,,the ,,british ,,journal ,,of ,,photography4 ,no4 #fac4 ,,vol4 ,,xix4--,,february #b1 #ahgb4 ---------------------------------------- -------------------------------- ,a ,,character ,,of ,,certain ,,preservative ,,films4 ,,herr ,schultz-,sellack has recently called attention to a remarkable agreement in certain properties between chemically-clean glass surfaces and photographic films coated with tannin or albumen4 ,the particular property in which they appear to agree is this--that an albumenised or tannined surface1 when breathed upon1 takes the moisture evenly and loses it gradually by evaporation1 just like a clean glass plate4 ,this wonderful discovery 767 is announced in ,poggendorf's ,annalen1 and a notice of it appears in the last ,journal of the ,chemical ,society4 ,if ,herr ,schultz-,sellack had endeavoured to make himself acquainted with the literature of photography he would scarcely have taken the trouble to publish the statement of a fact well known to all who have much experience in dry-plate work4 ,a film protected by albumen1 tannin1 or any other substance capable of absorbing moisture1 resembles a perfectly-clean glass plate in the mode of condensation of moisture and the manner in which an aqueous film disappears from the surface3 but this property of a somewhat hygroscopic surface is one which might be easily anticipated and has long been observed4 8,whether this hygroscopic property is beneficial or otherwise we are scarcely in a position to decide1 as wide differences of opinion exist amongst practical men on this subject--on the one hand1 ,mr4 ,m4 ,carey ,lea considering nearly complete desiccation of a dry plate conducive to greater sensitiveness1 and on the other1 a large number of operators declaring that a preservative capable of keeping the plate in a semi-moist condition is most advantageous4 ,our own experience is in favour of ,mr4 ,lea's position2 but it is by no means improbable that some of the so-called preservatives act best when moist1 and others when the film is fully dried4 ,we shall content ourselves with citing a single case in point40 ,when a film of iodide of silver is washed free from extraneous matter1 and then covered with a solution of ferrocyanide of potassium1 a very sensitive layer is obtained while the film is moist1 but if dried fully the action of light upon the surface is very slow4 ,suppose1 however1 that we add to the ferrocyanide solution1 previous to its application to the iodide film1 a quantity of honey1 a little glycerine1 or a very minute amount of nitrate of magnesia1 a comparatively sensitive film is obtained1 which1 though apparently dry1 is still not completely so4 ,here1 then1 is a remarkable case1 parallel with the analogous action of nitrate of silver moist and dry upon sensitive layers4 ---------------------------------------- -------------------------------- ,a ,,shellac ,,varnish4 ,,in our last volume there appeared two very interesting notes--one by ,mr4 ,g4 ,watmough ,webster1 ,f4,c4,s41 and the other by ,mr4 ,a4 ,r4 ,brown--on the preparation of a shellac varnish of a peculiar kind1 and easily miscible with water4 ,though we have been long familiar with the mode of preparing such a varnish--thanks to the kindness of a friend--we have lately gone over the whole matter1 and have been so interested that we now venture to recall the matter to the consideration of our readers--this week mentioning the most convenient mode of preparing the so-called varnish1 and reserving to another time an account of several applications of it which appear to possess some interest4 ,the most rapid mode of obtaining the shellac varnish conveniently is certainly that of ,mr4 ,webster4 ,this gentleman dissolves the resin in spirit4 ,we may remark that strong spirit gives the most satisfactory results4 ,the solution when now treated with a very small amount of the ordinary liquid ammonia becomes immediately miscible with water4 ,care must be taken1 however1 only to add sufficient ammonia to accomplish the desired end1 and this can be easily accomplished by testing a little of the mixture by addition of water after every fresh dose of alkali4 ,in this way any unnecessary deepening of the colour is avoided1 and a useful liquid obtained4 ,we now turn to the second plan--that mentioned by ,mr4 ,brown4 ,it has been long well known that fused shellac dissolves much more easily in alcohol than the resin which has not been melted4 ,mr4 ,brown adopts the same plan in obtaining solution in ammonia4 ,the resin is melted under a layer of water1 and1 when perfectly fused1 strong liquor of ammonia is slowly poured in1 the whole being carefully mixed4 ,gradually the resin is taken up by the liquid1 and a good1 brown mixture obtained4 ,if too much ammonia be used here the colour is greatly deepened1 owing to the action of the alkali on a peculiar impurity in the resin4 ,both the above processes work well2 but1 when small quantities have to be prepared1 ,mr4 ,webster's plan yields the best product1 as a solution of shellac in spirit can be obtained having a comparatively slight colour1 whereas the direct use of ammonia deepens the tint4 ,whichever plan be used a good result can be arrived at1 and a liquid obtained capable of numerous and most useful applications1 whether as a species of varnish1 a cement1 or material for1 in a sense1 waterproofing paper4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,chromate of potash is used in dyeing in conjunction with dextrine1 c41 for discharging the colour from various fabrics2 it seems1 however1 that a difficulty has been noted in using such a mixture1 for it is found that certain of the goods become discoloured by the chromate1 and that this undesired colour is not easily removed4 ,will our readers be 8surprised to hear0 that the cause of this circumstance appears to have been only just found out1 if we may judge from a quotation in the ,journal of the ,chemical ,society8 ,it has been discovered that it is exposure to light during treatment which prevents the removal of the offending material4 ,this circumstance indicates how little attention is in general paid to the phenomena attending the chemical action of light2 and1 notwithstanding the fact that the remarkable property possessed by the chromates of rendering insoluble gelatine1 c41 has been utilised to an extraordinary extent in the various pigment printing processes1 operative chemists seem to have only now become alive to the fact1 and able to apply the obvious remedy in using yellow glass for the rooms in which the treatment of goods with the chromated dextrine is carried on4 ---------------------------------------- -------------------------------- ,,blistering ,,of ,,albumen ,,surfaces4 ,,having read with much interest the various remarks which have appeared in your columns of late on the blistering of albumenised surfaces1 ,i will1 with your approbation1 state my conviction of the cause4 ,first1 let us examine the blisters and get at a clear notion of their physical aspect4 ,all who have spoken on the subject appear to agree that the more highly a paper is albumenised the more do we suffer from the annoyance4 ,well1 such a strong film gives us the opportunity to detach some of those large blisters which have been formed by the coalescence of a number of small blisters4 ,proceeding after the manner of a microscopist in his dissection of animal structure1 we depress the sheet or photograph to the bottom of a dish with water1 and there introduce a sharp-pointed knife1 whereupon air escapes4 ,here we simply note this fact1 and continue the dissection4 ,having detached a vesicular film1 and caught it on a small plate of glass with the innermost side upwards1 it will be found in almost every experiment to have the surface fibre of the paper attached1 thus showing that it does not part from the surface of the paper as a film pure and simple4 ,we therefore dismiss from our minds the idea that the outer surface only had been rendered insoluble1 while the inner portion had been dissolved2 were this the case the blister would be filled with the albumen solution4 ,in accordance with the law discovered by ,graham--that a colloid solution1 such as albumen1 cannot pass through a colloidal septum--the blisters cannot be the result of expansion4 ,further3 where a colloid septum is wetted on both sides1 liquids of the nature of water can diffuse through1 and therefore the blisters would be filled with water or solution of crystalloid salt1 such as hyposulphite of soda4 ,now we must search deeper and wider for the cause4 ,if ,i am not mistaken1 the blisters show themselves in greater force1 in this country1 from the middle of ,may to the end of ,july4 ,during this period the natural waters are of the most favourable temperature for the absorption of air or gases on which the aquatic plants feed2 gases coming in contact with or passing through the cells of the living plant are decomposed1 and the residual gas discharged into the water4 ,as the water becomes lowered in temperature it is unable to hold these absorbed gases1 the minimum temperature being from #cb to #dj ,fah4 ,it is from this cause1 in my opinion1 that ice floats on the surface4 ,as water becomes lower in temperature minute bubbles of air are seen to grow1 as it were1 on submerged objects2 eventually the buoyancy overcomes the force of adhesion and gravity1 whereupon the air-beads rise and become entangled amongst the water crystals--ice--and thus render the ice lighter1 bulk for bulk1 than the water from which it has been formed4 ,some of my readers will1 most likely1 say--8,what has this to do with the blistering of albumen surfaces80 ,well1 let us see how these ideas1 derived from anterior observations1 assist us in the matter4 ,there are many substances beside the growing tissue and cells having the property of condensing gases in their pores1 and often entering into combination with such avidity that sufficient heat is liberated to render the substance incandescent4 ,such is the case when hydrogen gas is impinged on platinum in a spongy form4 ,fresh-burned charcoal is another substance having the property of condensing many times its own volume of gas1 and by mutual attraction to the occluded air the external air sticks as a film on the substance with considerable force--wets the surface1 if ,i may use the simile4 ,most substances possessing extremely minute pores or interstices have this property1 in a more or less degree1 for different kinds of gases2 therefore we may fairly class the fine texture of photographic paper amongst such bodies4 ,grant that there is an analogy between the above-mentioned cases1 then the cause and effect become intelligible4 ,first we have a hard-sized paper with gases or air condensed in the interstices1 and with the external air adhering to it2 in this condition it is coated with an amorphous film of albumen4 ,all appears to go on favourably until the fixing process2 here the temperature is reduced by the addition of water contained in the prints4 ,now the absorbed air which the water contains finding a nucleus on its permeating the body of the paper grows immediately 7as ,i pointed out when directing your attention to the phenomena proceeding from the freezing of the water7 in the surface-fibre1 thus it is likely that the blisters are formed is all cases where air is enclosed4 ,hyposulphite of soda when entering into solution reduces the temperature considerably--the air being then held with so little force readily unites with a nucleus4 ,to counteract this natural effect it is obvious that means should be taken to prevent the lowering of the temperature on the addition of water to the hypo1 solution1 or on the transference of prints from the hypo1 into water containing absorbed air4 ,if this be unmanageable1 the easiest thing to do is to dip the prints into methylated alcohol1 after leaving the toning bath4 ,this treatment removes the sizing from the paper1 and the prints appear translucent while wet4 ,they should now be well washed2 any disengaged air will then be able to escape through the porous body of the paper4 ,it has been recommended to employ a large charcoal filter to absorb the air or gases1 but1 like all filters1 it will require cleaning out1 and the charcoal needs re-burning4 ,a word on filters in conclusion4 ,the public purchase filters1 and imagine that they are to have pure water1 or clarified solution1 for evermore without trouble2 let them be undeceived1 because when charcoal becomes saturated it must be re-burned to restore its purifying properties4 ,f4 ,w4 ,,hart1 ,f4,c4,s4 ---------------------------------------- -------------------------------- ,,collodio-,,bromide4 ,,in last week's issue your idea of combining silver with a new base in the collodio-bromide is so good that ,i think it just as well to mention that the very notion of acetate of silver has been carried out by me a dozen years ago1 although in another form4 ,i made a collodion for wet-plate work in which an iodide was used with about an equal part of acetate of soda2 the collodion was accelerated to such a degree that my exposure was reduced to about a fourth of what ,i would have given without the acetate4 ,the plate developed beautifully and free from fog4 ,here1 again1 comes in the law of compensation2 my thoroughbred collodion was1 at the end of a dozen hours1 as slow as a team of oxen1 as vitality seemed to expend itself in one coup d'tat1 and the second day it was capital----for cleaning plates4 ,a bromo-iodised collodion could not be stimulated with any such exertion4 ,since practising the collodio-bromide process ,i have often promised myself an experiment in this direction2 but1 somehow or other1 partly from my failure when bromide was in the collodion1 the trial has ended in the intention only4 ,mr4 ,henry ,cooper's success with lactate of ammonia has inspired me with a strong hope that collodio-bromide is to be the perfection of 8everything to be desired0 in dry-plate work4 ,i am glad to learn that ,col4 ,wortley has found out the conditions of making a bromised collodion which arrives at maturity without passing through that infantile existence which ,i have always regarded as unfavourable to the best results4 ,when ,i made the statement in your ,journal1 it was from the united experience of all my collodio-bromide acquaintances1 which1 if pinned together1 would1 in respect of mere lapse of time1 extend over the greater part of a century4 ,although bromised collodion will give good results when freshly made1 the development of the image is almost a matter of physical force--more ammonia1 more silver1 and such like--in order that the excellent prints expected from your exertions may be superb indeed1 in consequence of the labour bestowed on the negative4 ,i do not condemn ,col4 ,wortley's mode of working1 for ,i have lately seen some of his negatives possessing the very highest qualities attainable by any process2 but1 in support of my own recommendation that the collodion should be left to ripen as a means of lightening our labours in the dark room1 ,i may state that for over two years ,i never used silver as an intensifier1 alkaline development giving me always the right density1 and occasionally too much4 ,with an 8infant0 collodion silver is the only 8soothing syrup0 that affords nourishment to the sickly image4 ,j4 ,w4 ,,gough4 ---------------------------------------- -------------------------------- ,,the ,,fading ,,of ,,mercury-,,toned ,,transparencies4 ,,in the multitude of counsellors there is said to be wisdom4 ,this may be true enough in the abstract1 but in its special applications it may sometimes lead to bewilderment1 more particularly if the counsel of one of the 8multitude0 be