On supporting science journalism
If you're enjoying this article, consider supporting our award-winning journalism by subscribing. By purchasing a subscription you are helping to ensure the future of impactful stories about the discoveries and ideas shaping our world today.
OBSERVATORY OP VASSAR COLLEGE. The computations and some of the observations in the following notes are from students in the astronomical department. The times of risings and settings of planets are approximate, but sufficiently accurate to enable an ordirary observer to find the object mentioned. M. M. Positions ofPlanets for November, 1876. Mercury. Mercury should be looked for before sunrise during October and the first half of November. On November 1, it rises about 5 A. M., and sets at 4h. 15m. P. M. On November 30, Mercury rises at 7h. 4m. A. M., and is too near to the sun to be seen. Venus. Venus is still brilliant in the morning, rising on the 1st at 2h. 58m. A. M., and setting at 3h. 15m. P. M. On the 30th, Venus rises at 3h. 58m. P. M., and sets at 2h. 45m. P. M. Although its apparent diameter is much smaller than in the summer, it is still a very beautiful object, and can be seen all through the month. On the 28th, Mars, at this time very small, can be recognized by its nearness to Venus. mars. Mars is one of the planets visible to the naked eye, but it is very small in November, and can be seen only in the morning. It may be known from the circumstance of its keeping nearly the same diurnal path with Venus, at a little less altitude. Mars rises on the 1st at 4h. 14m. A. M., and sets at 3h. 47m. P. M. On the 30th, Mars rises at 3h. 56m. A. M., and sets at 2h. 37m. P. M On November 28 Mars and Venus will have nearly the samerightascension, and will" pass the meridian with only a few minutes difference of time. Jupiter. Jupiter is very little seen in November. In the early part of the month it sets about 6h. 10m. P. M., and can be seen in the southwest immediately after sunset. On the 30th, it rises at 7h. 26m. A. M., and sets at 4h. 39m. P. M. Saturn. Although Saturn is low in altitude (in this latitude not above 26 for the whole month of November) it is much the most interesting object in the evening sky. With a telescope of low power, its wonderful ring can be seen, and at least one of its many satellites. On the 1st, Saturn rises at 2h. 16m. P. M., comes to the meridian at 7h. 30m., and sets at 43m. after midnight. On the 30th, Saturn rises at 23m. after noon, comes to the meridian at 5h. 38m., and sets at lOh. 53m. the next day. Saturn is among the stars of Aquarius, but so much brighter than even the brightest of the constellation as to be readily known to be a planet. TTranus. On November 1, Uranus rises a few minutes after midnight, but a short time before the bright star Eegulus, and li north of it in declination. The planet can perhaps be found by its nearness to this bright star ; it approaches the star until the 29th. On the 30th, Uranus rises at lOh. 15m. P. M., and setsatllh. 58m. the next morning. Neptune. Neptune rises on November 1 at 4h. 41m. ? M., and sets at 6h. Im. of the next morning. On the 30th, Neptune rises at 2h. 45m. P. M., and sets at 4h. 3m. the next morning. This planet is so far distant from the earth that it can be seen only by means of the best telescopes. Sun Spots. The report is from September 28 to October 17, inclusive. The photographs of September 28 and September 29 show two large groups of spots coming on. These were seen till October 3 ; but after that date, clouds prevented observation and photographing till October 9, when the sun's disk appeared to be free from spots. On October 13 a group of small spots was seen on the western limb. These had not been discovered before, probably on account of clouds. This group was last seen on October 17,but, contrary to the usual behavior, it hadappeared to increase in size as it approached the limb. The return of this spot may be looked for after two weeks. Small Arms for Russia. Smith & Wesson, Springfield, Mass., have a new contract with the Russian government for 20,000 pistols, which are to be the same as those they have making, and include the automatic ejector. The firm have now manufactured some 130,-000 for this government, their first contract being taken in 1871. This contract, by the way, was concluded for the government by a gentleman bearing the euphonious name of Captain N. Kouschavewitsch. THE Australian gum tree, eucalyptus globulus, well known for its antiseptic qualities, has recently been found to yield a fragrant resinous oil, containing a substance homologous to camphor. Patent Law Keform In England, At a recent meeting of the British Association at Glasgow, a paper was read " On Recent Attempts at Patent Legisla- 1 tion," by Mr. St. John Vincent Day. In the discussion which followed, Mr. F. J. Bramwell spoke at some 1 length. It seems to be thought, he said, that lawyers have , a special claim to dominate in patent legislation, perhaps on account of the great gravity of the legislation which arises out of patents. This notion of excessive litigation in refer- 1 ence to patent matters is absolutely unfounded. An eminent barrister connected with patent litigation, when it does ; arise, had assured Mr. Bramwell that on an average of many ( years only nine patent actions or suits go to the stage of a , primary decision in each year; and an examination of the ; files of the Times for the year ending November, 1874, , showed the accuracy of the statement which had been made. Mr. Bramwell then proceeded to the question of the ofiicial ; examinations into novelty and frivolity. He had long had very great doubts whether it is desirable to make an examination even into novelty; but if such an examination be made, the very first care must be to appoint