Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1875-06-23
SCIENTIFIC

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w. Richardson says: | have recently
had constructed for my use a pair OF
tooth h-edged cutting scissors. The scis-
sOrs are of the ordinary construction, in
all respects, except in the cutting edge
| The cutting edge of each blade, instead
of being even and sharp, is divided into
finely pointed teeth, each tooth being
directed with slight inclination to-
wards the handle of the scissors. When
the blades meet, the teeth cross each
other; and as they pierce any structure
that may lie between them they crush
also, between their surfaces.
If a piece of moderately firm sub
stance be placed between the blades-a
piece of paper or thin card. for example
the scissors perforate it in a series of
perfOrations resembling what is seen in
the postage stamp; that is to say, they
do not cut clean through the substance,
80 as to leave it in two distinct parts at
once. A little lateral or half- rotating
movement of the closed blades is, how
ever, sufficient to tear through the still
connected lines of substance and to
complete the separation. The same
occurs If the substance placed between
the blades be a portion of soft animal
structure, only that more force is re-
quired in the lateral or rotating move
ment to cause complete separation.
The parts punctured are crushed be-
tween the teeth, and are separated by
the twist or tOrsiOn.
| find these scissors useful in dividing
directly and quickly, structures in
which there are many minute blood
vessels, and which, when divided by
the knife, bleed freely. These tOothed
scissors, as they can be made at one and
the same time to pierce, crush, and
twist, control bleeding remarkably
have put the scissors TO good test
in a case of epuIis. The tumOr was in
creasing rapidly, and three teeth were
involved in it. Ii was very vascular,
had broad base, and might, at first
sight, have been taken for a malignant
rather than for a fibrous tumOr. The
three teeth being extracted, [ found |
could get a deep grasp of the tumOr
between the blades of the scissors. l
carried the teeth of the scissors well
through the base of the tumOr, crush
ing some portion of bone in the way,
and gently and easily twisted the mass
oil, and lifted 1t away upon the blades
without the loss of any blood whatever.
The healing IN this case was rapid and
good.-Weciicat Times and Ga-ette.
.SumGc.-The Scientific american says
that sumac is largely used in tanning
the finer kinds of leather, especially in
the manufacture of hard-grained
morocco and similar goods. 1t is also
employed in the base of many colors in
calico and delaine printing. Probably
the consumption of this article through
out the country for all purposes aggre-
gates over 10000 tons, of which about
two thirds are imported from Sicily,
not because just as good sumac can not
be raised i'll this country, but because
until few years ago our people did not
know Its value, or in what way to pre-
pare it for the market. The sumacs of
Virginia, Maryland and Tennesse in
particular are said TO be the best in the
world, and even their worst articles
have been officially pronounced by ex-
perts to be better than any imported
from Sicily. Almost every farmer has
a clump of these bushes. They are
called by some 'shoemake,r by others,
red shoemake.n Probably many farm
ers may have tried to kill them by cut
ting down. Ii they have, they know
how difficult task it is. 1t grows like
asparagus, all the better for being cut
and when once started upon a lot and
cut once a year, it is rs easy to cut as
fodder. The only trouble is curing
This must be done with all
the care that is given to hops or to-
baccO. Exposure, after cutting, to a
heavy dew, Injuries it, and a rainstorm
detracts materially from its value. 1t
is cut when in full leaf, and when it is
properly dried, is ground, leaves and
stalk together. An acre in full bearing
will produce not less than three tons,
and when fit for market, it is worth
from $50 to 500 per ton. The "manu-
facturers," as the curers are called, pay
about one cent a pound for il in a green
state.