diametrically opposed to that of another counsellor4 ,in looking over the pages of your useful ,year-,book and ,,almanac ,i find that ,mr4 ,brooks has something to say in behalf of a process that has of late received some rude words and rough treatment at the hands of the ,editors and others1 the process to which ,i refer being the toning of transparencies by means of mercury4 ,as ,mr4 ,brooks has issued a great number of photo-crayons toned with this agent1 it would appear that he felt somewhat uneasy at the prospects of their fading2 but he says--8,i now feel quite decided that1 if the picture be protected by a good varnish1 fading will not ensue when a picture is thoroughly toned with mercury40 ,let not ,mr4 ,brooks nor any one else lay this flattering unction to his soul4 ,if varnish be the gis which is trusted to ward off the destructive effects of fading from the picture1 ,i warn those interested from putting any trust in it2 for ,i have in my possession several of such pictures varnished in the most faultless manner1 with varnish of unexceptionable quality1 which have faded away into almost invisibility4 ,now1 as these transparencies have been prepared by myself as well as by photographers of recognised high position1 including the introducer of the photo-crayon1 ,i believe that ,i am warranted in assuming that every requisite care has been taken both in the toning and the washing4 ,i am aware that it has been said that heat is an all-important element in the destruction of a mercury-toned glass picture1 and that from this cause the lantern pictures are peculiarly liable to fade1 whereas those not subjected to heat will stand4 ,i regret to be compelled to shatter the prop that is raised from this basis to support the stability of the photo-crayon2 for in a series of two dozen mercury-toned lantern pictures1 purchased not much over two years ago1 several which have never been in the lantern or exposed to heat in any way have faded into worthlessness4 ,i think1 therefore1 from what ,i have said1 the truth of which the ,editors will attest--seeing that ,i send them herewith several specimens--there is only one lesson to be drawn1 and it is this3--,above all things1 as you value your reputation1 avoid the use of mercury for toning either lantern transparencies or photo-crayon pictures la ,sarony4 ,,don ,,quixote4 ---------------------------------------- -------------------------------- ,,notes ,,on ,,passing ,,events4 ,,by ,a ,,peripatetic ,,photographer4 ,,the ,attractive ,chemical ,experiments for ,youthful ,readers1 by the ,editor of the ,,almanac1 and which1 ,i suppose1 was 8crowded out0 of that widely-circulated annual1 forms a special kind of reading that will prove attractive to old as well as youthful readers2 for ,i believe ,i am quite safe in affirming that chemical 8tricks0 are equally appreciated by old and young4 ,i recollect attending on one occasion an entertainment of a very attractive nature1 which may be described as follows3--,the lecturer1 having placed on the table several glasses apparently quite clean and empty1 proceeded to fill them from an ordinary decanter full of water2 first1 however1 asking the audience to name the liquors they preferred4 ,suffice it to say that by request the glasses were respectively filled with what purported to be port1 sherry1 whisky1 rum1 brandy1 and so forth4 ,when milk was asked for1 the white fluid was immediately produced2 so with soda water1 which fizzed and sparkled1 and with ginger beer1 the froth of which stood stiff1 without subsiding4 ,one gentleman1 anathematising the temperance fluids1 asked for a glass of something hot and fiery2 and1 in response1 a glass was filled and from it issued flames of fire4 ,as the clear glass decanter was filled with water in the presence of the audience this trick was rendered more surprising than if an opaque bottle had been employed1 as is the custom with the majority of 8inexhaustible bottle0 conjurers4 ,as this is not written for youthful readers1 but for those who are everyday readers of the ,journal1 ,i will pay a compliment to their chemical perspicuity and assume that they know how these changes took place4 ,however1 if ,i hear that ,i have assumed too much1 ,i will next month give the explanation of these small chemical marvels4 99 99 99 99 99 ,who does not sympathise with a 8,black-,country ,foto410 who appears to think that there is no use in his sending portraits to the ,london exhibition because he can't afford to have his negatives worked upon to the degree that seems requisite to permit of successful competition8 ,if the gossip that was indulged in by the visitors to the exhibition is to be credited1 the preparing of the portrait negatives of one amateur must have been attended with no small cost2 for it was asserted that he not only had skilled professional aid1 but that the negatives were handed over to a retoucher to be dealt with regardless of expense4 ,where ,dives goes in for honours ,lazarus has1 under similar circumstances1 but small chances of success4 ,when specimens from untouched negatives are exhibited 7not necessarily to the exclusion of prints after touching71 then will some grumbling cease4 99 99 99 99 99 ,the ,south ,london ,photographic ,society has at last quitted its old quarters in the ,city of ,london ,college and has removed to a more central situation4 ,between the convenience and elegance of ,arundel ,hall and the ,city of ,london ,college there is no comparison2 and the removal ought to tell most beneficially upon the prospects of the society4 99 99 99 99 99 ,the communications already made to photographic societies this year indicate activity4 ,at the recent meeting of the ,london ,photographic ,society ,mr4 ,sawyer read a paper on ,photography in the ,printing ,press1 in which he took occasion to discuss the novelty of ,mr4 ,edwards's process1 so far as its patentability was concerned4 ,at the monthly meeting of the ,south ,london ,society there were two papers--one by ,mr4 ,dunmore1 on ,the ,cause and ,prevention of ,blisters on ,albumenised ,paper1 the other being by ,mr4 ,croughton1 ,on ,photographic versus ,literal ,truth4 ,in the former the cause of blistering was alleged to be the imperfectly rendering soluble of the under surface of the albumen2 in the latter 7the discussion on which is deferred till next meeting7 the essayist spoke of the exaggerations and distortions caused by using a short-focus lens1 and he condemned the pandering to human weakness displayed by a large firm who owed its success to the amount of flattery bestowed upon its customers by the inordinate use of retouching4 ,at the meeting of the ,edinburgh ,photographic ,society a resum of the progress of the past year was given by ,dr4 ,nicol1 who is of opinion that the conversion of a distorting lens into a non-distorting one is an improvement of doubtful value--an opinion in which the generality of photographers will scarcely coincide4 ,the ,manchester ,photographic ,society had a paper by ,mr4 ,coote ,on the ,good ,keeping ,qualities of ,collodio-,albumen ,plates between ,exposure and ,development4 ,it is an unfortunate thing that many dry plates1 after exposure1 do not retain the latent image2 hence the necessity for developing as quickly as possible after the camera has effected its portion of the work4 ,as a type of processes of this kind the tannin may be mentioned1 whether this substance be used as a preservative in the silver bath or the emulsion methods4 ,mr4 ,coote developed successfully a collodio-albumen plate which had been kept for more than two years after being exposed4 ---------------------------------------- -------------------------------- ,,transalpine ,,photography4 ,i ,,had been out of sorts all the spring2 my business engagements had kept me longer than usual in town1 and prevented my getting a little relaxation4 ,it was not until the end of ,august ,i was able to put into execution a long-contemplated visit to some relatives in ,italy1 and try what change of air and a holiday would do for me4 ,so away we started--a party of four1 my wife and two ladies under my charge--and armed with ,cook's tickets we made our way via ,newhaven to ,paris1 which we reached late at night4 ,next day1 as our train for ,italy did not leave till the evening1 we wandered about ,paris1 visiting the sad scenes of ,communistic destruction4 ,plenty of photographs in every shop illustrative of the wretched devastation which was visible on all sides4 ,in a place like ,paris there was of course all qualities1 shapes1 and sizes2 and1 in addition to souvenirs of the ruined public buildings1 there were to be bought a great variety purporting to be faithful representations of the events of the siege1 such as barricades1 executions1 streets with dead bodies lying in them1 and so forth4 ,these1 it is needless to say1 were fictitious1 carefully-arranged tableaux1 but terribly natural1 and greedily bought by tourists1 the greater portion of whom never for one moment questioned the reality of the representation4 ,at night we started from the ,lyons station for our long-through journey over ,mont ,cenis1 for the tunnel was not yet complete4 ,by morning we were travelling through the lovely scenery from ,chambery to ,st4 ,michel1 the commencement of the ,fell railway over the mountain4 ,here there is a splendid field for the photographic artist1 and1 so far as ,i could discover1 hitherto unworked4 ,as the railway wound its tortuous way amidst the charming mountain scenery the landscape changed at every turn--bridges1 cottages1 foliage of every variety1 rivers1 brooks1 and torrents coming into view every instant4 ,here a photographer might spend weeks without exhausting the rich field for his camera4 ,at three o'clock ,st4 ,michel was reached1 and after some inexplicable delay--which1 however1 gave us the opportunity of making a comfortable dinner--we changed from the ordinary line of railway to the special narrow-gauge carriages on the ,fell system for crossing the mountain4 ,a grand journey it is--zigzagging over the steep ascent1 through scenery of charming and varied character6 ,this ,fell system has been so often described ,i shall forbear to say more about it1 except that it contrasted very favourably both in time and comfort with the old diligence journey ,i had undergone some years before over the same route4 ,from our delay in starting we got to the other side of the mountain just in time to miss the last train for ,turin1 which we had the satisfaction to see leaving the station as we entered it4 ,this involved our stopping at ,susa for the night2 and1 of all wretched1 miserable places1 commend me to ,susa4 ,nobody stops there who can get away4 ,it was eleven at night1 and we had been travelling ever since #h4dj the previous evening4 ,telling the porter to take us to the best hotel1 away we trudged1 only too glad to take advantage of any resting-place for the night we could get--a regular old-fashioned ,italian hotel1 the entry through the kitchen1 and the lower part of which1 built round a courtyard1 was devoted to the horses1 cows1 and pigs--very picturesque1 no doubt1 but1 as may be easily imagined1 anything but savoury in the way of scent4 ,the next morning we explored the town1 which1 though small1 is the seat of a bishopric4 ,it contains plenty of quaint bits of buildings1 which would make good food for the camera1 but not a photograph did ,i see for sale4 ,as soon as breakfast was over we set off for ,milan1 being anxious to reach that city1 as we expected some of our family to meet us there4 ,this involved our missing ,turin1 the scenery around which is well worth the photographer's attention1 as ,i know of old1 though the city itself has no feature of interest to the artist4 ,at ,milan we met with plenty of photographs of the ,turin scenery1 but1 like the rest of the photographs to be seen in the shops as souvenirs of these places of a very inferior character4 ,at ,milan1 though there are several good portraitists1 the views of the place and surroundings are of a very inferior quality4 ,shop after shop we visited in the hope of getting a presentable view of the wondrous cathedral1 but not one could ,i succeed in obtaining which would be worth having4 ,in former days1 no doubt1 there was considerable difficulty in managing to get to a sufficient distance for a good point of view1 and wide-angle lenses were not to be had4 ,now1 however1 that the ,milan ,improvements ,company have cleared a broad space in front1 this difficulty has been removed2 but there seems no one who knows how to take advantage of it4 ,swing backs appear to be unknown1 and every view is wretchedly distorted with converging perpendiculars--if such a phrase be admissible--owing to the tilting of the camera4 ,after spending a few days at ,milan we started to visit my eldest son1 resident in a small ,lombard town off the main track of the railway1 where he1 as a civil engineer1 was superintending the construction of some irrigation works4 ,here we stayed some days1 seeing something of genuine ,italian peasant or farmer life1 which the ordinary tourist sees nothing of4 ,a primitive life it is4 ,the farmer or peasant grows his own hemp or flax1 and steeps it in one of the numerous streams that are led through the place4 ,it is then beaten or rubbed out with the hand1 the women specially joining in this labour1 and afterwards spinning it with the distaff4 ,when spun it is woven in a primitive handloom into linen for household use2 or it is made into ropes by means equally primitive in their arrangement4 ,all these would form numerous interesting groups and bits for the photographer1 and tourists would gladly purchase if they could get these souvenirs of the peasant in his picturesque costume engaged in these various occupations1 standing at the door of the tumble-down cottage1 or driving his peculiar cart4 ,the country is one vast flat1 and it is only the people and their dwellings that afford any food for the photographer1 but these are well worth recording4 ,to do this1 however1 the artist must leave the beaten track1 and he will need some enthusiasm for his work to make him put up with the wretched accommodation he will meet with in his country tour4 ,we1 indeed1 were fortunate in not having to avail ourselves of this1 staying in very comfortable quarters with our relative4 ,the heat was excessive--so much so1 that the navvies engaged on the canal construction worked all but naked1 wearing nothing but a shirt4 ,after a few days' stay1 much interested in all we saw1 we rejoined the railway and sped on our way to ,arona1 steamed along the shore of ,lago ,maggiore to ,pallanza1 whence we travelled along the great ,simplon route to a village where another son resided1 who is connected with the gold mines of that district4 ,here we took up our abode1 making excursions up the ,val ,ansasca to the foot of ,monte ,rosa1 and visiting the various ,italian lakes1 passing from one place to another on their shores1 sometimes in rowing boats1 sometimes in steamers1 and sometimes by carriage4 ,in this way we passed through scenes of lake and mountain to which no photographer that we could meet with had done justice4 ,at every place we stopped there were plenty of photographs offered to the tourist1 from the humble carte-de-visite size to the more pretentious #ab by #aj1 but not one did ,i see that was worth having4 ,landscape photography seems not to be understood by the ,italians4 ,they seem to set the camera down anywhere1 without any consideration for picturesque effect--no judgment whatever exercised as to light and shade1 and the result is a hard black and white picture with a clean white paper sky1 wholly devoid of anything like artistic effect4 ,what would not a ,wilson or an ,england effect here6 ,i wish they who have done so much for ,scotland and ,switzerland could be persuaded to cross the ,alps and give us the benefit of their labours in these charming scenes4 ,surely it would answer their purpose to spend some months in these parts4 ,i can promise them1 in addition to scenery of surpassing beauty and variety1 good hotels and not expensive1 with the means of locomotion easy and cheap4 ,if the foregoing lines should induce them or some other competent artists to pay a visit to these regions1 ,i shall1 ,i hope1 have done some service to photography and the diffusion of art4 ,p4 ,,le ,,neve ,,foster1 ,m4,a41 ,cantab4 ---------------------------------------- -------------------------------- ,,the ,,ears ,,and ,,thumbs ,,of ,,contention4 ,,who that has read the graphic account of the great diversity of shapes and characteristics of ears given by ,mr4 ,o4 ,g4 ,rejlander in ,,the ,,british ,,journal ,,photographic ,,almanac will not feel an interest in this topic8 ,who1 once more1 that has read the evidence in the ,tichborne trial1 given in our number for ,december #bb1 by ,colonel ,stuart ,wortley1 ,mr4 ,savage1 and ,mr4 ,j4 ,t4 ,taylor1 will not feel some interest in thumbs8 ,on both of these topics the ,attorney-,general enlarged at much length in his speech on ,tuesday last4 ,respecting the former subject--that of the ears--the ,attorney-,general said3--,i come now to another member of the body upon which we have had a good deal of evidence4 ,if the evidence you have got before you be true1 the claimant and ,roger ,tichborne cannot be the same4 ,that is my argument upon the question as to his ears4 ,we have got unusually full and distinct proof about the ears1 and ,i'll demonstrate to you that they cannot be the same on the ears alone4 ,now1 the ears are not so unimportant as some people may be inclined to make out1 although1 ,i dare say1 my learned friend will by-and-by treat the ears with summary contempt4 ,first of all1 ,m',cann distinctly recognises him by his ears amongst other things4 ,then we find that ,mr4 ,baigent in his affidavit said something upon the same subject3--8,i then left with ,mr4 ,holmes1 and accompanied him to the ,swan ,hotel4 ,on entering the large room facing the street ,i saw the plaintiff1 whom ,i recognised instantly as the eldest son of the late ,sir ,james ,doughty ,tichborne1 whom ,i formerly so well knew4 ,his eyes1 the upper part of his head1 and his ears were unmistakable1 and his voice had quite an effect upon me1 and was alone quite enough to convince me40 ,at this time1 when ,mr4 ,baigent made his affidavit1 he knew nothing about the ,chili photographs4 ,he probably knew nothing about either of them2 certainly not of the one in the case produced here4 ,these ,chili daguerreotypes were in due time proved in the case to be good and true likenesses of the real ,roger ,tichborne1 and we have ,roger ,tichborne's own letter upon the subject describing how they were taken4 ,he sent one1 as you may remember1 to ,lady ,doughty1 and one to ,sir ,james and ,lady ,tichborne4 ,finding that they were authentic and good likenesses1 and knowing this at the time when he came to be examined 7he himself having said in his affidavit that he recognised the plaintiff by his ears71 and finding that the daguerreotypes would not suit the ears theory1 ,mr4 ,baigent1 in his cross-examination1 turns round upon the daguerreotypes and tries to discredit and throw dirt upon them1 knowing full well1 if they were to be depended upon1 the ears of ,roger ,tichborne and this man could not be the ears of the same persons4 ,he is acute enough to see that1 and so when he is examined he turns round upon the daguerreotypes4 ,he says it was a badly-formed ear2 but ,sir ,william ,fergusson1 on the other hand1 said it was a large ear1 but remarkably handsome4 ,he was shown the photograph at this point1 and asked whether the ear as it there appeared represented the ear of ,roger ,tichborne1 and he said he thought not4 ,the cross-examination goes on to say3--8,the position in the photograph is not such as to give a good idea of the ear4 ,is this daguerreotype a fair representation of ,roger ,tichborne as you last saw him8--,it is a very poor representation of him4 ,i don't speak of it as a work of art1 ,mr4 ,baigent1 but does it faithfully represent the features1 to the best of your recollection8--,i do not consider it a faithful or good portrait4 ,does it faithfully represent the features8--,no1 it does not give you a faithful representation of the man as he was4 ,i cannot say1 but it is something like him1 but it is a very poor thing4 ,is there any mistaking it8--,oh1 it is over-solarised1 burnt out1 and everything else4 ,is it a picture you could look at without knowing it was intended for ,sir ,roger ,tichborne8--,you must look at it two or three times before you can make it out4 ,does it represent the ear8--,it does not convey an idea of the ear of ,roger ,tichborne40 ,at this time ,mr4 ,baigent knew perfectly well what we were going to say about the ears4 ,at this stage of his cross-examination there was an adjournment1 and when he comes back into the box he is questioned further about the other daguerreotype1 and he then said neither of the pictures gave a representation of ,roger ,tichborne's ears4 ,he throws dirt1 you see1 on the daguerreotypes1 but he asserts they show the same sort of ear that the claimant now has4 ,but my learned friend called ,colonel ,stuart ,wortley4 ,we are told he is a great authority in matters of photographs4 ,it is no part of my duty to dispute that4 ,i am not aware of it2 but ,i have no doubt he knows more about photographs than ,mr4 ,baigent4 ,but ,colonel ,wortley very likely did not know of this point about the ears4 ,the ,lord ,chief ,justice1 in the course of the cross-examination1 said3--8,i should call your attention to this3 that it has been suggested that the lobe of the ear might have extended below the junction1 and that a different effect is produced by some defect of the light4 ,do you find indications of that80 ,colonel ,wortley1 in reply to this question1 said he did not think there was any such indication4 ,we have1 gentlemen1 got thus far4 ,the ear is a very important question4 ,we have got ,mr4 ,baigent first of all making importance of it in his affidavit1 and we have got other witnesses who do the same4 ,we have got it that ,mr4 ,baigent at that time did not know of the existence of these ,chili photographs1 and that when he did know about them he said two things--first1 that they were very bad1 and not to be depended upon as likenesses2 and next1 that they showed the dependent ear of the claimant4 ,colonel ,stuart ,wortley is called on the same side as an authority1 and he says they are to be depended upon1 and do not show that upon which ,mr4 ,baigent insists4 ,that is so far as we have got in the great ear question1 and by your leave we will here break off for our usual adjournment4 ,the adjournment here took place accordingly4 ,let me say1 gentlemen1 ,i quite feel--and ,i am afraid ,i may have shown that ,i feel--the tedium of this part of the case2 but if ,i am right it is the most important part of the case of all4 ,this ought to be conclusive1 because you may argue about mind and memory1 but if the body be not the same there is practically an end of the case4 ,pray don't suppose ,i suggest that you are not the kindest of listeners4 ,i do nothing of the kind4 ,i am only apologising for appearing to take up time in apparently small matters1 but if they are really made out to your satisfaction they are of enormous importance in the consideration of the case4 ,if ,i show that the ears of the plaintiff cannot be those of the real ,roger2 if ,i afterwards prove1 as ,i hope to be able to do by other features1 an utter physical irreconcilability between the two persons1 you will find that there is an end of the claimant's case4 ,well1 as ,i have pointed out1 ,mr4 ,baigent1 for reasons that ,i then explained1 attempted to throw discredit on the daguerreotypes1 though ,colonel ,wortley has distinctly accredited them4 ,when that failed the next thing the plaintiff's advisers tried to do was to show that his ears had1 in point of fact1 altered4 ,according to their present shape it must be admitted that they are not like the ears of ,roger in #ahed4 ,the daguerreotypes prove this much1 so they had to fall back on the theory of the ears having altered4 ,the persons examined to sustain this point were ,dr4 ,sutherland1 ,mr4 ,canton1 and ,sir ,william ,fergusson4 ,i shall refer to ,mr4 ,canton's evidence first4 ,he is asked whether he noticed the ears at all1 and he answered that he did4 ,both had this peculiarity--that they were unusually large and the lobes were pendent4 ,the rest of the ears was well formed1 and then--8,does any portion of the ear change with age8--,the skin covering the cartilage becomes more firmly adherent1 and the lobe of the ear in those who get lean in old age becomes less4 ,supposing a person gradually increased in size1 what would be the result8--,the lobe of the ear would be increased also if the increased size of the ear was due to fat4 ,would the ear become more pendent8--,as it would become changed with fat the ear would increase in all directions except above4 ,a ,juror3 ,does the ear lay in fat in common with other parts of the body8--,as fat increases in other parts of the body1 so it would be in the lobes of the ear4 ,in this case ,i saw fat cheeks1 and expected to see fat lobes40 ,mr4 ,canton does not say whether the lobes would change in character1 or whether they would become adherent or non-adherent2 but he says that on that part of the lobe which is not cartilaginous fat would grow1 as ,i suppose it would4 ,i did not cross-examine this witness1 because he did not say anything it was necessary to challenge1 and because ,i had got all ,i wanted from ,sir ,william ,fergusson4 ,he1 therefore1 left the matter very much where one's sense would leave it1 and does not come to the point at all4 ,the ,judge--,he says his attention was only called to the claimant's ear the day before4 ,the ,attorney-,general 7assenting7--,but ,sir ,william ,fergusson1 examined and cross-examined1 goes much further in the matter3--8,is there anything you recollect as a peculiarity8--,very recently1 about the lobes of the ear4 ,what was that peculiarity8--,the lobe was much larger than is the case with most people4 ,the ,lord ,chief ,justice3 ,in what way larger8--,witness3 ,it was broader and softer to the touch than is common4 ,the ,attorney-,general3 ,do they depend much or adhere8--,they depend so much that they strike one at once4 ,when you say depend1 what do you mean8--,they hang down4 ,below the junction with the side of the face1 do you mean8--,yes1 they hang down4 ,are they free8--,yes1 they are free4 ,they are big lobes1 handsome1 and very conspicuous4 ,they are1 however1 big1 and many people would object to them on that account4 ,was there anything to show whether they were in a natural or unnatural condition8--,decidedly in a natural condition4 ,do you think any pulling would have produced the condition in which you saw the lobes of the plaintiff's ears8--,no2 ,i think not40 ,then in cross-examination by the jury1 the witness was asked whether he thought a great increase in the bulk of the body generally would have affected the size of the ears1 and what was ,sir ,wm4 ,fergusson's answer8 ,he said1 ,no2 and that it was a rare thing for fat to be deposited on the ear--in fact1 never2 but we sometimes saw tumours in that locality1 which he1 however1 explained were very different things from fat--so distinct1 in fact1 that it was impossible to mistake the one for the other4 ,sir ,william ,fergusson1 therefore1 differs from ,mr4 ,canton about the matter of fat on the ears4 ,mr4 ,canton says that fat is deposited on the ear where it is not cartilaginous and does not adhere to the cheek or side of the face2 but ,sir ,william ,fergusson says1 8,no1 it is a rare thing for fat to be deposited on the ear2 in fact1 never1 ,i may say40 ,in effect1 ,sir ,w4 ,fergusson says there is no appearance of any trick or pulling the ears having been practised1 and therefore the fair conclusion is that what he saw in #ahga he would have seen on the same ear in #ahed1 and there ,i must leave it4 ,dr4 ,sutherland is then called and examined about the ears3--8,was your attention called to his ears8--,yes4 ,when8--,on the #ith of ,november4 ,would you agree with ,sir ,w4 ,fergusson that the plaintiff's ears are large1 well-formed and unusually pendent8--,yes4 ,are they what you would call decidedly and distinctly detached ears8--,decidedly4 ,are there some ears which are perfectly lobeless8--,no doubt4 ,and others in which the lobe is detached8--,yes4 ,do you agree with ,sir ,w4 ,fergusson that if a man has a lobeless ear it never becomes pendent8--,i should think it would not4 ,and anatomically you would say that if a man has the one kind of ear it never becomes the other8--,decidedly40 ,you thus perceive that ,dr4 ,sutherland carries the matter a step further1 and he says that there are for general purposes two classes of ears4 ,his opinion is1 he says1 and also his experience1 that an ear once attached never becomes detached and dependent4 ,so far the scientific evidence4 ,there are two medical gentlemen on our side--,mr4 ,seymour ,haden1 and ,mr4 ,bernard ,holt--who1 as you will remember1 saw the plaintiff when the rest of us saw him1 and they will tell you that ,dr4 ,sutherland is perfectly right in saying that a dependent ear never does come out of an attached one1 and that ,sir ,william ,fergusson is right in saying that substantially the ear remains the same all through life4 ,take the ,chili daguerreotypes and compare them with the photographs of the claimant4 ,in the ,chili daguerreotypes of the real ,roger ,tichborne1 which ,col4 ,wortley says are for this purpose to be depended upon1 you will find that the ears are distinctly adhering1 but in all the photographs of the claimant where the ear is shown the ear is distinctly not adhering to the face4 ,take the uncontradicted evidence that the one class of ear never becomes the other class of ear1 and draw for yourselves the conclusion4 ,the ears of the real ,roger were of the one kind1 the ears of the claimant are of the other1 and as it is not contradicted or disputed that the ears never change1 it is plain that they are not the ears of the same man4 ,therefore1 the two sets of ears belong to two different persons1 and that is my case4 ,therefore1 gentlemen1 if you have no objection1 ,i should like you to pause for a moment1 and look at the photographs--first1 the ,chili photograph of ,roger ,tichborne1 and then one of the photographs taken of the claimant since his return from ,australia4 ,the ,foreman--,if you wish it1 ,mr4 ,attorney-,general1 of course we will do so with the greatest pleasure2 but the point is so thoroughly before every one of us that we really do not think it is necessary4 ,if you remember1 the point was raised by us in the first instance1 and it is most clearly before us now4 ,the ,attorney-,general--,very well1 gentlemen4 ,that is so1 and ,i am very glad you see the point upon which ,i insist4 ,there will therefore be no need for me to spend any more time about it1 for we have plenty to do yet4 ,so much1 then1 for the ears4 ,the next point we come to is the hands in general4 ,i have little to say about them1 but then we come to a most important part of the question1 one which my learned friend with great solemnity said more than once he thought was of the greatest importance--that is the question of the thumb4 ,and ,i ask your