890

Planaria, &c. 6. Lastly, a paper by ]}<I. Georges Pouchet,on the connexion of Nerves and Chromoblasts.

Lights and Shadows in a Canine Life. London : Simpkin,Marshall, and Co. 1871.-As we do not happen to be of aclass "who despise the brute creation," but have strongsympathies in the opposite direction, we have read thislittle book through in hope of discovering some practicalidea or other as its raison d’tre. The authoress recounts

many instances of sagacity on the part of her pet terrier,which almost anybody possessing the faculty of observationand a favourite animal could parallel by the score. Possiblythe book may have been designed to establish the immor-tality of the brute creation, in which case we may say thatthe authoress has succeeded in making it pretty clear thatshe, like a recent correspondent of the Spectator, does notthink much of a state of being wherein the companionshipef her faithful dog will be wanting.The British Almanac and Companion for 1872. 12mo, cloth.

pp. 288.-This well-known almanac of the Society for theDiffusion of Useful Knowledge is an excellent publication.Besides all the ordinary matters included in an almanac,the volume contains a companion, a year-book of generalinformation on subjects of mathematics, natural philosophy,geography, history, &c., with a good account of the metro-politan charities of the present day, and abstracts of Actsof Parliament, and chronicle of events.

Black2vood’s Shilling Diary, 1872.-An excellent interleaveddiary of which we shall not fail to make use.

Everybody’s Year-boo7c. A popular Annual for 1872.

Wyman and Sons.-A little almanac containing miscel-laneous information that is useful to everybody. Amongother things we notice that Marshall Hall’s method (illus-trated by plates) of resuscitating the apparently drownedfinds a place.

New Inventions.IMPROVED DRAINS, TRAPS, AND CLOSETS.THESE improvements for drains, traps, and closets have

: been invented and patented by Dr. Taylor, of Anerley;and have for their object the purifying and prevention ofthe escape or return of any sewer gases into the house.For this purpose, in addition to providing suitable venti-lating shafts conta.ining charcoal, arrangements are madeso that all waste water flowing from the sink shall pass outthrough a syphon into a box or chamber before descendingto the drain; in which chamber is a float or valve so ad-justed as to rise and fall by its own buoyancy, therebyallowing the water to descend to the drain as soon as asufficient quantity shall have collected to float the valvefrom off its seat, after which the valve naturally descendson to its seat, and thus shuts off all communication withthe drain for the time being. The pan for the closet is con-structed with an inner flange or lip, beneath which is apipe in connexion with the external atmosphere. A slidingcover for the pan is also provided, which can be moved intoits place by the lever which works the trap, so that anygases which may arise from the pan are at once let off bythe ventilating pipe. In addition, chambers of a suitableform are filled with charcoal and placed beneath the seat,so as to absorb any gases in the neighbourhood of the pan.By reference to the drawings it will be seen that any gasespassing backwards from the sewer are supposed to be car-ried off by the ventilating shaft. After passing throughthe perforated chambers containing charcoal, these are

arrested by the large charcoal chamber; or, if any passesup through the syphon to the closet-pan, are then carriedoff by the ventilating pipe. Any gases passing towards thedrains of sinks are purified by the charcoal chambers, andprevented egress into the house by the float-valve andsyphon termination of the sink-pipe.

Dr. Taylor hopes to form a Sanitary Company to carryout his system.

Fig. 1 is an application of an improved trap to an ordinary sink. A represents the sink, in which is set the trap (B),having a finely perforated grating screwed thereto. c, The waste-pipe, at the lower end of which is attached thesyphon (D), enclosed in valve-box (E). F, Float or valve. G, Filtering chamber, having an inner case or lining (a)for containing charcoal, and through which the valve-box (is) passes, as shown. i, Ordinary trap attached to thefiltering chamber (G) and to the drain-pir,e (E).

Fig. 2 represents a closet fitted with improved pan (L), filtering chamber (y y), and sliding cover (N), as also venti-lating pipes (o and r), the outer ends of which are covered with wire nauze.

Fig. 3 is a vertical section of a filtering or purifying chamber, containing charcoal in connexion with drain (x).Fig. 4 is a ventilating shaft, having a grating (Q), on which are supported the canisters (R) containing charcoal, and

provided with a perforated cone or sphere (s) at the top.