefs. Dry the wood well, fplit it into small sticks; and faften thefe, in an upright pofition, in an iron trough. Next fix a glazed pot in the earth, and cover it with a board, having a hole in the middle, with small grooves on the upper farface, that communicate with the hole. Then fasten the trough, turned upfide down, upon the board, and make a fire all round. In this manner the oil will be melted out, and run, by the grooves and the hole, into the pot. This oil is ufed by the common people, as an external application, in paralytic affections and pains in the limbs. During the courfe of the last fummer, feveral of the pealants took it with good effect in the dyfentery. 14th. An infufion of the roots and branches of young juniper fhrubs, dried and cut into fhavings, is drank as tea, and fuppofed to be ferviceable in pains of the joints and pulmonary complaints, USEFUL |