attention to the way in which this has arisen1 and the charge made in connection with it4 ,it is the thumb of the left hand4 ,you saw the plaintiff in the box4 ,you saw him for a terribly long time--for many days4 ,did you ever see his left hand ungloved8 ,now1 ,i ask you that question4 ,had he not always got a glove on his left hand8 ,did you ever see his left thumb8 ,that the habit of the man was to sit with a glove on the left hand ,i am quite certain1 and ,i believe he always did it4 ,the case went on something like seventy days before we heard a word about the thumb1 and the first we heard about it was in the re-examination of ,mr4 ,baigent4 ,it is remarkable the terms in which he introduced it1 and the terms in which the charge is made1 and the persons against whom it was made4 8,attend to me carefully10 says ,mr4 ,serjeant ,ballantine2 8were the photographs shown taken from the daguerreotype80 8,yes1 they were40 8,has the daguerreotype been in any way altered since it was taken80 and he answers1 8,yes1 certainly2 it has been tampered with40 ,then he is asked1 8,you say it has been tampered with2 what has been done with it80 and his reply was1 8,the thumb and the greater part of the hand has been smudged out40 ,now that is the first time in the case that anything was said about the thumb4 ,the ,lord ,chief ,justice then asked by whom the photograph was produced1 when ,mr4 ,serjeant ,ballantine said1 8,you may take it that it has throughout been in the possession of the defendants40 ,the ,lord ,chief ,justice remarked1 8,i always thought it was produced by the ,court of ,chancery40 ,the witness1 however1 said1 8,no1 it was produced by ,mr4 ,bowker40 ,the ,lord ,chief ,justice then asked whether it was meant to be suggested that it had been altered since the adjournment1 and my learned friend assents to that4 ,then ,mr4 ,baigent1 in answer to a question1 says--8,my belief is that it was not in the same state as it is now some few days after the first trial commenced last ,may0--so that there is no doubt that my learned friend and ,mr4 ,baigent both meant to impute that this daguerreotype had been tampered with by the defendants since the trial began in ,may4 ,mr4 ,baigent further says--8,i don't pledge my oath to that4 ,that is my impression4 ,i did not notice it4 ,i certainly should have noticed it ,i believe40 ,then ,i say1 8,as ,i understood it1 it may be taken as a fact that it comes from ,mr4 ,bowker's possession1 and it should also be taken as a fact that from ,mr4 ,bowker it was handed in1 and has been in the possession of the ,court ever since40 ,then ,mr4 ,serjeant ,ballantine says--8,de die in diem it has been in the possession of ,mr4 ,bowker ever since40 ,do not let us have any mistake about it4 ,i don't think my learned friend can say that ,i have not dealt fairly by him in calling your attention to this matter4 ,baigent makes a charge against the attorney in the cause of having tampered with this daguerreotype since the #fth of ,may4 ,if ,english words mean anything1 they mean that my learned friend says--8,there have been suggestions against every human being in the case produced on the part of the plaintiff40 ,i do not know what he means by that4 8,i shall not shrink from any imputation40 ,nobody has suggested it of my learned friend4 ,certainly not4 8,if there is any ground for a charge ,i will not hesitate to make it10 and then ,i say1 with perhaps a superfluous interposition1 8,of that ,i am quite certain40 ,now1 what is our answer8 ,in the first place1 that ,mr4 ,bowker had himself multiplied copies from the unaltered daguerreotype--that he had himself given the unaltered daguerreotype#a to ,mr4 ,savage1 at ,winchester1 who had multiplied photographs from it by scores and fifties1 and that in every one of the positives from his negatives the thumb or hand remained exactly as it was in the daguerreotype from which it was originally struck off long before the beginning of the trial4 ,our first answer then was this3--8,you accuse ,mr4 ,bowker of having tampered with an original1 the original state of which he had secured beyond all possibility of doubt by himself multiplying copies of it4 ,no man in his senses could have been such a fool as to mutilate a thing the different state of which he had already put beyond all doubt and question40 ,our second answer was3--8,that1 from the time of the trial1 or1 at all events1 from the time of the adjournment to the time it was said to be tampered with1 ,mr4 ,bowker had no control over it4 ,there were two boxes1 of which ,mr4 ,bowker had the key of the small one1 containing the daguerreotype1 but that small box was enclosed in a larger one1 of which ,mr4 ,dobinson had another and a different key1 and neither of these gentlemen could get at the daguerreotype without the consent of the other4 ,the large box was never opened from the time it was locked up to the time it was produced here again1 and therefore it is practically impossible that ,mr4 ,bowker could have had anything to do with mutilating or interfering with it40 ,our answer1 then1 was complete and overwhelming--we did not know what was the cause of the disappearance of the thumb4 ,that it was not in the same state in which it was when photographs were taken from it appeared by the production of the daguerreotypes and photographs2 but when the change took place and how it took place we had not the least idea4 ,we made inquiries and nobody could tell us4 8,we were not in full force at that time1 because1 as my learned friend ,mr4 ,jeune had gone1 on the part of the plaintiff1 to ,australia1 so ,mr4 ,purcell had also gone1 on the part of the defendant1 to ,australia4 ,about the time that the sittings broke up1 ,mr4 ,purcell returned from ,australia1 and among the consultations and discussions which ensued this matter of the daguerreotype turned up4 8,oh60 says ,mr4 ,purcell1 8,i am the person that did that1 and they might have known it well40 ,what happened was this4 ,he went out to execute the ,chili ,commission1 and as one of the things by which to test the ,chili witnesses1 he took out this very daguerreotype of the real ,roger for the purpose of asking them if it was like the man they recollected1 and who had been writing to them1 and they all of them said they did not recognise it4 ,as part of his luggage he put it in a box that was too big for it4 ,in fact it was not properly secured4 ,it was fixed at the back of the frame by little bits of metal1 which were attached to and formed part of the frame1 and were bent down--little projecting saw-teeth1 which were bent down over the daguerreotype1 and held it tightly in the frame4 ,this daguerreotype was placed in a little box1 not properly secured1 and the little box was in a portion of the luggage2 and on the journey from ,england to ,valparaiso1 or from ,valparaiso to ,melipilla1 the daguerreotype got out of its case4 ,it got knocked about1 and one or two of these little teeth becoming unfastened the daguerreotype was unfastened4#b ,when ,mr4 ,purcell arrived at ,melipilla he took it out and found it in this state4 ,he then at once went to a photographer and had it refastened down4 ,it was used in the ,chili ,commission in its present state1 and could not have been injured in the ,commission4 ,mr4 ,purcell will tell you how it took place1 and this daguerreotype has never been used for the purposes of photography since its return from ,chili4 ,the piece of paper at the back1 ,mr4 ,purcell will tell you1 was pasted on by himself1 and here are the signatures of the ,chili ,commissioners on the paper as written at ,chili1 and since then the daguerreotype could not possibly have been interfered with4 ,therefore there can be no mystery about it1 and yet in the face of what ,i mentioned to you before1 that ,mr4 ,bowker had himself photographed the uninjured daguerreotype by scores1 and in the face of the other facts of the case1 my learned friend1 ,mr4 ,sergeant ,ballantine1 allowed his case to come to an end with that offensive imputation against the advisers of the defendants1 and never explained or withdrew it4 ,well1 is the thumb in the photograph like the plaintiff's thumb8 ,nobody ever said it was from the beginning to the end of the case but ,mr4 ,baigent4#c ,this point is due entirely to the ingenuity of that gentleman4 ,his attention appears to have been drawn to the condition of the daguerreotype early in ,may4 ,no one's attention was drawn to the thumb till late in ,november1 and the first word that is said about it is said by ,mr4 ,baigent in re-examination4 ,now1 you know that in ,may1 just about the time that the attention1 as ,i have said1 of ,mr4 ,baigent appears1 by his examination-in-chief1 to have been drawn to the photograph1 ,i was asking for the inspection of the plaintiff's person for any marks on him upon which it was intended hereafter to place reliance4 ,my learned friend objected1 for the reasons you know1 to that proposal4 ,in his own interests he refused to allow that examination to take place1 and he must not now complain at the remarks which all the circumstances give rise to in my mind4 ,i don't for a moment say--and when ,i say a thing ,i trust you have learned ,i mean it--,i don't for a moment say that my learned friend had any reason to think there was any peculiarity about the thumb when he refused inspection4 ,but somebody knew1 and that somebody instructed my learned friend to refuse the examination4 ,i point out to you1 once more1 that no human being ever said a word about the thumb till ,mr4 ,baigent mentioned it4 ,neither ,baigent1 nor ,hopkins1 nor the plaintiff himself in his letter to his mother in which he mentioned the brown mark ever suggested the existence of a peculiarity in the thumb4 ,my learned friend hears of it for the first time only a few days before the end of his case1 on the #abth of ,december4 ,that is a remarkable thing4 ,my learned friend more than once or twice says it is highly important4 ,sir ,william ,fergusson1 when he first examined the plaintiff1 did not notice any peculiarity in the thumb1 but on the day he appeared in the box he said he made an examination of the thumb of the left hand4 ,he noticed there was a peculiarity in the thumb4 ,it was peculiarly pointed at the extremity4 ,the fleshy part projected beyond the nail more than usual1 and more than on the other hand4 ,the nail seemed to be perfectly developed1 and it struck him that the plaintiff had been in the habit of biting his nails1 which he afterwards learned was the case4 ,being shown the photograph1 he said it was an exact representation of the claimant4 ,then in cross-examination he says--8,i don't think such a thumb could be made by manipulation4 ,i don't think any pressure would produce it4 ,the nail is smaller on this thumb than on the other4 ,the whole thumb is smaller at the point4 ,the condition1 ,i don't think1 would be formed or made more marked by biting the nails4 ,i never had my attention called to it until yesterday morning40 ,footnote #a3 ,the ,attorney-,general is at fault here2 for ,mr4 ,savage1 as reported in our issue of the #bbnd ,december1 page #fjc1 distinctly said that his negative was made from a print that had previously been made from the daguerreotype1 and not from the daguerreotype itself4--,,eds4 ,footnote #b3 ,photographers will smile at the idea of the serrated edge of a brass mount which has been clamped over the back of a plate getting inside of the picture1 between the glass and the surface4--,,eds4 ,footnote #c3 ,according to the report of the case that appeared in our pages the photographic witnesses examined in the case have also asserted this4--,,eds4 ,the ,lord ,chief ,justice--,i don't understand that ,sir ,w4 ,fergusson's evidence was so much directed to the flesh protruding beyond the nail as to the peculiarity in the shape of the thumb4 ,that was the peculiarity which he meant could not be produced4 ,the ,attorney-,general--,it comes to this3 ,sir ,william ,fergusson does not think that biting would do it1 nor that it could be done artificially4 ,but the plaintiff had not been examined by our medical men then1 and ,i was not in a condition to cross-examine ,sir ,w4 ,fergusson4 ,mr4 ,canton is also examined1 and states that his attention was called to the thumb for the first time the day before4 ,there was this peculiarity about it--that the nail was attached to the part beneath to a less extent than it was in the case of the nail on the other thumb4 ,on being asked if such a condition of the left thumb could have been produced by any known process which a man could exercise on himself1 ,mr4 ,canton said that the only thing he could conceive would be a person continually biting his nails4 ,it really comes to this1 that if the man had let his nail alone1 the difference between the two nails would be greatly less4 ,that is the evidence of a witness for the plaintiff4 ,he is of opinion that the nail has been subjected to treatment for the purpose of producing a difference1 and that if it had not been there would have been much less difference4 ,now1 what does that show8 ,that the nail has been manipulated1 prepared1 gone through a process of concoction1 and not a word about it was mentioned to any human being1 however closely connected or intimate with the plaintiff1 until the #acth ,december1 when the thumb had been put in a proper state for examination4 ,when the doctors examined the plaintiff in ,november1 their attention was not called to the thumb4 ,i suppose it was not then in a state to be examined2 but in ,december they were suddenly called out of court1 and in some back room of this ,sessions-house this thumb was shown to them4 ,then this astounding charge was made of our having tampered with the daguerreotype for the purpose of destroying evidence which we ourselves had actually preserved4 ,as far as ,i understand the evidence of the medical men it will be this4 ,they will express a clear and confident opinion1 from a scientific examination of the thumb1 that it is a non-natural thumb1 by which ,i mean that it presents appearances which show that it has not been allowed to take its natural course1 but has been manipulated and treated by the plaintiff or some one in his interest--manufactured1 concocted1 and got up--for the purpose of this examination1 and now we can understand why the glove was always kept on the left hand1 and why not a single syllable was said about it until it was ready for inspection4 ,you can also understand why the secret was only committed to ,baigent4 ,it was not even communicated to ,miss ,braine4 ,my learned friend1 ,mr4 ,serjeant ,ballantine1 said it was an important matter1 and indeed it is4 ,mr4 ,baigent himself did not venture to say a word about the thumb until the pressure of cross-examination was removed2 he reserved it for his re-examination1 when the mouth of my learned friend1 ,mr4 ,hawkins1 was closed4 ,yet they searched all over the man--they drew attention to wretched little scratches on his ankles1 which you could hardly see1 and to a little white mark on the middle of his eyelid1 which ,i confess ,i could not see--these they hunted out for demonstration2 but this patent thing1 which he could not put his hand on a piece of paper to steady it while he was writing1 he could not wash his hands or use a knife and fork at dinner without exhibiting--this most staring and glaring peculiarity was never mentioned to any human being until the #acth ,december4 ,in any other but the ,tichborne case what would have been thought of this8 ,take a railway accident case4 ,what would a jury say if alleged injury were brought before them at the last hour which neither the plaintiff nor his counsel had ever said a word about before8 ,i know what would