Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1874-02-28
Items of Interest.
COMMON lye of wood ashes will soften
hard putty in Jew minutes.

COMMON lye of wood ashes will soften
hard putty in few minutes.
yERMIN DEsTRoYER-Th following
mixture has recently been patented
for the destruction of all kinds of YER
min IN the house, car or stable, to-
gether with the larvae Bi-sulphide of
carbon, so parts essence of petroleum,
90 parts. The liquid is to be applied
with brush.
The editor of the Boston journal Of
Chemistry says: =" 1t is curious that
chain OF the compressed cakes of gun
cotton tied around the trunk of a large
tree, and exploded, will cut it down in
stantly by the violence of its action.
The cut through the trunk is rs sharp
as the keenest AK. 1t may be useful i'll
this way in clearing out forests
NEVER put IA particle of soap about
your silver, if you would have 1T retain
its original luster. When it wants pol
ish, take piece of soft leather and
whiting and rub hard. The proprietor
of one of the oldest silver establish
ments in the city of Philadelphia
says that housekeepers ruin Their sill
yer by WASHING it in soap-suds, as its
makes it look like pewter
ELASTIC VARNIsH.-As an excellent
and easily manufactured varnish for
wicker work. Mr.. Rhien recommends
the following composition One part
of good linseed oil is boiled down to IL
sirupy consistency, and mixed with 20
parts of copal. This mass is then di-
luted with oil of tupentine to the proper
thickness. The varnish dries easily,
and remains elastic, so as not to crack
by the bending of the basket.
LIFE IN OCEAN DEPTHS. Light only
pcnetrates water for a few hundred
fathoms. Sunlight is positively absent
at two hundred tathoms. Agassiz con-
trived that Photographic plate, in
closed in case, should be covered by
lid revolving at a set time, according to
the depth that was meant to be tested,
and with result us stated. This alb
sence of light is undoubtedly the reason
of the cessation of plant liif below
that distance.
WAR AND DISEASE. report made
by d.. Engel, Director of the Statistical
Office ut st. Petersburg, who has col
lected from various sources a large
amount of interesting information con-
corning the loss of life in the German
army during the late war, shows that
out of total-in round numbers-of
Al 900 deaths, about 1900 we've caused
by disease, more than one-half of these,
or 1000 cases, being due to typhus
fever. The number who died of dys-
EMERY was 1000; and next in fatality
were phthisis, pulmonic diseases, other
internal acute disorders, gastric fever,
variola, and sudden death.
BoRAx FOR CoLDs.-A writer in the
Mcdical Record cites number of
cases in which borax has proved most
effective remedy in certain forms of
colds. He states that sudden hoarse-
ness or loss of voice in public speakers
or singers, from colds, relief for an
hour or so, as by magic, may be often
obtained by slowly dissolving, and par
TALLY swallowing, a lump of borax the
size of garden pea, or about three or
four grains, held in the mouth for ten
minutes before speaking or singing
This produces a profuse secretion of
saliva, or watering of the mouth and
throat probably restoring the voice or
tone to the dried vocal cords, just as
wetting" brings back the missing
notes to the flute, when it is too dry.