The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1870-02-19
SCIENTIFIC.

GENUINE meereonaum IS all imported
but it Is stated that a fictitious product is
made in large quantities in New York City
from carbonate o. magnesia and silieate Of
soda or soluble glass.
TIE SUE CANAL.-The most satisfac
tory account Of the Suez Canal as yet re-
ceived comes from source more worthy oi
credit than any from which former reports
eman1ted- The correspondent Of the Lon
don Shipping Gazetts, nautical man, has
trayersed the whole length, taking 1000
soundings, and finds the depth varying from
80 60 % feet inches. Two spots there
are where the depth is only IL feet, but
these are rapidly being dredged and blasted
out. There is no shifting of the sand at
Port Said Of any account, and the banks do
mot wash away.
ELBCTMcITY.-Elect as a remedy
for fatigue, hoarseness, sore throat and other
ailments from which vocalists suffer no Sc
verely, has recently been recommended by
the physician attached to the Paris Open
House. He asserts that five pupils of the
Conservatory, who came to him to be treated
for hoarseness, loss of voice and affection Of
the lArynx, were electrified and cured.
The patients were required to sing both be-
fore and after treatment, and the difference
between the respective condition Of the
voice was very remarkable. After having
been electrified, the respiration Of tho pa
tents was deeper, and their voices stronger,
fuller and more pure. The same treatment
was made use Of to remedy the hoarseness
Of an eminent male opera singer, who was,
in conse4 ace, enabled the same evening
to perform. difficult part with triumphant
and unexpected success.
WATERPROOF VARNIsH.-We clip the
following recipe for new Varnish from a
foreign exchange "Take 8 parts Of rec
tilted petroleum spirit, in which dissolve 2
parts Of prepared gum dammAr, and filter
or strain the whole. In making paints
take stearic acid or parafin alone or in com
bination, and reduce them by means Of
heat to liquid state. To every 8 lbs. of
parafin or stearic acid alone or in combina-
ton, add 2 lbs Of gum dammar. The
paints may be colOred by any suitable
cOloring matter, and may be applied in a
heated state or when used cold, may be
diluted to suitable consistency BY means Of
rectiied petroleum spirit"
IRON AND STEEL CRYsTALs-The Jour
nal Of Applied Ohenistry says M. SchOtt,
Of Ilsenberg, has made many microscopical
examinations of the structure of steel and
iron. He maintains that all crystals Of
iron are Of the form Of double pyramid,
the axis Of which is variable, as compared
with the size of the base. The crystals OF
the coarser kinds, as compared with those Of
the finest qualities Of crystalline iron, are
of about twice the height. The more uni
form the grain. the smaller the crystals, and
the Hatter the pyramids, which form each
single element, the better is the quality, the
greater is the cohesive force, and the finer
the surface Of the iron. These pyramids
become Hatter as the proportion Of carbon
contained in the steel decreases. COnse-
quently, in castirOn and in the crudest
kinds Of hard steel, the crystals approach
more the cubica form, from which the Octa-
bedOn proper is derived, and the opposite
extreme or wrought iron has its pyramids
fIattened down to parallel surfaces or leaves,
which in their arrangement produces what
ia called the fibre of the iron. The highest
quality Of steel has all its crystals in Paral-
lei positions, each crystal filling the inter
stices formed by the angular sides of it's
neiehbors- The crystals stands with their
axie in the direction of the pressure or per
cussive force exerted upon them in working,
and consequently the fracture shows the
sides of sharp corners of parallel crystals.
In reality, good steel shows when examined
under the microscope, large groups Of 6ne
crystals like the points Of needles-all ar
ranged in the same direction and parallel.