have been said of myself and ,mr4 ,hawkins if we had been counsel for the plaintiff4 ,but because this is the ,tichborne case it is allowed1 and my learned friend1 ,mr4 ,serjeant ,ballantine1 with an air of great solemnity1 says--8,this is a very important matter1 and a great deal more will be heard of it40 ,i understand my doctors will say the nail does not adhere so closely to the under surface as the nail does on the other hand--that it is perfectly easy to disconnect them--that it may be done by perseverence1 by introducing little pins and things of that kind1 and by gradually and steadily working them to disconnect the under surface of the nail from the under surface of the flesh1 and that in this way you can arrest the 8formative growth0 of the nail1 and they will tell you that that has actually been done4 ,you will look at the photographs for yourselves1 and ,i ask you to come to the conclusion that there is no reasonable pretence for saying that ,roger ,tichborne had such a thumb4 ,there is no one to suggest that ,roger ,tichborne had a peculiar thumb--no one till ,mr4 ,baigent suggests it on his re-examination2 and ,i submit that the whole affair has been trumped up to produce an impression when they found that the other marks failed them4 ---------------------------------------- -------------------------------- ,meetings of ,societies4 ------- ,,meetings ,,of ,,societies ,,for ,,next ,,week4 ---------------------------------------- ------------------------ ,date of ,meeting4 ,name of ,society4 ,place of ,meeting4 ---------------------------------------- ------------------------ ,feb4 #gth ,edinburgh ,hall1 #e1 ,st4 ,andrew-square4 ,feb #hth ,south ,london ,arundel ,hall1 ,arundel-street4 ,feb #hth ,manchester ,memorial ,hall1 ,albert-square4 ---------------------------------------- ------------------------ ,,edinburgh ,,photographic ,,society4 ,the second popular meeting of the season was held in ,queen-street ,hall on the evening of ,wednesday1 the #bdth ult4 ,every available place in the hall was filled4 ,the exhibition consisted of a very fine series of views in ,ireland1 kindly lent by ,messrs4 ,pumphrey ,brothers1 of ,birmingham1 and of a number of copies of ,erskine ,nicol's pictures of ,irish character1 prepared from negatives kindly lent for the purpose by ,mr4 ,tunny4 ,the pictures were arranged in the form of a tour1 beginning in the north at the ,giant's ,causeway1 working south to ,dublin1 and including the ,lakes of ,killarney and some of the finest scenery in the country4 ,the descriptive lecture was undertaken by ,mr4 ,j4 ,richard ,marquis1 ,r4,h4,a42 but being evidently new to the business1 and unaccustomed to speak in the dark1 the lecturer failed to come up to the expectations of the audience4 ,we hope1 however1 to hear ,mr4 ,marquis again1 as he has in him the elements from which good lecturers are formed2 and from his ability as an artist1 and his thorough acquaintance with what constitutes a good picture1 we are certain that with a little practice he will make a capital guide in such exhibitions4 ,the exhibition was thoroughly successful1 and at its close hearty votes of thanks were awarded to ,messrs4 ,pumphrey ,brothers1 ,mr4 ,tunny1 and the lecturer4 ,we may mention in connection with this that last evening 7,thursday7 the same pictures were exhibited as one of the series of popular lectures given under the auspices of the ,northern ,district ,lecture ,association4 ,on this occasion the lecture was delivered by ,dr4 ,john ,nicol1 who stated at the beginning that he was in a position to do what rarely could practically be done by a lecturer--that is1 praise his own lecture4 ,he 7,dr4 ,nicol71 however1 went on to say3--8,the lecture is not mine1 but has been kindly sent along with the pictures by ,messrs4 ,pumphrey2 and it is so much better than anything that ,i could produce1 ,i shall give it just as it is1 except1 perhaps1 the introduction here and there of a story or anecdote1 by way of a #8mouth-opener1' as our transatlantic friends would say40 ,both lecture and exhibition were very successful1 and elicited almost continuous applause4 ,at the close ,dr4 ,nicol exhibited the recently-patented 8wheel of life10 as manufactured by ,messrs4 ,pumphrey1 and described in ,,the ,,british ,,journal ,,of ,,photography a few weeks since4 ,he explained the principle of its construction1 and gave much credit to the inventor1 who1 he said1 had succeeded in doing admirably what he 7,dr4 ,nicol7 and many others had vainly tried to do for years4 ,at the termination of the exhibition1 votes of thanks were awarded to ,dr4 ,nicol1 to ,messrs4 ,pumphrey for the pictures1 and to ,messrs4 ,yerbury and ,lothian for the admirable way in which they had managed the lantern4 ---------------------------------------- -------------------------------- ,correspondence4 ,,the ,,constitution ,,of ,,matter ,,and ,,its ,,motions4--,,universal ,,gravitation ,,produced ,,by ,,the ,,motions ,,of ,,ether4--,,hypothesis ,,of ,m4 ,l',,abb ,,leray4--,m4 ,,riche ,,on ,,the ,,new ,,chemical ,,notation4--,,new ,,sensitive ,,pigment ,,paper4 ,in one of my recent letters to this ,journal ,i was deploring the want of some grand hypothesis which would embrace in one general law all the mechanical phenomena of nature--universal gravitation1 cohesion1 chemical affinity1 electricity1 magnetism1 light1 heat1 c4--and lo6 just such a hypothesis has turned up and been explained to me by its author--a man whom ,i am compelled to regard1 without any exaggeration1 as one of the great geniuses of the present day4 ,i allude to ,m4 ,l',abb ,leray1 author of a work to which ,i referred in a recent letter1 entitled ,constitution de la ,matire et ses ,mouvements4 ,i will endeavour to give an outline--but it can only be an outline--of this startling hypothesis1 which makes universal gravitation an effect of the motions of ether1 and dispels the idea hitherto entertained that it is an attractive force inherent in particles of matter1 by which they are enabled to exert a pull upon other particles at a distance from them in space4 ,sir ,isaac ,newton1 the immortal discoverer of the law of universal gravitation 7which asserts that every particle of matter in the universe attracts every other particle with a force which varies directly as the mass and inversely as the square of the distance71 himself believed that this law would be found1 at some future time1 to result from the motions of a subtle fluid which occupied space1 the atoms of which1 by impinging against ponderable matter1 produce the observed effect of weight or gravitation4 ,he could not conceive of ponderable matter possessing any inherent property by which it was enabled to act upon other ponderable matter at a distance4 ,he could not really believe in an inherent central force of attraction residing in a material atom1 by which it could draw towards itself another such atom situated at a distance1 or that it could affect other matter in any way than by the impact of intervening atoms2 and he predicted that some day the cause of universal gravitation would be discovered4 ,that day seems now to have arrived1 and the discovery to have been actually made4 ,i had read ,m4 ,leray's extraordinary work with a great deal of interest1 but there were still some unexplained points in his hypothesis which remained to be cleared up and some difficulties to be discussed4 ,as he resides at an ecclesiastical institution within an easy walk of ,redon1 ,i visited him a few days ago1 by appointment1 for the express purpose of having a long talk over his hypothesis2 and a very pleasant afternoon ,i had with him1 leaving more deeply impressed than ever with a sense of his great abilities and originality4 ,in fact1 ,i seem to have made the acquaintance of a second ,sir ,isaac or ,laplace4 ,the following is an outline of his theory2 but of course no demonstration of any part of it can be made within the limits of this letter3-- ,space is filled with a subtle ether1 consisting of atoms in motion4 ,these atoms are elastic--a property which they possess in virtue of being able to change their form1 though not their volume1 during impact and to recover it again4 ,their form is spherical1 they are all equal1 and their diameter is very small compared with that of the atoms of ponderable matter1 and also with their general distance apart4 ,this ether is1 therefore1 an exceedingly rare medium4 ,when the atoms impinge against each other they rebound like billiard balls1 and in all their motions they obey the common mechanical laws of inertia and impact1 and no other laws whatever4 ,they cannot act upon each other at a distance1 and therefore no attractive or repulsive force exists between them4 ,if only one of these atoms were to exist in space it would move in a straight line with uniform velocity until it reached the limit of space2 that is to say1 the boundary by which creation is limited--the boundary which separates entity from nonentity4 ,here1 being elastic1 it would be reflected1 and would then follow another rectilinear course until it again encountered in another point the boundary of space1 where it would be again reflected2 and so on for ever6 ,if we imagine space filled with an enormous number of such atoms it will follow that at every point in space there will be small parallel currents of them moving in all directions4 ,their distance apart being great in proportion to their size1 two contrary currents will not annihilate each other1 but by far the greater number of atoms in one current will pass those in the other current without impact4 ,those atoms which do impinge against opposite atoms1 at various angles of incidence1 will rebound and join other currents which are moving in their new direction4 ,the state of things above described constitutes what is called 8mobile equilibrium20 for what one current loses by meeting another in an opposite direction will be imparted to surrounding currents1 and these1 in their turn1 will give back equal to what they have acquired1 so that compensation will be made1 and thus the laws of conservation of force1 and of vis viva1 will be satisfied4 ,the velocity with which the atoms move is enormous1 and millions of times greater than the velocity of light4 ,the reader will observe that there is a vast difference between the mobile equilibrium of this ether and the equilibrium of air or gas confined in a closed vessel4 ,the reason why particles of a gas appear to repel each other is because the ethereal undulations of heat are vibrating between them4 ,by reducing the temperature and increasing the pressure gases may be liquified or solidified1 in which states no repulsion exists between their particles4 ,all ponderable matter is porous2 its ultimate atoms are spheres much larger than the atoms of ether1 and much farther apart2 the currents of ether can1 therefore1 pass through a ponderable body in all directions4 ,when a current of ether passes through a ponderable body some of the atoms of ether strike the atoms of the body and rebound2 the current1 after passing through the body1 will1 therefore1 be weakened1 according to the number of its atoms which have rebounded in altered directions--that is to say1 according to the number of atoms of the body which have been struck by atoms of ether4 ,the greater the mass of a body the greater will be the weakening of the currents of ether which have passed through it4 ,a current of ether weakened by passing through a body will gradually regain its original strength by passing through space1 since it will be continually reinforced by other atoms moving in the same direction as itself4 ,a single ponderable atom in the midst of currents of ether will be in equilibrium under their action1 because it will be struck equally in all directions4 ,but the atoms of a ponderable body will be put into vibratory motion by the passage through it of currents of ether2 these internal motions may enable us to account for light1 heat1 magnetism1 c4 ,when two ponderable bodies exist in space1 and currents of ether pass through them1 the two bodies will be impelled towards each other1 because the currents of ether that are between them and tend to keep them apart are weakened by having passed through the bodies1 and are1 therefore1 weaker than the currents which impel them towards each other4 ,this explains what has been called the 8attractive force of gravity40 ,it will be observed that since currents of ether pass through the bodies in all directions1 the weakened currents between the bodies will be included within a sort of conical space4 ,the law of attraction according to the inverse square of the distance is thus accounted for4 ,since the weight of a body is the same1 no matter how it is turned about1 it follows that the ultimate atoms of all ponderable matter must be spherical4 ,it follows also from the hypothesis that all the spherical atoms of ponderable matter are equal1 and that there is1 chemically speaking1 but one simple substance--the apparent variety depending upon the mode of aggregation of the atoms into molecules4 ,crystals are formed by arranging these spheres in the same way as you may arrange marbles or pile up cannon balls4 ,there is nothing in the hypothesis to interfere with the undulating theory of light1 or with any theory that reposes strictly upon observed facts2 but this we may discuss on a future occasion4 ,i need hardly say that it is in consequence of their great velocity that the atoms of ether acquire sufficient momentum to communicate sensible motion to ponderable matter4 ,ponderable matter may possibly be composed of the aggregation of ethereal atoms2 but ,m4 ,leray thinks not4 ,he can see no good reason why it should be so4 ,cohesion and chemical affinity may be explained on this hypothesis4 ,its leading feature is that it explains how such natural phenomena as do not involve vital or mental action may be explained on the simplest mechanical principles1 and without involving that 8bugaboo10 action at a distance4 ,of course1 ,dr4 ,frankland's ideas of 8bonds10 8active and latent atomicities10 c41 are inadmissible on this hypothesis4 ,the demonstrations are rigorously given1 and the work involves a good deal of high mathematics4 ,it is utterly impossible to do justice to the theory in the above brief sketch of it4 ,the theorems of ,euclid1 if thus stated1 would many of them appear improbable and absurd4 ,the work itself can be procured from ,m4 ,gauthier ,villars1 #ee1 ,quai des ,grands ,augustins1 ,paris1 price three francs4 ,it is copiously illustrated with woodcuts4 ,a new edition has just appeared4 ,some idea of the distance between the atoms of ponderable matter1 when in the form of gas1 may be gathered from a remark of ,dr4 ,mann's in his ,guide to a ,knowledge of ,life1 at page #ac1 where he says3-- 8,it can be shown to be highly probable that the ultimate atoms of gases are at least one hundred times their own diameter asunder even when those gases are held in confined vessels40 ,the earth and the moon are1 therefore1 about three times as near together1 in proportion to the diameter of the earth1 as two atoms of a gas are1 if the above remark be true4 ,in ,sir ,isaac ,newton's corpuscular theory of light the atoms emitted from the sun were supposed to follow one another at a distance of about a thousand miles apart6 ,under such circumstances the impact of two atoms of intersecting rays of light would be a comparatively rare event4 ,m4 ,leray asserts that the law of gravitation is only an approximation to the truth1 and that it is modified by the volumes of bodies4 ,the proof of this he expects will be found some day in the motions of comets1 which rapidly change their volume4 ,elective affinity he supposes