The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1873-01-24
SCIENTIFIC NOTES

SCIENTIFIC NOTES
"A block os native copper, weighing
nearly hundred and fifty pounds, was
recently found in Leland Township,
Grand Traverse County, Michigan. As
the locality is several miles distant from
any copper mines, the discovery excites
considerable attention.
"A French chemist has recently an
nounced that silicate of soda is a pre-
servative against fermentation. Exper-
iments made with glucose and yeast
showed that silicate of soda, in small
doses, would prevent alcoholic fermenta-
ton. Milk and meat treated with the
same substance were not subject to pu-
trefactive action. From these expert
ments it is inferred that silicate of soda
is powerful agent against putrid fer
msntatlon, and may, therefore, be en-
plOyed for the curing OF meat.
-Carbolic acid has occupied the
minds of physicians and health boards
ever since it's proprieties were known.
AS disinfectant and preventive of con-
tagion its effects are widely acknow-
lodged, and yet many observers prefer
other remedies. It's poisonous proper
ties, when taken into the system, are
generally known, but only recently has
it been accused of having produced
poisonous effects by absorption when
used as a dressing for amputations or
other wounds.
1t has been well observed that the
tongue discovers the state of the mind.
no less than that of the body but, in
either case, before the philosopher or
nh
must open his mouth. Some men en-
trable cloak of silence that the tongue
will afford us no symptoms of the tenn
permanent of the mind. Such taciturn-
ity, indeed, is wise if they are fools,
but foolish if they are wise, and the
only method to form a judgment of
these mutes is narrowly to observe
when, where, and how they smile.
In Finland, Archangel, Pskow and
Novgorod brandy and alcohol are man
ufactured from the moSses and lichens
growing there The manufacture of
hchen and moss spirits began in Sweden
and from there went over to Finland.
At the last Russian industrial Exposi-
ton, specimens of them were exhibited
which were made in the distillery at
Wincillas, and from the Levin manu-
factory in the city of Borgo, as well as
from the factory of Zadler and of Count
Trabirki, in st. Petersburg. German,
English and French manufacturers
were well pleased with it's quality In
Northern Russia this branch of industry
brings in net profit of 100 per cent,
and in the interior countries 40 to 100
per cent. The more alcohol there
is made from Iceland mos the more
cereal grains will there be left for the
food of the inhabitants.
LEAKAGE OF BLOOD VESSELS. is
a curious circumstance that all blood
vessels in the body are so constructed
that the scum Of the blood actually
transudes through their walls. As the
shy fluid passes Onwardly it also passes
through all the investing tissues, and
finally the thinnest, watery part
escapes upon the surface of the skin.
By that unceasing process the muscles,
membranes, hgaments and viscera are
kept supple, soft and elastic When
that fluid is in excess, beyond what is
necessary for the keeping the motor ap-
paratus in working condition, and the
function of the skin are imperfectly per-
formed, then the accumulation is a
dropsy. There is sometimes a sudden
relaxation of the fibers of the arteries,
which allows the escape of the red cor
puscles of blood with the flowing out
scum. The person thus circumstanced
rarely RECEIVERS, but bleeds to death, be-
cause the arteries lose their restraining
power over the current within them,
which is called perpatrG hoen1orrIagica
by physicians.
COMPOUND EYEs.-It is quite common
to see persons with spectacles On-the
upper half, in the same bow, for short
visual axis, as in reading a book. Hav-
ing lunets constructed in that manner
saves the trouble of carrying in the
pocket glasses of different focus power.
Now that plan of giving a very humble
creature-a fish, tOO-the advantage of
of microscopic and telegraphic vision in
the same eyes is found in the anableps,
a fish found in Surinam. The cornea
presents a sharp angle in front, like the
edge of a three-square file, instead of
being gentle segment of circle, as in
all other organs. While roofing in mud
at low tide in pursuit of food, vigilant
outlook with the upper half of the eye
warns them of annoyance beyond APP
pretended danger, while with the un-
der half they are guided in their re-
searches for something to eat. If the
mind of the anableps can be occupied
by two distinct functions at the same in
stant, which is indicated by watching in
two directions with totally different
purposes, then Psychologists have a
problem for solution that would puz-
zle Philadelphia lawyer.
Tl1oTT " An
is given'i in scientific papers of an interest
ing treatment of glass-similar to the
sand blast action, which promises to eff
feet such important results in the ar
tistic manipulations of that most useful
material. In the experiment in ques-
tion, the tube was of tin, of half-inch
bore, SIX feet long, and was mounted at
an angle of forty-tive degrees. This
with a nozzle of one-twelfth inch dame
ter. The tube was filed with emery
powder, and a sheet of double-thick
window glass was placed with its plane
at right angle with the tube and with
in two inches of the nozzle. A plug
withdrawn from the nozzle and the en-
cry discharged from the tube. The
operation was repeated three times in
elSnGeon minutes, ana Un0 result was
the drilling of hole through the glass
and the wearing away of quite portion
of it, in fish tail shape, below the hole,
where the emery passed down the in
cline of the glass into receptacle. The
position of the glass was then changed,
and piece of thin sheet lead having
hole of star shape cut through, was
pasted on the glass, with the hole oppo-
site the nozzle of the tube The result
of this simple and ingenious experiment.
was clear-cut star-shaped hole through
the glass, without marring the lead pat
tern in the least.