New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1874-08-08
however. been lately patented By its inventor, Mr.

The MOLECULAR sIRtNTt kh of AbihohiN iN'''
DR.. J. Iawrence Smith of Louisville kentucky' tn
A recent article GA the meteor Of Howard County
Indian. states that his own conviction is that we
shall no. arrive AZ satisfactory explanation OF the
so-eaned Widnnannstlttian figures until our knowl-
edge Of the effect Of minute quantity OF foreign
substances in iron is better understood than now
subject which gators in both pure and technl-
cal chemistry are now studying with great interest
m order To discover how far those substances,
usualv called impurities IL iron are to be regarded
| "a hurtful Very small proportions of these sup
rsosed impurities often introduce important moaih-
cations in the nature of the iron. For instance one
per cent or less Of phosphorus so far modlnes c',
iron that II will resist the action OF concentrate
sulDburic acid 70 greater degree than When eh'ie'
free from phosphorus and those who separate s' c.
and gold bv the suphuuc acid process ma tnat Sum
cat iron vessels are DESTROYED in few weeks, WINE
others will last for years Phosphorus modihes also
the pbvscal properties nparting To the lIoh Ihole
| duidfy when in q melted state ana fuIulshlhe !IoIe
c,,yac, castings In regard 10 the NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
figures he states that II j. his convection ilat w '
crystallization of iron in the crystalhzalon Oh
all other substances containing impurities, .neIt a
tendency To eliminate the foreign constituents 70
the exterior portion of the crystals ana u 10
the CRYSTALS and contiguous TO their surfaces tlat
ind the greater part Of the foreign constituents
nived with more or less of the predomlnatlng ma
| terias In meteOric iron, which always contdihs
phosphorus il may be safely promised thal II 'He
iron masses slowly into the solid condition anu -
therefore allowed to crystalline more OF less per
fectly might expect IN certain parts OF ihe pass
rc,rentiug the space- between the crystals 10 ind
more OF less perfect elimination OF the phosphorus
Tins DESTROYING the homogeneous character OF tne
mass aud rendering It's different parts varonsly
susceptible to the action OF chemical agents anu -
producing that notified surface known as the VIA
mannstdttan figures
MrcRoscoprclL ExAMlSATIoS OF ARA valua-
| Ii. lfgha he he n
clish Government in Calcutta, consisting Of re-
port upon a microscopcal examination OF ar
prepared BIZ Dr. D. Douglass Cunningham. This
gives the result of examinations of atmospheric
dust from various localities deposited on lodges
leaves of trees &C. and upon moist glass slides 1t
includes also observations on organisms contained
in dew in rain water and in the air Of sewers The
work ia illustrated by II plates, giving magnhed
representations of the objects seen by the micro
scope. Among the general conclusions obtained by
Dr. Cunningham, a. least so far as observations IN
the vicinity of Calcutta are concerned are the lol-
! lowing: H.. Specimens of dust washed from exposed
surfaces cannot be regarded fair induces OF the
constituents of atmospheric dust. they are liable
| 10 contain bodies which NAV have reached the sur
face otherwise than by means OF the air. and they
do not NJ any rate indicate the relative proportions
Of the different constituents. e. There Is generally
but little trace of distinct nfusOrial annalcules IN
| dry dust and although distinct bacteria are lIt-
quently to Ice found among deposits from me moist
| air Of the sewers they are almost entirely absent as
| constituents of dry dust. 81 he addition OF dry
| dust. which has been exposed 10 tropical neat, 10
| putrescbe fluids, is followed by rapid de
! volopment OF fungi and bacteria, although
/ recognizable specimens of the latter are very
| rarely 10 be found IN II While dry. 81
| spores and other vegetable cells are constantly
present in atmospheric dust, aud usually occur III
considerable numbers. The majority OF theih -, are
living and capable of growth and development. Inc
amount of them present III the air appears TO be IN
dependent of conditions OF velocity ana direction OF
| wind and their numbers are not diminished by
moisture. b.. No connection can be traced between
the numbers of bacteria, Spores Nc present IN the
air and the occurrence of diaTThea dysenteTy chOl-
| era ague or dengue. nor between the presence or
abundance of any special form or forms OF cells ana
| the prevalence of any of these dioeaScs o. The
! amount of inorganic and amOTphous particles ana
other debris suspended III the mpspIcre j. directly
dependent on conditions OF moisture ana OF velocity
! These results on the part OF DIR. Cunningham APP
pear to agree quite closely with those OF Robin but
| differ more from those of Pouchet and Ehrcnberg.
I'm regard tO the origin of bacteria. the present eX
perimenS are not opposed To the Dehcl III te Trans
mission of organisms by the atmosphere. toE they
were actually observed among the particles IN moist
air. In conclusion. DR.. Cunningham remarks that
there are interesting questions winch are hug-
pesed in connection with the fact of the presence OF
such considerable numbers of living cells III the air
as me has found. What becomes of them when
drawn into the respiratory cavities of animals! Is
their vitality destroyed and II So now are tey GOT
rid of Are they capable of undergoing develop
preiudcial influence on the recipient These and
other similar questions the author remarks are only
to be answered by means OF patient aud continued
experiment.
NV METHOD OF TREATING HAIR. Fur. &C
Reference has already been made to method of
utilizing feathers of barn-yard poultry, wild fowls,
etc. in the preparation of loose fiber TO be worked
up into a felt cloth, blankets, etc. The following
| describes a somewhat cognate industry having
reference to new mode oil treating fur. This forms
| the subject of a communication by Nh. Joseph Tus-
saudi who is at present of the propretors of the
| celebrated wax-work establishment III Baker-st-,
| London. founded by Madame Tussaud The atten-
tion of Mr Tussaud first called to the subject by
bis desire TO transfer the hairs of fur bearing or
! other animals to wax figures without including the
| skin in which they were inserted. After numerous
experiments he succeeded in accomplishing this and
| in dey eOping as already remarked new industry.
The great object which Mr.. Tassaud aimed 10
secure was the removal of hair fur from the
skin. and then attaching this to artificial skin,
obtaining thus more perfect degree of preserva-
ton for any purpose whatever, while retaining the
/ hairs in their original and natural relationship.
For this purpose the piece Of fur TO be treated may
be soaked in limewater or other suitable liquid as
practiced by tanners. for the purpose of loosenng
| the adhesion of the hairs. l. is then to be washed
in water. free it from the superintendent lime OF
other substance, and hung up for time to dry of
the excess of moisture 1t is then laid a board.
with the hair side up and solution of glue applied