Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1871-05-10
Curious and Scientific.

AMONG the astronomers who went
from England to Sicily to observe the
late eclipse, were two women, appoint
ed to take observations with the spec
troscope.
NEW JERSEY nail mills are manufac
turing new patent nail, for which
they have secured a State right. 1t has
serrated edge, and it's superiority is
said to be manifest in work where any
jolting motion may have a tendency to
shake the nail loose.
The strongest vegetable fibre known
is said to be that of New Zealand flax.
It has sword like leaves, ten or twelve
feet in length It is used by the set
tiers for binding their sheaves, fasten-
ing their gates, tying up their horses,
and in almost every possible way.
In ordinary flight, the house-fy
makes about 600 strokes with its wings
in second, and is carried through the
air about five feet; but if alarmed, the
velocity can be increased six or seven
fold, so as to carry the insect thirty or
thirty five feet in that brief time,
A CURIOUS experiment. was tried In
Russia with some murderers. They
were placed, without knowing it, in
four beds where four persons had died
of the cholera They did not take the
disease They were then told that
they were to sleep in beds where some
persons had died of malignant cholera,
but the beds were, in fact, new and had
not been used at all. Nevertheless
three of them died of the disease with
in four hours
/ THE English Mechanic says that when
a living oyster is opened, the liquor III
the lower shell, if viewed through a
microscope, will be found to contain
multitudes of small oysters, covered
with shells, and swimming nimbly
about One hundred and twenty OF
these little oysters extend but single
inch. The liquor also contains va
riety of animalcul@, and myriads Of
worms of three distinct species,
PROBABLY the most curious ant in the
world is the parasol ant Of the West
Indies. DR.. Forbes Winslow, in his
work on Light" says these ants wall
in long procession, each one carrying {
cut-leaf over it's head as parasol, in the
sun, and they deposit these in holes
ten or twelve feet under ground, APP
parently with no other object than IL
form comfortable nest foE species
of white snake, which is found in them
THE Use Of perchloride of iron i
recommended for rheumatism by DR.
Reynolds, in the British Medical Jour
nal. It is claimed for this remedy tina
it relieves the joints in from one tt
| three days, and sbertens the duration
of the fever; and the sooner the iron i
given the shorter will be the duration
The dose is from twenty to forty drop
every SIX hours.
EXPERIENCE with cast-iron beams ii
architecture has convinced Che bes
judges that it can never be known
whatever care is taken, whether tn
!, girders when made will be as strong a
expected. They are never to be de
pended on; and the accident at King
College, where the whole dining roor
was destroyed by the giving way of b
imperfect cast-iron beam, should pre-
, vent their use heaceforth in any cas-
where wrought iron can be substituted
: - HE WIND is TEMPERED TO THE SHoR
LAMB" otherwise the delicate organize
: ton Of woman could never bear u
under the severe trials which it is he
Y lot to endure AS means of sustainin
2 her strength, and bringing her safel
through the difficulties and dangers {
which she is by nature the heiress, n
medicine ever prescribed is comparabl
to DIR. WALKERS VEGETABLE VINEaA
BrrTERs. In all arrangements of th
= female system it restores regularity
and promotes physical vigor an
!, mental repose,