to depend upon the different forms of crystals1 two crystals which present plane faces towards each other being more easily pushed together by the atoms of ether than two crystals in which a solid angle or an edge of one is presented to a plane face of the other4 ,the sun1 planets1 fixed stars1 nebul1 c41 are1 of course1 perpetually riddled through and through1 in all directions1 by currents of ether4 ,that is why the heavenly bodies gravitate towards each other1 as explained in a preceding paragraph4 ,with respect to reflection at the boundary of space1 it is an idea which grows upon you the more you think of it4 ,enormous as creation is it is impossible to conceive of its having no limit4 ,what1 then1 is beyond that limit8--,nothing4 ,not even space in which matter can exist2 no place even for matter4 ,on reaching the boundary which separates an entity 7for space is an entity7 from a nonentity matter must be reflected1 if elastic2 or it must roll for ever against the boundary of space1 if inelastic4 ,this conclusion seems to me inevitable2 there is no escape from it4 ,in the new edition of ,m4 ,leray's book he modifies the theory which ,i have endeavoured briefly to explain in the foregoing paragraphs by supposing that1 instead of one ether1 there are two in a state of mixture1 the second being a grosser fluid1 and its atoms larger than those of the other4 ,it is these larger atoms of the grosser fluid which1 by their transversal vibrations1 produce the phenomena of light1 heat1 c4 ,these larger atoms do not suffer the same swift motion of translation through space as the smaller atoms of the subtler fluid4 ,they have no greater motion of translation than ponderable atoms have4 ,it may be asked--,what is the difference between ponderable and imponderable matter1 and why are the atoms of ether imponderable8 ,to this query a satisfactory answer is given2 but ,i must refer the reader to the book for it4 ,were ,i to enter upon any demonstrations an entire number of this ,journal would not contain half that could be said4 ,i have proved in an independent manner1 and different from that of ,pre ,leray1 that two equal1 penetrable spheres of ponderable matter1 existing in space at a distance apart which is large in proportion to their diameters1 will be impelled towards each other by the impact of ethereal matters1 according to a law which is approximately that of the inverse square of the distance4 ,when the spheres are brought to within a much shorter distance of each other the law ceases to be approximately true4 ,the law of gravitation may1 therefore1 be only approximately true for particles of matter at a great distance apart in proportion to their diameters4 ,the only observations which appear to confirm the law are those which have been made upon the heavenly bodies2 and here we have a case of a distance apart many times the diameters of the bodies1 even between satellites and their primaries4 ,but before any one can seriously accept this new hypothesis a vast deal more thought and study must be bestowed upon it than ,i have yet had time to give it4 ,i will send the demonstration referred to for insertion in a future number of this ,journal if our ,editors think fit4 ,the subject is not foreign to photography1 but intimately connected with it as a science4 ,according to the new hypothesis1 new definitions must be given of ,,mass and ,,density4 ,according to ,m4 ,leray1 8the mass of an atom is equal to its volume1 and the mass of a body is equal to the sum of the volumes of its atoms40 8,if we call ,m the mass of a body1 and ,v its apparent volume1 the fraction ,m_/,v is the absolute density of the body4 ,the absolute density is1 therefore1 unity for an atom1 and varies from #j to #a for all bodies40 ,if two bodies have the same apparent volume1 their densities are proportional to their masses4 ,i have been looking through a capital ,french work on ,chemistry1 published in #ahgj1 by ,m4 ,alfred ,riche1 lecturer at the ,polytechnic ,school at ,paris4 ,he uses the old notation and table of equivalents2 but strongly advises a change to the new1 which he explains very nicely1 and pretty much as our lecturer has done4 ,whenever the atomic weight of an element is given according to the new table its symbol has a bar drawn across it4 ,something of this sort should always be observed1 in order to avoid confusion between the old and new formul4 99 99 99 99 99 ,i have just received a letter from ,mr4 ,j4 ,r4 ,johnson1 containing a most beautiful carbon print4 ,he asks me what ,i think of it4 ,my reply is simply this--that it is the most wonderfully fine print ,i have ever seen upon paper4 ,,thomas ,,sutton1 ,b4,a4 ,redon1 ,january #bf1 #ahgb4 ,,the ,,recent ,,solar ,,eclipse4--,,new ,,photographic ,,venture ,,at ,,the ,,antipodes4--,,photography ,,in ,,the ,,bush4 ,the most interesting event1 in a photographic point of view1 which ,i have to report is the departure of the scientific expedition to observe the total eclipse of the sun on the #abth of this month4 ,the place selected for the observations is ,cape ,sidmouth1 some three hundred miles south of ,cape ,york1 in ,northern ,australia4 ,the expedition has been organised by the ,royal ,society of ,victoria1 and the expense is met by private subscriptions1 largely aided by grants from the several ,colonial ,governments4 ,the ,queensland ,government steamer was also placed at the disposal of the party free of charge4 ,the various instruments necessary for the observations were sent from ,england by the ,royal ,society2 but1 owing to my absence from ,sydney at the time the expedition sailed1 ,i am unable to give any details of the arrangements for taking photographs of the eclipse4 ,i hope1 however1 soon to be able to give a full description of the results4 ,the party consists of more than thirty gentlemen1 the different branches of science being well represented2 for botanists and geologists are taking advantage of the trip to make investigations in their own departments4 ,for the astronomical observations ,victoria sends her ,government ,astronomer1 ,mr4 ,ellery1 at the head of a large staff of observers1 and a photographer1 ,mr4 ,walters2 while ,new ,south ,wales sends ,mr4 ,russell1 the present1 and the ,rev4 ,w4 ,scott1 the late1 ,government ,astronomer1 and ,mr4 ,merlin1 of the 8,american and ,australasian ,photographic ,company40 ,from this double staff we may expect a large number of photographs and other valuable results4 ,the steamer left ,sydney on the #bgth of ,november1 and will return by ,christmas1 before which time no news will reach us of the doings of the party4 ,we shall1 therefore1 look forward to their return with much interest4 99 99 99 99 99 ,professional photographers here do not now devote their attention so exclusively to portraiture as formerly4 ,the 8,american and ,australasian ,photographic ,company0 has announced its intention of photographing every house in the ,australasian colonies6 ,i suppose it finds it a profitable speculation1 as it has already photographed a considerable number of towns1 house by house4 ,the day for each place is previously advertised1 so that the inhabitants may put themselves and their dwellings in holiday attire4 ,the photographs are to some extent used as advertisements4 99 99 99 99 99 ,i lately came across a photographer in the far interior1 some #ejj or #fjj miles from ,sydney4 ,he had already travelled a still greater distance from ,adelaide1 in ,south ,australia1 from whence he had started on his tour4 ,he was plying his vocation at the various sheep and cattle stations1 and was apparently well patronised4 ,i saw several of his groups of aboriginals1 which were very good4 ,the black fellows were highly delighted with their portraits1 and were very anxious that copies should be sent to their friends in other districts4 ,sydney1 ,december #a1 #ahga4 ,e4 ,b4 ,,docker1 ,m4,a4 ,p4,s4--,the unfortunate wreck of the mail steamer has deprived us of the journals for this month4--,e4 ,b4 ,d4 ,,carbolic ,,acid4 ,to the ,,editors4 ,,gentlemen1--,my attention has been called to an article in your issue of the #aith ,january1 under the head 8,correspondence10 by ,mr4 ,thomas ,sutton1 containing several statements with reference to carbolic acid which it would be wrong to allow to remain uncontradicted4 ,first3 he says carbolic acid is by no means a good antiseptic1 and is very poisonous1 and then refers to persons being lately poisoned by its fumes at ,wolverhampton4 ,as to its poisonous nature3 ,it is1 of course1 a poison if taken internally in quantity1 but is not a virulent one taken in any reasonable or probable quantity4 ,it is1 perhaps1 not out of place to say that if it should be taken internally in a concentrated form1 by misadventure1 large doses of castor and sweet oil immediately administered will materially counteract the poisonous effect of the acid4 ,the fumes of the acid are perfectly harmless and may be breathed with impunity4 ,mr4 ,sutton is labouring under a false impression with regard to the case to which he alludes at ,wolverhampton1 of which the following is the correct account3--,two dogs 7not human beings7 were supposed to have died from inhaling the fumes of carbolic acid emanating from a disinfecting powder sprinkled over the floor of a workshop in ,wolverhampton1 and1 the following is an extract from the report of the chemist who examined one of the dogs3--8,the disinfecting powder was not a carbolic acid powder1 but an imitation2 for it contained nothing but lime impregnated with tar1 and was entirely innocent of any harm to the animals4 ,strychnine1 however1 was discovered in considerable quantity in most parts of the viscera and in the blood4 ,i calculated that at least one grain and a-quarter of this poisonous alkaloid had been administered to the animal by some evil-disposed person or persons unknown40 ,thus much for the poisoning of human beings lately at ,wolverhampton by the fumes of carbolic acid4#d ,footnote #d3 ,the cattle show at the ,agricultural ,hall1 ,islington1 has for the two last years been successfully disinfected and kept sweet with carbolic acid4 ,had ,mr4 ,sutton ever seen carbolic acid fumigation1 or read about carbolic acid1 he would not have made an assertion so utterly groundless4 ,the writer has himself many times been for two or three days together in a room containing a large excess of carbolic acid fumes without experiencing any injurious effects4 ,with regard to the action of carbolic acid on the teeth1 if ,mr4 ,sutton will refer to an article in the ,british ,journal of ,dental ,science for ,march1 #ahga1 he will find 8it is a powerful antiseptic1 and invaluable for the arrest of any decay or decomposition of the teeth40 ,mr4 ,sutton has quoted from a long letter of ,dr4 ,dougall's to the ,lancet1 and ,i cannot do better than refer him to ,dr4 ,sansom's able reply to it in the ,lancet of ,january #acth4 ,dr4 ,sansom says that the white-cloud appearance in albuminous solutions to which carbolic acid has been added is often really no albuminous precipitate at all1 but is caused by refractile globules of carbolic acid in a fine state of sub-division2 also1 that it has been shown that albuminous solutions are antisepted when carbolic acid exists in them in too feeble a proportion to cause any precipitate whatever4 ,if carbolic acid acted as an antiseptic by coagulating albumen1 agents which had a greater coagulating power would1 a fortiori1 be more powerful antiseptics1 which has abundantly been proved not to be the case1 and therefore the antiseptic properties of carbolic acid do not result solely from its power of coagulating albumen4 ,with respect to the assertion that the amount of carbolic acid vapour which could be tolerated in the air of a hospital ward would be entirely inadequate to act as a disinfectant1 ,dr4 ,sansom says his experiments have shown him that carbolised atmospheres are efficient in preventing putrefaction and the growth of mouldiness1 and more so than atmospheres impregnated with chloride of lime or sulphurous acid4 ,dr4 ,sansom objects to the experiments recorded by ,dr4 ,dougall1 since tar oil 7a crude product weak in carbolic acid1 and possessing little or no volatile disinfectant constituent71 and ,mc,dougall's powder 7a mixture of sulphites of lime and magnesia with tar oil7 were used4 ,as to carbolic acid not being a good antiseptic1 the following reports1 ,i think1 fully prove the contrary3-- ,the late ,dr4 ,w4 ,allen ,miller1 ,f4,r4,s41 preserved urine and fresh blood for three months by the simple addition of five per cent4 of ,calvert's carbolic disinfecting powder--a product containing fifteen per cent4 of carbolic acid in a free state4 ,mr4 ,wm4 ,crookes1 ,f4,r4,s41 says that he took some albumen from fresh eggs and mixed it with an equal bulk of water4 ,by itself it became bad after nine days1 and at the end of three weeks it smelt very strongly4 ,he added to four bottles of the fluid respectively #a1 #b1 #e1 and #aj per cent4 of carbolic acid powder 7equivalent to #c_/bj1 1 1 and #a per cent4 of free carbolic acid74 ,all kept good at ordinary temperatures for forty days4 ,blood with #a_/ae per cent4 of carbolic acid remained good for a month4 ,solutions of size1 glue1 and gum mixed with #a_/ae per cent4 of carbolic acid have remained for two months without becoming sour4 ,fresh yeast was washed with water containing one-tenth per cent4 ,its power of inducing fermentation was entirely destroyed4 ,dr4 ,f4 ,crace ,calvert1 ,f4,r4,s41 in his paper on comparative disinfectants1 gives the following results with antiseptics upon solutions of albumen3-- ,antiseptic ,percentage ,time in which employed4 of acquired an antiseptic offensive odour4 used4 ,temperature #gj to #hj ,f4 ,chloride of #e #af days4 lime ,tar oil #b #aa days4 ,carbolic acid #b remained sound six months ,none -- #e days4 ,the writer preserved meat for ninety days1 during a hot summer1 by placing twelve ounces of fresh meat in a bottle containing one pound of water and five grains of carbolic acid4 ,the mouth of the bottle was left open1 and no offensive smell was emitted till the ninety-third day4 ,the meat was1 of course1 unfit for food1 and was merely experimented with to test the antiseptic power of carbolic acid4 ,the following is an extract from a report in ,compte ,rendus de l',acadmie des ,sciences of ,march #fth1 #ahga1 by ,messrs4 ,nelaton1 ,langier1 and ,payen1 on experiments made at the ,paris ,morgue by ,m4 ,devergie3-- 8,during the heat of summer1 when putrefying corpses in the ,morgue continually emit a quantity of noxious gases that cannot be removed by ventilation or destroyed by chlorine or bleaching powder1 we decided to prevent their production by trying to destroy the vitality of the germs of putrefaction1 and thus prevent decomposition itself4 ,we effected this by dissolving one litre of carbolic acid in #a1ijj litres of water and irrigating the bodies with the solution thus made4 ,putrefaction was completely stopped1 and disinfection was even obtained after reducing the quantity of acid by one-half4 ,m4 ,devergie points out that water containing one four-thousandth part of carbolic acid proved sufficient during the intense heat of last summer to disinfect the deadhouse1 without the aid of any shaft1 when six or seven dead bodies were lying there4 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 ,carbolic acid seems well adapted for the disinfection of rooms which have been occupied by persons suffering from infectious diseases2 therefore1 we recommend its use1 after being dissolved in thirty times its weight of water1 by sprinkling it on the floors1 pavements1 and staircases during the stay of patients in rooms and for a few days after