The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1868-02-29
Scientific Items.

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in England. 1t is said that cables OF
any size can be made with the greatest
facility in a shipbuitder's own yard,
with great saving 10 both labor and
fuel. Excellent horseshoe nails, made
by steam machinery instead OF hand
labor. can now also be supplied. e
At the weekly meeting of the mem
bers of the Royal Institution 10 Lon
don, Professor Tyndal delivered MS
second lecture on -" taraday as us,
coverer." The Professor concaqded
by giving an affecting account OF ar
aday during his illness, and read TWO |
letters which he had written, 10 one |
of which, dated IN the autumn or
1865. he alluded to his loss of memory, |
and of not being able to recollect al
the end of one line what he had writ
ten In the line before.
An important discovery has been
made at Bordeaux and communicated
to its scientific academy. Within the
space comprised between the Rues
Victor and Trois- Conils on one side,
and du Paugue and Rohan on the
other, a re-historical lacustral sta
ton has been discovered. Nj. Delfort
RE assigns an age of seven or eight
thousand years to this station, marked
by thick bed of ashes covering a
Drodigious Quantity of oyster shells,
mixed up with flint hatchets and ITn--
plements in perfect preservation, and
what is most remarkable, handles OF
instruments or weapons made out OF
metatarsial bones saWn half way
through the middle of their dla-
physes. As the station bears strong
relation to the K-j0kEeHn1OddiBgs of
Denmark, it is therefore older than
the lacustral villages Of Switzerland.
A new anesthetic agent has been
prominently brought forward by DIR.
Richardson. 1t is bi-chloride of
methylene, a substance pertaining to
/ the series Of methylic ether. 1t is as
powerful as chloroform; its action is
more rapid. but the dose must be
somewhat stronger; it produces a sec
opd degree of narcotism, which does
not last so long as that produced by
other anesthetics, but which may be
easily reproduced; it causes very lit
tie disturbance; its elimination IS
rapid, and recovery almost sudden; IT
will occasionally cause vomiting, and
when it kills 1t is by paralyZIng both
the circulation and breathing appara-
tus but this misfortune occurs much
more seldom than with chloroform.
The Journal deS C0nRaiseGRceS
Medicdles describes as follows the
preparationsof coniferine, a substance
resembling salicine, and extracted
from various kinds of fir. The wood
is stripped of its bark, rasped and
then subjected to the action oEa
press. A thick Juice is thus obtained
, which after being heated, strained
and evaporated, deposits chrystalint
needles of coaiferine, which Is bitter
the mother I've, on the contrary, II
sweet. The crystals are re-dissolveC
in water, discolored by lampblack
and then rescFystalized in weak alec
hol. Coniferine is but little solubt
In cold. but dissoives readily In boil
ing water; it is scarcely soluble In al
cohol. and not at all in either. Ih
watery solution is bitter, loyogyTe,
not precipifated by the acetates Q
lead. and gives 30 color with perch
lorido of iron. Treated with cOncer
trated sulphurie acid, coniferin
changes from white to a deep vlole
Y The LUNG R0T.-Continuing il
reports On the Preventable DH
eases of the Industrious Glasses,
the British Medical Journal describe
the great loss of life caused BY tn
inhalation Of metallic and miners
dust, and instances cases of the lun
rot" so common among men en-
ployed in grinding metals and
re chipping stones-diseases which coal
be avoided in great part If prOp'
mechanical means were taken to tlltt
the air. Engineers, cutters, grinder
and stone-cutters die as a rule, vel
early, and most of them from proven
able lung diseases. Many youths c
not live out their apprenticeship, an
many men die in the first years
their manhood. Skilled foremen a
). hardly to befOund among the mil
stone makers for, by the time TIM
reach that grade their health Is so 8
riously compromised that they rare
ID. live long enough to enjoy 1t.
Something Worth Knowing IL TrU
From the Toledo (Ohiol Blade.
One of our contemporaries makes
Int statement in reference to a means
saving fuel, which, if coTrect, shou
be generally known, particularly
these hard times, when economy Isl
necessary. 1t says: There IS
La economy Ia the use of coal that is n
az n. generally known, which may be Ell
,ur ployed to great advantage. We allQ
nd to the consumption Of the ashes az
nders. without sitting, either f
at CRATE or stove, by which one-thlrd,