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Influence of high pressures on living organisms
~ug., 1884.]
New Brith'b, Slandard Wire Gauge.
101
A b o v e are placed, side b y side, the new scale~ the B i r m i n g h a m * scale and the D a r l i n g , B r o w n & Sharpe scale, the values being g i v e n in fractions of an inch. By comparison of the first two scales it will be seen that for the old series of four sizes from 0000 to 0 is substituted a series of seven sizes tioom 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 to 0, the first l y i n g entirely outside the old series, and being exactly ½ inch. A t No. 1 there is agreement between the two scales, the value being 0"3 inch. F r o m this point to No. 30 there is substantial agreement. T h e six sizes following No. 30 in the old series range fl'om 0"1 to 0"004. To these correspond twelve sizes in the new. T h e last eight n u m b e r s i n the new series have no counterpart i n the old. ]~NFLUENCE OF ~ I G ] [ t :PRESSURES ON LIV1NG ORGANISINS--rI~he recent expedition of the Talisman has furnished interesting proofs of the existence of "organic life at great depths in the sea. Direct experiments have been made by M. Regnard, with the press of Messrs. Cailletet and Dueretet, by which a pressure of more than a thousand atmospheres can be 0btained~ corresponding to a depth of water of more than 10 kilometres (6,214 miles)° Beer-yeast, when snbmitted to the pressure of a thollsand atmospheres for a n hour, and then placed in contact with sweetened water~ appeared to be latent. After about an hour it revived, when fermentation began and went on slowly. Yeast was afterwards left in sweetened water, under a pressure of 696 atmospheres for seven hours, when no fermentation took place. The tube was then withdrawn and, after an hour~ fermentation began. U n d e r the pressure of a thousand atmospheres, st'~rch was transformed into sugar by saliva, Algae, when submitted to six h u n d r e d atmospheres, for an hour, were able to decompose carbonic acid under solar influence; but tour days afterwards they were dead and began to putrefy. Seeds of cress, after ten minutes exposure under a thousand atmospheres, were swollen with water, and it was a week before they began to sprout. Stagnant water, swarming with infusoria, was subjected to six h u n d r e d atmospheres. After a h a l f hour's exposure the anilnals seemed to be asleep, but after they were withdrawn, they soon revived. , Molusca, bloodsuckers, and erustaeea, though apparently asleep or dead u n d e r the pressure, revived more or less rapidly after being withdrawn. Fishes, without a swimming-bladder, can be subjected with i m p u n i t y to the pressure e f a hundred atmospheres. A t two h u n d r e d atmospheres they seem to be asleep but m a y be quickly revived, At three h u n d r e d atmospheres they die. A~ four hundred atmospheres or more they are dead and rigid; they putrify even without losing their rigidity.--Chron. Jndustr., April 6, 1884. C.
The values for the B i r m i n g h a m scale here given are those which were determined in 1846 by Mr. Holtzapffel, who examined the best specimens of the gauge then obtainable° These values have been widely adopted, although they ditIbr more or less from the figures given by other and more recent authorities.
New Brith'b, Slandard Wire Gauge.
101
A b o v e are placed, side b y side, the new scale~ the B i r m i n g h a m * scale and the D a r l i n g , B r o w n & Sharpe scale, the values being g i v e n in fractions of an inch. By comparison of the first two scales it will be seen that for the old series of four sizes from 0000 to 0 is substituted a series of seven sizes tioom 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 to 0, the first l y i n g entirely outside the old series, and being exactly ½ inch. A t No. 1 there is agreement between the two scales, the value being 0"3 inch. F r o m this point to No. 30 there is substantial agreement. T h e six sizes following No. 30 in the old series range fl'om 0"1 to 0"004. To these correspond twelve sizes in the new. T h e last eight n u m b e r s i n the new series have no counterpart i n the old. ]~NFLUENCE OF ~ I G ] [ t :PRESSURES ON LIV1NG ORGANISINS--rI~he recent expedition of the Talisman has furnished interesting proofs of the existence of "organic life at great depths in the sea. Direct experiments have been made by M. Regnard, with the press of Messrs. Cailletet and Dueretet, by which a pressure of more than a thousand atmospheres can be 0btained~ corresponding to a depth of water of more than 10 kilometres (6,214 miles)° Beer-yeast, when snbmitted to the pressure of a thollsand atmospheres for a n hour, and then placed in contact with sweetened water~ appeared to be latent. After about an hour it revived, when fermentation began and went on slowly. Yeast was afterwards left in sweetened water, under a pressure of 696 atmospheres for seven hours, when no fermentation took place. The tube was then withdrawn and, after an hour~ fermentation began. U n d e r the pressure of a thousand atmospheres, st'~rch was transformed into sugar by saliva, Algae, when submitted to six h u n d r e d atmospheres, for an hour, were able to decompose carbonic acid under solar influence; but tour days afterwards they were dead and began to putrefy. Seeds of cress, after ten minutes exposure under a thousand atmospheres, were swollen with water, and it was a week before they began to sprout. Stagnant water, swarming with infusoria, was subjected to six h u n d r e d atmospheres. After a h a l f hour's exposure the anilnals seemed to be asleep, but after they were withdrawn, they soon revived. , Molusca, bloodsuckers, and erustaeea, though apparently asleep or dead u n d e r the pressure, revived more or less rapidly after being withdrawn. Fishes, without a swimming-bladder, can be subjected with i m p u n i t y to the pressure e f a hundred atmospheres. A t two h u n d r e d atmospheres they seem to be asleep but m a y be quickly revived, At three h u n d r e d atmospheres they die. A~ four hundred atmospheres or more they are dead and rigid; they putrify even without losing their rigidity.--Chron. Jndustr., April 6, 1884. C.
The values for the B i r m i n g h a m scale here given are those which were determined in 1846 by Mr. Holtzapffel, who examined the best specimens of the gauge then obtainable° These values have been widely adopted, although they ditIbr more or less from the figures given by other and more recent authorities.