their departure40 ,according to ,dr4 ,sansom carbolic acid is readily taken up by air1 so that #aei4dd cubic inches of air1 at #fj ,fah41 contain one grain of carbolic acid4 ,air thus carbolised 7currents excluded7 entirely annuls putrefaction and fungoid manifestation on the surface of putrescible fluids1 and such carbolised air is more permanently efficacious than air charged with the fumes of chloride of lime or sulphurous acid1 and it may be breathed with impunity by mammifers4 ,these few observations will1 ,i think1 satisfy your readers that ,mr4 ,sutton's remarks are erroneous and without foundation4 ,i shall be glad to learn that photographers have tried carbolic acid in the preservative solution for dry plates1 and would recommend them to make a solution of carbolic acid1 one part to one thousand parts of water1 and then add their albumen to this solution to the strength they require it4 ,above all things it is essential that the carbolic acid be of good quality for photographic purposes2 and ,i would recommend them to use an acid such as ,calvert's ,no4 #a 7gilt label7 carbolic acid4--,i am1 yours1 c41 ,,reginald ,,le ,,neve ,,foster4 ,bradford1 near ,manchester1 ,january #bg1 #ahgb4 ,,the ,,test ,,for ,,albumen4 ,to the ,,editors4 ,,gentlemen1--,it is over two years since ,i devised the carbolic mixture for detecting traces of albumen4 ,at the time ,i did not think it of sufficient photographic interest to occupy your space in detailing experiments on the subject2 but1 as you do not remember the author's name1 ,i beg to remind you that ,i am the author4 ,it was published1 ,i believe1 as a note by a friend of mine--an eminent chemist and toxicologist--in a medical work4 ,on one occasion we were talking over the means of detecting albumen1 and having experimented with phenol or 8carbolic acid0 for about eight years1 many times in connection with albumen1 ,i knew its properties well1 and1 on my attention being directed to a test for albumen1 ,i commenced experiments with a mixture of phenol and acetic acid1 then with the addition of alcohol1 and finally with phenol and alcohol1 equal parts by weight4 ,my friend and self then went through a comparative set of experiments side by side--my friend taking his old nitric acid test and ,i my new phenol mixture--the result being that my test indicated albumen both in plain water and urine1 diluted one in ten after the nitric acid failed to indicate any further4--,i am1 yours1 c41 ,f4 ,w4 ,,hart4 #h1 ,kingsland ,green1 ,january #bi1 #ahgb4 ,,suggestion ,,for ,a ,,photographic ,,exhibition4 ,to the ,,editors4 ,,gentlemen1--,the continued complaints which one heard from people after the close of our photographic exhibition1 that they had not seen it1 did not know when it opened or when it had closed1 and the strong interest they felt in it1 induce me to believe that a comprehensive exhibition of photography in all its shapes--the new processes1 the landscape and humanity of different countries1 c41 c4--might be made of very great interest1 and to pay its way as well4 ,in the spring1 and even now1 ,london is filled with collections of paintings1 which make photographs look tame4 ,in the ,international ,exhibition they are equally put out2 and if they are to be seen and judged properly they must be in an exhibition by themselves4 ,no intelligent collector hangs works in colour with photographs or engravings2 and exhibition goers1 passing from a gallery of pictures1 will not stop to look at photographs4 ,if1 therefore1 we could1 under the direction of the photographic societies1 make in ,october a collection of cosmopolitan photography1 and connect with it a display and comparison of lenses of all makers1 we should enable the art to claim its just consideration4 ,colonel ,stuart ,wortley's suggestion as to contributions of negatives would give a photographic exhibition1 if adopted1 a special technical interest2 and we might in this include examples of negatives by the dry processes4 ,the question of retouching might be decided without difference of opinion by having two classes of works--one touched on the negative1 and the other in which no touching other than stopping out pinholes should be permitted4 ,if awards are made--and in this ,i recall ,colonel ,wortley's mention of the medal of the ,photographic ,society--no award should be made for a touched negative unless a print from it before touching should be submitted to the judges at the same time1 but not necessarily for exhibition4 ,it is clear that when we talk of excellence in photography we mean something other than what a draughtsman may do in the way of supplementing photography4 ,works which do not enter for an award may omit mention of the distinction ,i have indicated4 ,i believe that such an exhibition would excite a very general interest1 and do more to improve the knowledge of photographers on practical details than years of casual acquaintance of what other men do4 ,i am1 to a certain extent1 an outsider1 and cannot do more than suggest2 but ,i hope that some of the influential masters of the camera will take up the question4--,i am1 yours1 c41 ,w4 ,j4 ,,stillman4 #ajj1 ,clarendon-road1 ,notting-hill1 ,january #bi1 #ahgb4 ,,natural ,,colours ,,in ,,photography4 ,to the ,,editors4 ,,gentlemen1--,last night1 as 8,i lay a-thinking10 the subject of obtaining photographic colour suddenly occurred to me1 and the question arose as to whether the differences in the colours of the light reflected from the surfaces of different-coloured flowers 7as red1 blue1 and yellow7 was due to differences in the constitution of their juices1 or of the solid matter of which they are formed4 ,if on examination it proved to be of the juices1 a second question arose as to whether it would not be possible to take advantage of this in the preparation of plates1 as suggested by me in an article which you inserted in ,,the ,,british ,,journal ,,of ,,photography for ,october #bg1 #ahfe 7,no4 #bhf1 vol4 xii474 ,then1 supposing that by this or any other means the three monochromic plates were obtainable1 would coloured glasses placed in front of the lens help to stop off the colours not to be represented on the plate8 ,thus1 with a plate sensitive to blue only1 the interposition of a blue glass would prevent the transmission of the yellow and red rays1 a red glass those of the blue and yellow rays1 and a yellow glass that of the blue and red rays to the plates sensitive to the blue1 red1 and yellow rays respectively4 ,i have evidence that so early as #ahdb the late ,sir ,john ,herschel obtained variously-coloured photographs on paper1 as he gave me several1 and ,i have still one a good blue1 one a fair red1 and two purple4 ,the letter accompanying them describes the two latter as produced by the use of the juice of the red poppy2 but many of them have faded away entirely4 ,my impression is that others of them were from vegetable juices1 but ,i am not sure that this was the case4 ,there can be no doubt1 however1 that his published papers will give an account of the numerous experiments he made on this subject4 ,these suggestions may1 or may not1 be of value in forwarding the realisation of the great desideratum of photographic colour2 but ,i cannot be far wrong in mentioning them as they occur to me1 especially as my former communication1 in #ahfe1 was thought to be worth consideration by experimentalists4 ,that the great end will be attained before a very long period has elapsed1 and the prediction of ,m4 ,niepce be verified1 that 8one day a photographic picture will be produced such as one sees in a looking-glass10 is the hope and wish of--,yours1 c41 ,,henry ,,collen4 ,milford1 ,godalming1 ,january #bi1 #ahgb4 ,,the ,,photographic ,,department ,,of ,,the ,,international ,,exhibition4 ,to the ,,editors4 ,,gentlemen1--,the notice which the direction of the ,international ,exhibition has sent to your ,journal is sufficiently unsatisfactory to be discussed a little before the photographic profession commits itself to the mercies of that institution for another such display as we had last year4 ,it seems to some of us that the least the management could do1 if the leading photographers are expected to contribute1 would be to put some one on the photographic committee whom they are accustomed to regard as identified in a high degree with the interests of the art1 or whose interest in it they feel assured of4 ,we should have imagined that one of the presidents of the photographic societies1 or at least one of those eminent amateurs who have really contributed to the advancement of photographic science1 and shown a disinterested devotion to it in its present condition1 would have had the selection1 or1 at least1 a voice in the selection1 of the pictures to be exhibited4 ,as it is1 we have ,dr4 ,diamond1 who was1 in years gone by1 interested in photography1 and who is understood to be in the present combination a passive member2 ,mr4 ,thompson1 of whom most of us know nothing2 and ,col4 ,stuart ,wortley1 whom some of the profession do not accept as an authority1 and in whose position1 as having a commercial interest in photography in no way identified with that of the profession at large1 they find excellent reasons why he should not be put forward as the judge and spokesman of it4 ,if a professional photographer is to be assigned this position1 ,col4 ,wortley's place is not sufficiently high to justify his selection4 ,if an outsider must be selected1 he is disqualified1 as being commercially interested on the one hand and a disputed authority on the other1 or one at least to whom few good professionals will defer4--,i am1 yours1 c41 ,,hypo4 ,london1 ,january1 #bi1 #ahgb4 ,endorsing all that is said about the two jurors first mentioned1 we ask our correspondent if he can1 after due consideration1 indicate any photographer1 professional or amateur1 in whom a greater degree of confidence would be placed than in ,col4 ,wortley8--,,eds4 ,,comblike ,,markings ,,on ,,the ,,negative4 ,to the ,,editors4 ,,gentlemen1--,perhaps the following may explain the defect 8,j4 ,h4 ,m40 speaks of3--,during the hot weather last summer1 while photographing an engine in the open air1 every plate showed comblike marks at one side of the plate4 ,after two days' trial1 and filtering the bath1 changing the collodion1 c41 it struck me that the cause might be the partial drying of the film4 ,a piece of wet blotting-paper at the back of each plate at once remedied the defect1 and all came right4 ,i now always place wet paper at the back under similar circumstances4--,i am1 yours1 c41 ,,geo4 ,,spencer4 #gg1 ,cannon-street1 ,e4,c41 ,january #bf1 #ahgb4 ,,ammonia ,,fuming4 ,to the ,,editors4 ,,gentlemen1--,in your useful little ,,almanac for the present year there is an article by ,mr4 ,a4 ,l4 ,henderson1 enthusiastically written1 in favour of fuming4 ,now1 in accordance with his recommendation1 ,i have tried the said fuming2 but my first essay has certainly not impressed me very strongly as regards its favourable results--whether from my own defective manipulation or not ,i cannot say4 ,i found that the paper--especially some of ,marion's thick ,saxe--assumed a most disagreeable yellow colour after fuming1 and it maintained that colour through all subsequent operations--as a matter of course1 spoiling the prints4 ,another sample of 7,rive7 paper procured from another dealer was not quite so faulty in this respect2 still1 in neither case was the brilliancy of the prints enhanced--rather deteriorated1 ,i thought--although ,mr4 ,henderson maintains so stoutly the advantages of fuming in this respect4 ,again3 instead of the toning being quicker and more regular in action1 as ,mr4 ,henderson states1 ,i found it much the reverse4 ,i think that ,i must be wrong somewhere in my working1 and ,i wish to ask your opinion or ,mr4 ,henderson's on the best mode of proceeding--assuming it to be really worth while to adopt fuming4 ,i used an oblong box about two feet in length by one foot in breadth1 placing at the bottom a narrow-necked bottle containing about two ounces of liquor ammonia1 fuming two quarter-sheets of paper for about ten minutes1 with the result above stated4 ,have ,i omitted any necessary addition8 or have ,i proceeded wrongly8--,i am1 yours1 c41 ,,ammonia ,,fuming4 ,leeds1 ,january #bi1 #ahgb4 ,a ,,correction4 ,to the ,,editors4 ,,gentlemen1--,in my communication to the ,journal last week1 at page #cg1 under heading ,using the ,substratum1 there is an omission which would prevent the successful coating of the plates4 ,the strength of the albumen there given is that of the stock solution1 to use which add two ounces of distilled water to every half-drachm required1 half-a-drachm thus diluted being amply sufficient to coat fifty plates4--,i am1 yours1 c41 ,,aleck4 ,a4 ,,inglis4 ,edinburgh1 ,january #cj1 #ahgb4 ---------------------------------------- -------------------------------- ,miscellanea4 ,,trade ,,in ,,obscene ,,photographs4--,a man named ,benjamin ,smith1 alias ,martin ,stanley1 living at ,oil ,mill ,folds1 or ,alma-place1 ,westgate1 ,rotherham1 was charged at ,rotherham1 on ,thursday1 the #beth ult41 with publishing and selling photographs of a kind to debase and scandalise human nature4 ,the ,west ,riding constabulary received information from various sources that photographs of a most disgusting character were being circulated throughout the ,united ,kingdom1 and even in other countries1 by a man living at ,rotherham1 who had inserted an advertisement in several ,london and provincial papers1 in the name of ,smith and ,stanley1 stating that he was prepared on receipt of postage stamps to forward portraits of ,french girls of a highly novel and exciting nature4 ,a trap to catch the prisoner was accordingly laid by the ,rotherham police1 an inspector sending to him letters signed with an assumed name1 and purporting to come from a place some distance from ,rotherham4 ,stamps were enclosed1 and in return a number of photographs of a most filthy and disgusting nature were obtained4 ,at length some postage stamps1 bearing a private mark1 were sent in a letter to the prisoner1 and the inspector of police watched the postman deliver it4 ,he then entered the house1 and found his own letter containing the marked stamps1 together with a number of other letters1 in possession of the prisoner4 ,on the house being searched another beastly photograph was found1 whereupon the prisoner told the officer that he would find no more there1 as he kept them at a house he mentioned at ,sheffield4 ,this house was accordingly searched by two officers of the ,sheffield police force1 and there they found a number of most filthy photographs1 together with printed lists describing what the prisoner had for sale4 ,the prisoner was apprehended on the #adth of ,january1 and since that time nearly a hundred letters from all parts of ,england1 ,scotland1 and ,ireland have arrived at the ,rotherham post office directed to him4 ,the police obtained the permission of ,her ,majesty's ,secretary of ,state and of the ,postmaster-,general to receive and open these letters1 and they found1 on doing so1 that great numbers of postage stamps were enclosed1 and some filthy photographs and books4 ,the prisoner was committed for trial1 and on application being made the magistrates intimated that they should require the prisoner to be bound in the sum of #bjj1 and two sureties of #ajj each to be found4 ,,camphor ,,in ,,the ,,printing ,,bath4--,mr4 ,john ,r4 ,clemons gives in ,mosaics some of his experience with camphor in the printing press4 ,he says3--,after the positive printing bath has been used some time it becomes more or less charged with albumen4 ,if1 when the solution is poured from the dish into