The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1868-04-18
Scientific.

CoLoRIEss DRYING OTL.-Mulder finds that
BY boiling inseed oil for two hours with
three per cent of red lead, and after filter
ing, exposing il in shallow vessels TO sun
light and current of air, good coloriess
drying oil is produced.
LIGHT From OxIDIzED Misunderstanding
TO III. Baumbauer, when the clean surface OF
either potassium or sodium is exposed to the
air, oxidatioD is sufficiently rapid to produce
an evolution Of light.
PoNpERABLE MATER THE ONLY MEDIUM OF
ELEcrRIcIrY. MIR. AlVergniat, of Paris, has
constructed a new sp oaratus for proving
that electricity cannot pass through an alb
solute vacuum. Two platinum wires are in
serted into tube so that their free err De are
within about an eighth Of an inch o. each
other. The air is then exhausted from the
tube bv means Of mercurial column, after
which the electric sparks will not pass from
one platinum wire to the other.
Recent experiments conducted by the
French Government chow that the water
tanks on board a ship should be coated IN
side with tin, and not with galvanized iron,
as at present. IL was discovered that the
water, under certain conditions, dissolved
the zinc of the iron, and rendered it I'M u
rious to health.
THE NV ASEsrHETIc AGEET-Bichloride
Of methyline, first used for producing in
sensibility by DIR. Richardson, oil England,
has been tried with success by DE-. A. r.
Strachan. It is said to produce none Of the
unpleasant sensations attendant upon the in
halation of chloroform or ether. The new
an@sthetic compound contains one atom less
of chlorine, and one atom more Of hydro
gen than chloroform, and may therefore be
considered less dangerous than the latter,
but neither Of the three agents mentioned
can be as safely administered as nitrous
oxide, which contains only elements found
In common air.
AcrIos OF WATER ON LEAD.-Bottger has
found that the action Of distilled water on
lead is due to the pre- renee OF carbonate OF
ammonia, and not as is usually understood,
to the air dissolved in the water. After &C
tive ebulition, distilled water will not attack
lead until after long exposure, when 9 re-
absorption Of ammonia and carbonic acid
from the air, where they are always present,
takes place.
INTERESTING ExPERMENT.-A new and
pleasant illustration Of physical forces is
furnished by an experiment made by M.
Louis de Henry, for demonstrating the
power Of magnetism in generating heat. He
found that il glass flask is placed on q
small copper plate, and magnet with its
pole- pointing upwards is made to revoive
rapidly in vertical axis below this plate,
the temperature Of the air in the flask is in
creased, and this may be made sensible by
any particular arrangement. Ii q copper
voaaai annfainfnR Mt ia alahafffnfad fnr
the plate, sufficient heat might be generated
by the rapid action of the magnet
to cause the water 10 boil.
A Nav SUBSTANCE An English patent
has Just been granted 10 Mr. Parkes for the
process Of manufacturing from certain
tibrous vegetable and oleaginous materials,
remarkable substance which in . raw state
closely resembles vulcanized India rubber.
II permits Of beng made sufficiently soft
ant plastic to be moulded into dies or
moulds, taking the most delicate impressions,
down to lines Of microscopic minutensss.
When hardened IL 10 impervious 10 moisture,
takes high polis l, snd resists the action Of
weak acids. II can be made into thin sheets,
and serves for veneering, covering aud orna-
mentiug walls, and numerous similar pur-
poses. The substance, further, when mixed
with coloring matter, forms perfect imita-
tons Of leather, ivory, tortoise she'll m1la-
chitts, and other substances.
ELEcrRIcAL HkAT.-Some interesting ex-
periments have been performed by Mr.. Po-
gendorf on the hea. developed In the passage
% an electrical discharge. From them it
appears that an electrical discharge Of sparks
or with the addition Of conductors, the total
heat produced 10 less than in the ssbrush"
discharge, or without conductors. He fur.
Their concludes that the difference Of tempera-
ture at the two poles has no relation to-the
source whence the electricity Is derived, bat
depends solely upon the manner in winch
the discharge is made.
GLYcERINE AND YoLK or Eeo.--Four parts
by weight, Of yolk Of egg rubbed in NOR
tar with Ave parts glycerine, according TO
the Philadelphia Journal Of Pharmacy, gives
a preparation Of great value as an unEuent
for application TO broken surfaces of the
skin Of all kinds. The compound has a
hoFny-like consistency, 10 unctous like fatty
substances, bat over which 10 has the advaI
tage Of being quickly removed BY water. Il
IL unaiterable, specimen having laid en-
posed to the air for three years unchanged.
Applied TO the skin II forms q varnish which
effectuaily excludes the air, and prevents its
irritating effects. These properties renders
il serviceable for srysipslss and cutaneous
affections, Of which il alIaYs the action.