Notes

Abstract

THE concluding meeting of the French Association at La Rochelle was rather stormy, although not more than 203 members were present. M. Bouquet de la Grye was nominated vice-president for 1883 and president for 1884. Although very few members took part in the work of the meeting, sixteen different sections were kept in operation; this extreme division has somewhat impaired their activity. However a number of interesting papers were read and discussed. M. Debrun, Professor in the College of Pau, described a new system of central magazines for distributing electricity, a new balance for determining by mutual repulsion of currents their relative force, and a new registering electrometer. M. Marcel Deprez presented a new apparatus for determining the mechanical equivalent of heat, based mostly on Leon Foucault's experiments. He hopes to determine with a sulphurous acid calorimeter the real value of this coefficient with an approximation of 1/1000. M. Tissandier presented again his researches on light bichromate elements; he contends that he obtains regularity of action without renewing the liquid, and without insuflation. Dr. Landowsky delivered an eloquent address against the dangers of injecting morphia, as practised nowadays by so many people. He deprecated strenuously this new method of intoxication; he calls it morphiomania or morphinism. Dr. Audrat has paid special attention to the anaemia of miners, and described it in a very interesting address. Electric lighting experiments were tried in the rooms of the Hotel de Nantes by a new system invented by M. Debrun.