the filter1 frothy bubbles appear on the surface1 it is in the condition named1 and is unfit for use in sensitising albumen paper4 ,the reason is obvious4 ,when an albumen sheet is floated upon a silver solution thus charged with albumen1 a secondary film of albumen1 or albumenate of silver1 is imparted to it1 which deprives it of its lustre1 and it is impossible to secure a good tone upon it4 ,the difference will be readily seen by floating one-half of a sheet of paper on the used solution1 and the other half on a fresh solution1 and comparing the results4 ,the effect of silvering on such a solution is similar to that of using doubly-albumenised paper4 ,in both cases the silver will penetrate both films1 even if silvered on the back1 and very good prints apparently may be made on paper so treated2 but when you proceed to tone them1 you will find that the double film of albumen resists the action of the gold1 and renders it impossible to get rich tones4 ,i have already recommended the addition of alcohol to a bath thus charged with albumen1 and then burning it out1 in order to cleanse the bath1 but since have sought for a less expensive method1 and have found camphor to be just what is needed4 ,besides being less expensive1 it is also more expeditious2 for in five minutes an eighty-ounce bath can be cleansed of all impurities by its use1 as directed below4 ,make a saturated solution of camphor1 viz43-- ,camphor #a ounce4 ,alcohol #f ounces4 ,to cleanse a bath which is considerably fouled by the albumen1 add two and a-half ounces of this camphor solution4 ,a greasy appearance will be presented on the surface of the bath4 ,shake well1 when the greasiness will disappear4 ,then filter1 never using the same filter twice4 ,if1 after filtration1 the solution turns dark1 add a couple of drops of permanganate of potash1 and it will immediately clear4 ,this turning dark is owing to long usage of the silver solution4 ,it is a fact that the bath is daily impregnated more or less with the albumen1 therefore a slight addition of camphor daily is recommended4 ,this will avoid the addition of the permanganate1 which rather decreases the sensitiveness4 ,as a quick and ready corrective agent1 camphor will be found of great advantage4 ,it will impart a camphory smell to the solution1 but in no way deteriorates the quality of the prints4 ,,to ,,copy ,,oil ,,portraits4--,mr4 ,b4 ,frank ,saylor1 in ,photographic ,mosaics1 says on this subject3--,as ,i have never seen anything from which ,i have derived any material aid in the copying of oil portraits1 and especially old ones1 ,i propose simply to give our modus operandi1 feeling confident that those who do not proceed in like manner may successfully copy oil paintings1 and especially old portraits4 ,we first1 with a clean sponge and water1 partially wash the old portrait1 and then pour perhaps an ounce of glycerine on it1 and with the same sponge brush the glycerine crosswise over the entire picture until it presents a uniform surface2 or1 should a greasy appearance be presented1 something like a negative plate when partially coated1 rub gently with the palm of the hand crosswise1 and it is ready for copying4 ,we copy under the skylight1 about where we should place the sitter for the same lighted picture1 directing the camera to about the centre of the picture1 and as nearly level as may be4 ,on our camera we use a quarter-size tube inverted--that is1 turn it end for end--with a diaphragm of about six-eighths of an inch aperture1 placing the picture square to the front of the camera4 ,after making the necessary adjustments as to size1 c41 we coat the plate with the same collodion which we use for our regular portrait negatives1 and when it is properly coated expose fully--that is1 neither over- nor under-expose4 ,the success1 however1 depends on the manipulation during the exposure4 ,we take a piece of backboard1 say six inches wide and about three feet long1 and with it shade all the top of the portrait above the head1 standing by the side of the portrait and holding the backboard in the hand1 moving it up and down as though it were hinged on the top of the portrait1 but not allowing its shadow to come down over the forehead or face1 except those parts should be improved thereby4 ,we produce the same effect on the sides of the portrait by occasionally moving our body at the same time over portions of the background1 taking care not to remain perfectly still or too long in the same place1 nor yet to allow any shadow from our person or anything else to cover any portion of the figure4 ,thus1 with a little care and attention1 a very satisfactory background is obtained1 even admitting of desirable variation1 thereby avoiding the necessity of a double-printed background and the like1 and producing from a single negative and printing duplicates to equal1 if not to surpass1 the original1 and every print alike4 ,lastly3 we develope with the usual iron developer1 using six ounces of iron to sixty-four of water2 this1 however1 we again dilute with water1 adding alcohol1 more or less acetic acid1 according to the detail and density we wish to obtain4 ------- ,now ,ready1 ,crown #hvo41 ,price #as42 ,free by ,post1 #as4 #b;d4 ,,the ,,british ,,journal ,,photographic ,,almanac ,,and ,,photographer',s ,,daily ,,companion ,,for #ahgb4 ,edited by ,j4 ,t4 ,,taylor4--,the volume embraces every subject that can be of any use to the ,amateur and ,professional ,photographer4 ,the ,editor has been assisted by numerous collaborateurs1 embracing nearly all the leading writers connected with the ,art-,science of ,photography4 ,some idea may be formed of the large body of interesting and important information brought together within the compass of this ,volume from the fact that upwards of ,sixty practical workers in ,photography have contributed original articles to this issue of ,,the ,,british ,,journal ,,photographic ,,almanac4 ,london3 ,,henry ,,greenwood1 publisher1 #b1 ,york-street1 ,covent-garden1 ,w4,c4 ,,exchange ,,column4 ,no charge is made for inserting these announcements2 but in no case do we insert any article merely offered for sale1 that being done at the small cost of one shilling in our advertising pages4 ,this column is devoted to exchanges only4 ,it is imperative that the name of the person proposing the exchange be given 7although not necessarily for publication1 if a nom de plume be thought desirable71 otherwise the notice will not appear4 ,i will exchange a ,marion's embossing press for cameo cartes1 cost #d #ajs41 for anything useful in photography4 ,offers invited4--,address1 ,t4 ,,kay1 ,lark ,hill ,house1 ,bolton4 ,a very superior #cf-;inch photographer's bicycle will be exchanged for a fine collection of lantern slides1 revolving stereoscope1 or other photographic materials4 ,offers solicited4 ,photograph and particulars on application4--,address1 ,h4 ,,rogerson1 #aj1 ,springcliff1 ,bradford4 ,i wish to exchange an exterior background1 by ,bull1 cabinet size1 for another1 or anything useful for the studio2 it was new last ,june1 and cost #cgs4 #f;d4 ,offers also wanted for a single half-plate view lens1 by ,home and ,thornthwaite4 ,photographs exchanged4--,address1 ,photographic ,institute1 ,portmadoc4 ,,answers ,,to ,,correspondents4 ------- ,correspondents should never write on both sides of the paper4 ------- ,,james ,,tulley4--,received4 ,in our next4 ,,geo4 ,,daniel4--,professor ,wheatstone was the inventor of the reflecting stereoscope4 ,an account of his invention was published in #ahch in the ,philosophical ,transactions4 ,h4 ,w4--,the carte enclosed is a very pretty one1 both in respect of the subject and the treatment4 ,had the oval been omitted and the dome alone used the effect would have been better4 ,,photo4--,let the south side of the studio be glazed--not with clear but with ground glass4 ,should this not be procurable in your town1 use plain glass1 and dab it over with putty4 ,,crawdon4--,india-rubber finger-stalls will prove an effectual means of keeping fingers clean4 ,we do not use them ourselves2 but we know several gentlemen who do4 ,they cost about threepence each4 ,,east ,,anglican4--,there is no remedy for the spots in the paper except more care in the selection4 ,the spots are owing to minute particles of metal introduced into the paper when in a state of pulp4 ,t4 ,m4 7,newcastle-on-,tyne74--,so far as we know1 the only house in the photographic trade from which you can obtain what is wanted is that of ,mr4 ,f4 ,w4 ,hart1 #h1 ,kingsland-green4 ,the other matter shall receive attention4 ,w4 ,w4--#a4 ,a vessel made of gutta-percha will both destroy and eventually be destroyed by a solution of nitrate of silver4--#b4 ,slate does not appear to affect a nitrate bath4--#c4 ,bees' wax is not decomposed by this solution4 ,,pietro ,,constantino ,,remondini 7,genoa74--,enclosure received with thanks4 ,the ,,almanac was posted on the #bbnd ,january4 ,g4 ,w4 ,h4--,it is quite impossible from such slender data us that supplied by you to obtain the information desired1 but from the nature of the subject we are strongly of opinion that it would be dangerous for you to follow out your proposed intention4 ,,inquisitive ,,reader4--,you are mistaken in your supposition concerning the author of the article4 ,he is not an amateur1 but a professional of high standing1 who1 for certain reasons1 prefers the adoption of a nom de plume to giving his own name4 ,,inquirer4--,we could not in this column give you a proper idea of polarised light4 ,the 8three words0 into which you would like the information compressed would have to be extended to many more before we gave you or our readers a clear idea of the nature and properties of polarised light4 ,,photolitho4--,we are aware that ,mr4 ,woodbury has so altered his process as to get rid of the necessity for using a preliminary coating of collodion4 ,he now prints on the bare gelatine1 and after exposure mounts the film1 sensitive side downwards1 on a plate of glass coated with gelatine and chrome alum4 ,,portraits ,,by ,,the ,,magnesium ,,light4--,mr4 ,w4 ,g4 ,lewis has sent us some carte portraits taken at night by the magnesium light1 which show that in his hands this neglected branch of photography is very successfully managed4 ,the faces are full of delicate half-tone4 ,the time of exposure was three times that required in ordinary daylight4 ,,george ,,thompson4--#a4 ,although we do not esteem the maker of your lens as one of the best1 he has1 for all that1 a fair reputation in his own country2 and we know that he has made some good lenses4 ,we have not1 however1 heard of him for several years past4--#b4 ,dr4 ,monckhoven is a dealer in apparatus--not a manufacturer of lenses4 ,f4 ,c4 ,s4--,ideas often run in parallel grooves4 ,for several weeks past we have been using our note-book very freely in the collection of materials for such a series of articles as that suggested by you4 ,some of the information required to render the series of the greatest possible value is only procurable with much difficulty and at no little expense2 still1 such progress in the compilation has been made as will warrant the indulgence of a hope that we may be able to introduce the subject at no distant date4 ,,erratum4--,in ,mr4 ,coote's article in our last number1 page #ch1 second column1 eleventh line from top1 for 8you are apt to hurry and free the development10 read 8,,force the development40 ,mr4 ,coote also informs us that in the middle paragraph of the first column in the same page1 a sentence there in which he gave his reason for discontinuing the use of the salt bath for washing the plates will read better and more correctly as follows3--8,firstly3 ,i found the extra salt bath and long washing required after it to considerably lengthen an already sufficiently tedious method of preparation40 ,,subscriber4--,excuse plain speaking1 but your pictures are by no means good--in fact1 they are very bad4 ,we are at a loss as to what to attribute their special qualities--whether to want of care or want of knowledge and experience4 ,carelessness1 to all appearance1 has had much to do with the matter2 for the plate has been badly coated and is torn1 and the developer has not flowed smoothly over the surface4 ,after you have acquired some more experience and dexterity in manipulation write again1 enclosing a specimen4 ,you need not entertain any fear of your name and address being divulged4 ,w4 ,k4--,no more easy and expeditious method of collecting oxygen in a bag can be adopted than that which has so often been described in our ,almanacs and ,journals1 viz41 connecting the bag with the washing bottle by means of an india-rubber tube1 the bottle being in turn connected with the retort in which the oxygen is generated4 ,the method of making oxygen from chlorate of potash and black oxide of manganese is the simplest1 cheapest1 and best to adopt when only a small quantity is required4 ,by a small quantity we here mean such a quantity as will be required by a professional enlarger of photographs in full practice4 ,,sam ,,weller says--8#a4 ,can you inform me what the method is for enlarging designs for calico or zinc plates to be engraved for the purpose of tracing from by pentagraph8--#b4 ,also as to the manner of building a suitable glass house1 and kind of light--north or south8--#c4 ,also1 if a cheap condenser for the solar camera may be made by cementing a clock glass to a plate of sheet glass and filling it with water80----,we reply3--#a4 ,a design can be placed upon a zinc plate by the combination of enlarging and photolithography1 or by transferring a carbon enlargement4--#b4 ,a north light is better than a south2 for the rest1 it will be necessary to consult an architect4--#c4 ,this query is answered with some degree of minuteness in the first paragraph of page #cj of our ,,almanac for the present year4 ,,old ,,harry asks--8,what is a pistolgram80 ,we are to some extent ashamed of the definition we are about to give1 but we can offer no other4 ,it is a small picture taken by a pistolgraph1 and this1 in turn1 is a small camera introduced by ,mr4 ,thomas ,skaife1 by which photographs might be taken with a very rapid exposure4 ,we strongly suspect that 8,old ,harry0 knows more of the subject than he wishes us to believe1 otherwise why put the question concerning the greater angularity of aperture that is possible to be obtained with a short than with a long-focus lens8 and to which we reply that1 without at present speculating on the cause1 the effect is just as he states it to be4 ,the same principle applies to the object-glasses of microscopes1 and it is an important element in the recognition of object-glasses of the highest quality4 ---------------------------------------- -------------------------------- ,,contents4 ,,page ,a ,,character ,,of ,,certain ,,preservative ,,films #dg ,a ,,shellac ,,varnish #dg ,,blistering ,,of ,,albumen ,,surfaces4 ,by ,f4 ,w4 ,,hart1 #dg ,f4,c4,s4 ,,collodio-,,bromide4 ,by ,j4 ,w4 ,,gough #dh ,,the ,,fading ,,of ,,mercury-,,toned ,,transparencies4 ,by #dh ,,don ,,quixote ,,notes ,,on ,,passing ,,events4 ,by ,a ,,peripatetic #di ,,photographer ,,transalpine ,,photography4 ,by ,p4 ,,le ,,neve ,,foster1 ,m4,a #di ,,the ,,ears ,,and ,,thumbs ,,of ,,contention #ej ,,meetings ,,of ,,societies #ec ,,correspondence #ec ,,answers ,,to ,,correspondents1 c4 #eh ---------------------------------------- -------------------------------- ,transcriber's ,notes3 ,missing or obscured punctuation was silently corrected4 ,typographical errors were silently corrected4 ,inconsistent spelling and hyphenation were made consistent only when a predominant form was found in this book4 ,text that was in italics is enclosed by underscores 7italics74