The Osceola times., 1877-04-28
POPULAR SCIENCE.

l
forests resulting from the demand for
hemlock bark, will take comfort in the
success of attempts to obtain tannin
from other sources. 1t has been esti-
mated that one cord of hemlock bark
produces one barrel of good tannin ex-
tract, worth $50. 1t is now found that
one cord of alder will produce the same
amount; and one ton of sweet fern gives
Of the best tannin $22 worth, besides a
value OF $7.50 in an inferior kind. There
is said TO be considerable activity in
Hancock county. Me-, in the new indus.
try of extracting tannin from sweet fern.
PROF. PoLTrzER recently put before
the Medical society of the Vienna Gar
rison some new proof of the use of both
ears in determining the direction of
sound. People who are deaf in one ear
make strange mistakes when hunting, as
they are apt to suppose that any sound
comes from the direction toward which
the ear they hear with may happen to be
turned. A neat little experiment, ,ea.ily
tried, is devised by Prof Politzer.
Above the top of the head of person
whose eyes are bandaged watch, tick
ing loudly, is to be passed. The blind
folded person will be unable 10 say GER
tainly whether the watch is above, be-
fore, or behind the top of his head.
When one of his ears is closed, the
watch seems to him to be nearest to the
other ear, and this impression will still
lie perceptible even though the bandage
be removed from his eyes. The source
of sound is in general referred to point
tho ~. laf ott
ear hears most loudly.
THERE has been much said recently
about the powers of potassium xanthats
as an antiseptic. A correspondent Of the
Boston Journal of Chemistry makes
some remarkable statements concerning
this salt. New wine was treated with it,
and some months afterward was found
to possess its original taste and sweet
ness. The wine was then "drunk in
considerable quantity by different per-
sons without the slightest injurious effect
following" Such declaration as to
any wine may strike believers in total
abstinence with surprise. p otassium
xanthate is said to be easily and cheaply
prepared; only small quantities need be
used, and no harm seems likely to ensue
from taking it, except in the few cases
Of disease where any potassium salt
would have bad effect. Vegetable
juices and saps clarified by means of
small addition of this salt have remained
without mold or fermentation after eight
months exposure to the air.
A SOCIETY has been formed which an.
nouncss as its object " simplication OF
English orthography." Among the Of
ficersl lof this spelling reform association
are the names-hon0red in pathological
science-of Profs. F. A. March, w. ID.
Whitney and S. s. Haldeman. The cir
cular which announces the formation of
the society incloses specimen of what is
called Revised Spelling" OF this a
single sentence may suffice our readers.
Their being 30 It'll diferens between the
apeerans of the fOnetic and the ordinary
print and script, thez hoo can reed and
riet the later will reed the fonetic and
script ezily, and the new spelling can be
introdeust gradually without hinderans
to biznes or friendship" Ordinary peo-
pie will be apt to see in this remarkable
likeness to the effusion of Nasby and
Josh Billings. Before yielding to the
hope that the new "spelling" can be in
troduced without hindrance TO friend
ship, it may be well to recall the clinch-
ing argument of old Major Pendennis:
a" What! Marry woman who spells af-
fection with once f?'
In the Manufacturer and Builder, DIR.
=. II. Van der Weyde discusses the
question as to how far originality can be
claimed for the musical telegraph (tele-
phone) of Mr.. Elisha Gray. The SINH
larity OF the invention to Reuss' tele-
phone is strongly emphasized. Improve
ments in the latter which DIR. Van der
Weyde himself has made are cited, with
the dates at which they were described be-
fore learned societies. Finally DR. Van
der Weyde claims that a telephone which
he long ago constructed and still pos
sesses has great advantage of being
able to transmit any air vibration, such
as melody sung by the human voice or
PLAYED upon flute; while the capacity
of Mr.. Gray's instrument is confined, 30
is concerned, to those which can be pro-
duced by the vibration of tuning forks.
No question is raised, however, as to the
priority of the part OF Mr.. Gray's inven-
tion by which several simultaneous mes
saees can be sent over wire and re-
ceiyed at the separate stations for which
they are designed, while the message
sent to any one station is not repeated
at the others
IN this column in the Tribune of
March 3, a summary was given of Prof.
Proctor's arguments assigning great
depth to the atmosphere of the major
planets. Among the evidences adduced
Il was men n,ioned that satellite occul-
ted by the edge of one II these planets
has reappeared briefly just after conceal
ment. Quite recently remarkable ad.
dition has been made to this Glars of evil
dence. Mr.. Todd and his assistant, Mr..
Ringwood, using an eight-lnch telescope
in the observatory at Adelaide, Austria
la, have separately and more than once
observed that a satellite of Jupiter, after
passing behind tha edge Of the planets
disk, was distinctly visible, being viewed
through the planet for about two minutes
bpfore heing finally concealed. The fer
tical drpta Within the APPARENT s&ge Of
the planet at which the skelliLe ~
Sesn can not be estimated q g less t's
:, ~ miles. " soc and eSamih Hhstsnei
ohaaipg c'sevhore ~ HOtrc