New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1873-06-07

PREVENTION OF CHARCOAL FUMES N HEATING
SMOoTHING-IRONs-It is said, that sprinkling COM
mon salt on the top of glowing charcoal used for
heating smoothing-irons and then placing the stove
at the window for few minutes. prevents the
evolution OF injurious fumes and also effects saving
Of fuel.
CURE OF Sr1K-woRM DIsEAsE.-In response to a
communication by Guerin M6neville upon the sub
iect of the diminution of the silk-worm disease,
Guisque maintains that this is simply the result Of
the important researches and inquiries of Pasteur,
and that to him the French people and the world az
large owe the discovery and application OF a method
50 beneficial in Its results.
TREATMENT OF HAIR FOR FRLTING.-Nltrate of
mercury has for a long time been used in preparing
hair for telling in the manufacture of felt hats, etc.
and numerous cases of poisoning are on record
among the twenty to thirty thousand Europeans en-
gagged in this business. According to NJ lilairet,
the skins be impregnatsd with neutral substance
such as mOasses, deXtrme, or sugar ana then placed
in nitric acid the hair undergOes change OF struc-
tuTe by the action OF thenltlous ana ypOmtrc ACIDS
thus developed, corresponding exactly to that OBJ
tanned by means Of a solution OF mercury III nitric
acid.
IMPROVED s, I'm. Miahle communicates to the
Academy of Sciences of Paris an account of a soap
which, according to his statement, combines the
advantages Of beingprepared without heat, with the
consequent avoidance of loss of glycerine in combna
ton with the fatty matters, and Of being free from
that alkalnty generally present in soaps prepared in
the cold. In its manufacture the ordinary toilet
soap, made without heat is cut into shavings, and
EXPOSED i'm a closed chamber TO the action of car
bOnic acid gas The soap absOrbs quantity of the
gas proportional to the amount of causic soda which
has escaped sapOnihCatlOn: and, by the transiOTma
tiOn of the free alka into blcaTbOnate, II loses all
it's causticity. 1t then constitutes perfectly neu-
tral soap containing all the glyccTlne Of the fatty
bodies employed in its manufacture and certain
quantity of bIcaTbOnate of soda.
PROPAGATION OF THE MIsTLEToE.-The English
mstletoe (giscum album grows abundantly through
the southern countries of England but is almost en-
tirely confined to the orchards. This is readily
started by rubbing the fruit upon the bark of the
tree when the mucage which covers the seeds
causes their adhesion and if the season be sufficiently
moist, they take root upon termination, and the
Young plant attaches itself at TO the branch.
Several attempts have been made TO introduce into
England the LOrdnthus EurOp0eas, similar parasite
which frequents the oaks of Austria and other parts
of southern Europe. DR.. Moore has at length sue
Ceeded IN some measure by brmslng Inc SOFT Dud
gently upon young oak-ShOOt of the previous year
and inserting in its center the seed Of the mistctOe
Seeds thus planted in January, 1870, terminated in
the Spring of the following year. aud the resulting
plants are yet living
ACTION OF MICRozYMEs on MILK, &C-BGchamp
some years ago. announced to the world the dis
coycry on his part Of certain organic bodies called
by him Microzymes, and existing as living organ
isms, among other conditions, in immense numbers
in chalk where of course, they must have remained
since the cretaceOus period Referring again 10
their bodies he Las lately called attention to their
influence upon spontaneous coagulatOn, as also 10
the normal production of alcohol and scetc acid in
milk. He maintains that the microzymes, Of what
ever origin, whether from the chalk or other cal
careous formation the atmosphere, the dust of the
streets from animals vegetables all possess the
power OF forming alcohol and aeetlc acid, not only
with glucogenous matters but also with substances
incapable of being converted into ordinary sugar,
sucb as tartarc citrc, muTc, and lactc acids, etc.
In ripening aud TOtting fruits it is the same agent
which produces the alcohol and acetc acid that are
so specially manifested. He refers in conclusion,
10 the hypothesis OF Liebg in regard 70 the altera
bility of albumnOd substances in the phenomenal Of
fermentation. Becbamp, III opposition 10 this airms
~, IN the fermentation of eggs the albumiuOd sub