River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1873-09-02
ncienlinc Notes.

scientific Notes.
The water supplied TO the city OF
Munich contains nitric acid aud salt.
petre. Pofessor A. Wagner states that
the amount of water used by the city
in one year, by the ordinary water
pipes, contains saltpetre sufficient to
make Is, LOG cwt. of gunpowder.
The carpet worm is new pest just
discovered. 1t is of dark color, less
than half an inch in length, and GOV.
cred with fine hair. 1t makes havoc
with carpets in short time. 1t is said
that fine salt or fine cedar chips sprin-
kled on the edge of the carpets will
protect them from its ravages.
NJ. MEYER has reported to the Acad-
envy of Sciences. France, q discovery
of great value In factories where
mercury is used. 1t appears from
his experiments that ammonia gas
modiiles the unpleasant and suffocat.
ing air of silyering factories to such
an extent to result favorably on the
health of the workman. He recon
mends sprinkling the floor of silvering
shops with solution of ammonia.
TIE following coating has proved
very effective in preventing the pene-
tration OF moisture on the weather side
of walls: Pitch, sc pounds, resin, 80
pounds, red ochre, 6 pounds, fine
brick dust, IL pounds, all boiled
together, with constant stirring, and
then sufficient oil or superintendent
one quarter the volume of the above
added to cause it to spread readily. 1t
is to be laid on as thin as possible with
bristle brush.
IT is well known that leather articles
kept in stables soon become brittle III
consequence of ammoniacal exhala.
tions, which afford both harness hang.
ing up in such localities and the shoes
of those who frequent them. The
usual applications of grease is not
always sufficient to meet this difficulty /;
but it is said that by adding TO them a
small quantity of glycerine the leather
will be kept continually in soft and
pliable condition.
SALT is a simple remedy for many
things. 1t will cure sick headache,
make cream freeze, make the butter
come, take ink stains out of cloth of
any kind, kill wens, kill worms make
the ground cool, so that it is more con-
genial to celery, cabbage, etc., ease
the pain caused by irritable skin dis
eases, like hives, itch, &c. produce
vomiting or stop it, as you like; and
many other things. too numerous to
mention.
Iris reported that the expedition 8
49, ngaged in exploring the west
coast of Patagonia has captured q
specimen of the hucmul, an animal
almost lost sight of by naturalists
Molina, in his "Natural History of the
Andes" 1882, describes ii as a specie:
of horse, or rather an ass, with It's hoofi
divided like ruminants. He says il
inhabits the most inaccessible parts o.
the Andes, and is difficult TO be taken
Mr.. f.. G. Reed, on the other hand
pronounces it TO be a stag.
ALMOST the last scientific work don,
by the late DIR. Gustav Rose, of the
University of Berlin, consisted of Sc.
ries of experiments relating to tho
action of diamonds and graphites un
der heat. His paper on this subject
appears In the last number of Peggen.
dorifs Annulen, and is illustrated with
plate showing the appearances exhib.
tied by several diamonds after exposure
to heat, giving especial prominence "a
the curious triangular impressions de.
veloped on the faces of the diamond by
the action of a high temperature.
RECENT experiments have confirmed
the superstition that the Inferior aualit,
OF certain kinds of wheat and rye aoul
is frequently due TO the action of sun.
light, By which, even when in bags OF
barrels, the gluten suffers n metamor
phosis similar TO that occasioned by
heating in the mill. The tendency thus
impaired 70 it to become lumpy, aud
to form dough without toughness, Il
similar to that Of flour from moist
grain, or of flour when it is too fresh.
or made from grain ground too early,
or when adulterated with barley mea
Such flour can be improved by Keeping
for some weeks.
HERR HEIsCH, German scientist, In
a recent paper on the pollution Of water
by sewage, furnishes a very simple test
TO show whether water is lit for general
use. Good water" he says, "should
be free from color, unpleasant o1or
and taste, and should quickly afford O
lather with small portion Of soap.
II half a pint Of water be placed in q
perfectly clean, colorless glass.stop.
pied bottle, few grains Of the best
white lump sugar added, and the bottle
freely exposed 10 tho daylight in Tn,
window Of a warm room, the liquid
should not become turbid, even aftei
exposure for week or ten DAYS. II
the water becomes turbid, Il is open &
the grave suspicion Of sewage contain
nation, but II il remain clear. il i
almost certainly safe