The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1873-02-27
SCIENCE AND INVENTION.

RESpTRATOR FOR FmEMEN. Professor
Tyndall has Just perfected "A now rcspi-
rator for iiremen, in which the solid
particles Of the dcnscst smoke are
arrested by films Of cotton wool wctted
with glyccrinc, and the most pungent
gas by layers Of charcoal. BY this
simple means fircmcn can remain with
in burning buildings for upward Of an
hour at Il time with safety and comfort,
SO far as their respiration is concerned.
ABSORBING Power or THE HuMAN
Skin. DIR. Thomson, of Edinburgh re-
latcs some experiments which he tried
ON his own person to ascertain the
truth of the statements made rs to the
curative power of mineral water baths,
depending on the absorption by the
skin of certain salts and other sub
stances which they hold in solution
and, therefore, to ascertain whether
certain substances applied in the form
of ointmcnts, etc, pass through the
skin and reach the blood before they
produce any beneficial effect. His con
illusions are that not only has absorp-
ton by the skin been greatly exagger-
atcd, but in the case OF substances IN
auucous solution it seems to be the cX-
ception, not the rule, for absorption to
take place; and that, in the case OF
ointmrnts, etc, some Of the substances
40 applied seem to be absorbed and
others not.
FRENcn THEORY or EPIDEMICs.- Ac-
cording to NJ. Alphonse de Candolle,
when a fatal malady has seriously
effected the younger portion Of II popu-
Intion, the succeeding generation, de-
sccndcd from persons who escaped tho
disease or were but little effected by it,
will be found less liable TO attack, rs M
ordinary effect of the law of descent,
this continuing to be the case from
generation 10 generation. This, there
fore constitutes one cause of the weak
cning of cpidcmics, and may serve tt
explain the reason why a disease Is
most injurious when it first attacks any
people, and why it subsequently be
comes rarcr or less dangerous, as has
frequently been observed. After the
lapse Of several generations, however
II population moderately affected BY
disease approaches the condition of ont
, which has never had it, and increased
intensity may then nsu
, AMMONIA IN WuOopGNG-COuGH.- i
writer in the British Medical Journa
states That in cases Of whooplng-cougl
in the last stage that is, after the thir,
wcck-hc had one ounce Of the strong
est liquid ammonia put into II gallon o
boiling water in an open pm, and tn
steam kept mp by means OF half II br1c
made rcd-hot throughout and put int
y the boiling water containing the an
mOnia, the pan being placed in tn
y middle Of u ROOF into which the pa
y ticnts were brought rs the ammoniate,
steam was passing off. This method
e he says, was used in the evening, jus
!" before bedtime and it proved SO ell
' cacious in abating the spasmOdic attack
- .,l .fl,,, tl,,,, nr fA,r ,lnyu i,rtnInutIn
p" the mulady, as to establish, beyond an
u doubt, the great value of this mode
u iuhaling ammonia rs u thernpeut
~ agent in tranquiliaing the nervous sy
. TEN in whooping-cough.
S~oAr-srONE BURROWS. -Soap-stonc,
stcatitc, has recently found II new n
4 plicatiOn Ms n raw material for button
dominocs, and other similar object
Chips and refuse pieces of mineral n
ground to powder and mixed with 81
cate OF soda, water, glass; and, after
reposc Of some hours, dried on II plat
IN and the mixture again pulverizcd. II
b. powder thus obtained il then subject,
to powerful pressure in suitable molo
ny and afterwards baked in air-tight cruz
n blcs. The pressed objects are aga
n. soaked in Il c~ilicatc of soda bath, NJ
p again heated out of contact with {
at air. The hardness of the product
ne said to depend, in II great mcasuI
OF upon the number of times the heath
oil is repeated. The last stage in the pr
NY cess Of manufacture consists i'll wnshi
~ in water in II rotary tub, drying, a
On then agitating in n suitable vessel wi
soap-stone powder, this last operati
cr giving to the surface a bright polish.
Sc A NEW PROCESS or WooD-ENGRAvI
We is called the "planotype." The desil
a to be engraved is transferred to IA bio
Or of lime-trec wood, which is then plac
in n machine having somewhat the a
II pearance of n carying-machine, Z
10 shape of which varies considerably
ct cording to the nature of the work, &
b. graver being kept red-hot by a gas-jt
it BY means Of this appliance the desit
OF is gradually burnt into the WOO
or Figures or letters of reference are il
m pressed by means of punches. III
MS whole design having been burnt in
sh- 'ne wood, a cast i'll type-metal is tax,
.'rec' from the block; without aI
1--WE further preparation the cast may
ven used Tor printing from, like an ord;ua,
and stereotype plate. 1t is said that n
wood does not suffer in the slightes. !
yar- gree from the heat of the molten met
les. and that the finest details are faithfu
tile reproduced. The process is carried
..a nm n larOe scale. and il found To o