The Osceola times., 1877-03-10
Scientific Miscellany.


Scientific Miscellany.
An inventor proposes vessel that
will not be affected by waves at sea. A
hollow body is TO be submerged several
yards below the surface of the water;
and above the surface, supported by
strong posts, Is to be the part OF the yes
vel for passengers. The propelling ma
chinery is to be in the submerged portion.
In washing table-linen, it has been the
custom in some places to sprinkle little
lime-water on the cloth before pressing,
as it gives the linen a hard and brilliant
surface. This practice has been found
to destroy the fabric in a thort time,
through the grinding action of the crys-
tails OF hydrate of lime formed in the
threads.
Ventilators for admitting fresh air at
windows arc now made with screens Of
cotton supported by the wire webbing,
after the manner Of a respirator. The
design Of this pattern of ventilation is
TO initiate the fltering action Of the res
pirator, and TO thus exclude dust and
lampness from the house while securing
a constant supply of pure air.
A new form of emery.wheel for knife
grinding has been introduced. It is
made in the form Of cap, and is hang
horizontally on its longer axis. The
knife to be ground is placed before the
open end or tops of the cap, and held
against its circular edge ss the cap is
turned rapidly on its axis. This style Of
grinding surface is said u give smooth
edge admirably adapted for grinding
straight knives.
A piece of sandstone from Stuben, in
Tyrol, containing twenty-four fossil
lizards, with an average length Of thirty.
two inches each, has just been acquired
by the royal cabinet Of natural history
at Stuttgart. The bodies of the lizards
are 10 inter-twined as to suggest that
they met their death by some sudden
catastrophe. They do not belong 10 any
existing species OF lizard, but have heads
like those Of birds, covered with scales
resembling ring armor
The beautiful colos of the agates
which come from the celebrated agate
works at Oberstein in Germany are not
the natural hues Of the stone, but are
impaired artifcially. The process Of
staining, which was known TO the an
clients, consists in immersing the agates
successfully in honey.syrup, sulphuric
acid and oil, and exposing them to dif.
ferent temperatures at different stages OF
! the treatment. Some agates can not be
colored in this or any other way; but
those from Urugay, whence Obcrvtein
receives the largest supply, usually take
the color in few hours.
Mr.. Richard A. Proctor, in his recent
addresses and writings, has considered
the object ions to the theory that the
planets Jupiter and Saturn are still no
intensely hot a. to shine, to some extent.
by their own light, and he pronounces
the objections untenable. He thinks it
demonstrated that these giant planets
are really in q state Of intense heat, and
says that il they are ever to he the
abode Of life they will probably not be
ready to subscrve that purpose for hun.
dreds of millions OF years. He thinks
that one fifth Of Jupiter's light Is due to
the inherent luster Of the planet, and
the rest to reflection from the clouds
wnicn surrOunu IL.
Copper has lately been discovered in
canned peas in London. Singularly
enough question has been raised as to
whether the presence Of this metal is or
is not injurious to the customer. The
health officer thought the quantity
found by the analysis could not fail to
injure health il taken repeatedly, while,
on the other hand, DIR. Pavy, we'll
known authority on food, asserted that
II the canned peas did any hurt it would
be due to the peas themselves rather
than the copper 10 them. He thought
that grown person could take thirty
one hundredlhs Of a grain of copper
daily without injury. A correct deter
mination of such questions is very i'm
portant 10 the public, and 1t seems to us
that the medical colleges ought TO be
able IL ascertain and promulgate the
truth in regard to them.
A remarkable remedy for hydropho.
bia wa. lately brought TO the attention
Of the chronological society Of France.
II consists .f the dried bodies Of
two species Of Meloid beetles from
Tunis, which are used by the
Inhabitants Of Amerma in the treat
ment of rabies. This remedy Ii
mentioned in Arabic medical works
under the name Of Derdona, with direc-
tions to administer II In meat soup, be-
tween the twcnty-frst and twenty
seventh day after the patient has been
bitten, as otherwise it will be of no avail.
Several member Of the society EXPIRE ssd
the opinion that experiments OF ght to be
made to test the value of this supposed
curative agent, and reference was made
10 the recommendation by Linpeus that
hydrophobia should be treated with the
common blistering beetle.
Nine snails. of the species Known q
Buli,nus pauidior, were collected by Prof.
George Davidson, Of the United States
coast survey, in Lever California, in
MarcL., 1873. Mr.. Robert +. G. Stearnl
now writes TO the American Naturalist
that they were kept in box undisturbed
until June %, 1875, when he took them
out and placed them in glass jar, with
some chickweed and other tender veget.
able food and q small supply Of tepid
water, 10 ~ To give them = warm and
damp atmosphere. They showed theil
marvellous vitality by waking and
moving about after having slept rud
tasted two years, two months and sixteen
days. .Afterward they all died except
one, which Mr.. stearns speaks of - BE-
yg py% in pretty good health, though
- active.