a sufiicient number of men of scientific attainments or of good experience. This is a difiicult task in itself; even when the greatest care has been taken, it is certain that some mistakes will be . made, and some hardships will be suffered, and we have to consider whether the advantages to be attained are sufiicient : to justify the risk. After all, what is the benefit to be de- rived from an examination into the novelty of an invention? Sometimes,it is said, it is to protect the inventor. The answer to that is that, if you make the inventors into classes separate from the community at large, the inventor says: " For heaven's sake, leave us alone; we not need to be protected against ourselves." But others put the desirability of the examination into novelty on broader grounds. They say it is undesirable that a patent should be granted for a thing which is not new.because the public may thereby be prohibited from using something which the patentee claims as his invention. The answer to this is that a patent granted for a thing which is not new is, if not void, voidable, and then in truth a very small amount of harm results. Mr. Bramwell then went on to illustrate his meaning by reference to the inventions of James Watt, Dr. Potts (the inventor of the method of driving piles by the exhaustion of the air), and Dr. Siemens, all of whom he urged would, probably, have been refused a patent, by the examining body. It appeared certain that we should not have an examination as to frivolity ; and if we were to have an examination as to novelty, that examination should be fenced with precautions to prevent an inventor being injured by a wrongful decision. It was recommended by the committee of the Society for the Amendment of the Law that a patentee should have, notwithstanding the adverse report of the examiner, a right to demand his patent if he still so pleased, but that the specification should have appended to it the decision of the examiner, and that any person bringing an action under such a patent should be compelled to give security for the costs ; and that in the event of his failing, and failing on the grounds put forward by the report of the examiner, he should pay the whole costs of his opponent as between solicitor and client, and not the mere taxed costs. Some protection such as this against the mistake of novelty examiners was absolutely necessary. REMARKS. In this country we have had the system of ofiicial examination in vogue for forty years; and if it were possible for Englishmen to learn anything.they might profit from our experience. In the early days of our system, it was the common practice of the Patent Ofiice to reject even highly meritorious inventions ; just as they now do at the Prussian Patent Ofiice. But that method gave great dissatisfaction, and was so discouraging to inventors, and so obviously contrary to the spirit of the Constitution, that it had to be abandoned. At present the examinations are substantially limited to the ascertainment of identities of inventions. If the invention for which a patent is asked is identical with one already patented, the petition is rejected. If there is an iota of difference, the new patent is allowed. This is the only safe rule to follow; it works well, and gives satisfaction; except in cases where the examiner is so stupid as to be unable to see the difference between tweedledum and tweedle-dee. Property in patents never com manded such high valuations here as at present, notwithstanding the fact that the number of issues, now nearly 15,000 a year, is steadily increasing. The Supreme Court of the United States taught our patent ofiicers a good lesson concerning the necessity of liberality to inventors, when it forbade the practice of citing old rejected cases against new applicants. This decision so limits the scope of ofiicial examinations that they are of no special importance now, if indeed they ever were ; and nobody would be hurt if the system were abrogated. We agree with Mr. Bramwell that a patent granted for an old invention is good for nothing, and the issue of such a patent does very little harm. Cliromlc Inks. As long ago as 1848, Professor F. Runge invented what he called a chromic ink, from its containing chromate of potash. His directions for its preparations, published at the time in Dingler's Journal, were as follows; A decoction of logwood is first made in the proportion of 10 to 80, that is 10 lbs. of logwood is boiled with enough water to produce 80 lbs. of the decoction. To 1,000 parts of this logwood extract, when cold, is added 1 part of yellow chromate of potash, stirring rapidly. It is ready for use at once. Gum and other additions are injurious, he says, to this ink. The following year W. Stein proposed an improvement on Runge's ink, saying that the great fault of this ink was that it soon became thick, like sour milk. This he overcame by adding four grains of corrosive sublimate to each bottle. This would restore thick ink to its pristine quality, and improve its color changing it from deep indigo blue to pure black. In 1867, C. Puscher described a new ink similar to the above, made as follows ; Boil 10 ozs. of logwood in 20 ozs. of water, then boil again in 20 ozs. more of water, and mix the two decoctions ; add 2 ozs. of chrome alum and boil another quarter of an hour. One oz. of gum arable is added, and we have 25 ozs. of deep black ink. Bttger says that a simple method of preventing gelatinizing in chromic ink is to add to the water in which the extract is made some carbonate of soda. His method of operation is as follows; Dissolve 15 parts of extract of logwood in 1,000 parts of distilled water to which 4 parts of carbonate of soda has been added at boiling heat, and add 1 part of yellow chromate of potash dissolve in a little water.
