Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1877-04-04
MECHANICAL AND SCIENTIFIC.

-Naptha is now burned for fuel
upon several Russian Government
vessels Oh the Caspian Sea. 1t is OBJ
tanned from Baku. IA port in Caucasia,
on the western shore OF the Caspian,
celebrated for the burning gas wells
which have long existed there. The
new fuel is growing in favor with en-
gineers, although boilers have to be
| specially adapted to its consumption.
In the London theaters scenic ar
tdstS are now availing thems elves of
photography and the magic lantern in
the production of scenery. The
painter, instead of drawing on his
imagination fer a group of medieval
houses to represent the market places
OF Rouen, for example, procures d
large photograph Of the actual scene.
This, by means of the oxyhydrogen
| light, he throws on his canvas, the
image being suitably enlarged in size.
Then he follows the outline and has
an accurate picture.
"A German physiclogist states that
the heating of the earth by the sun
causes magnetic currents from the
equator to the pole. Such being the
case, persons who suffer from sleep
lessness should pay attention to their
positions at night, and lie in the direc-
ton of these currents, Restlessness
and want of sleep result from lying
across them. The head to the north
is the best position-to the west the
worst. Physicians in charge of hos
pitfalls attend to the direction in which
the beds are placed, and with the best
results.
Prof. III. Hoffman,, of Glessen,
has arrived at the conclusion, after
protracted observations, that honey
dew is not the product of the aphis or
| other insects, but is secretion of the
leaves Of plants. In the case of a
healthy specimen of Camelia japonica
which eXuded honey-dew on the sur
face of the leaves, in such quantities
as to form large drops on the under
| side, that continually fell on the
ground, there were no insects on the
plant. The eXcretion consisted of a
sticky, c0lorless fluid, of sweetisn
taste, and containing gum. The process
by which this honey-dew was formed,
Prof. HOFFMAN was unable to discern.
Spots of clear, sweetish liquid, which
appeared on the leaves of an ivy, were
discovered to be due to the presence Of
C1cuS, an insect which has the power
Of forcibly ejecting saccharine secre-
ton that is much sought by bees.
According to the Boston Journal
| of Chemistry, wood which has been
| Immersed in pickle of a solution
of tungstate of soda is thereby rem
dered incombustible under ordinary
conditions. The tungstate has the
effect of making soft woods hard as
well az tire-proof. and safe from dry
rot. Wood thus treated has been
afterward saturated with kerosene oil
and set on fire, with the result that
the oil burned otf without igniting the
wood. To test the efficacy Of the So
luton, a small house was built of wood
| subjected to the tungstate, and an
urgent fire kindled within. The wood
was only slightly charred by the
| flames. 1t is said that all the wood
work Of theater can be thus rendered
lncombustlble at small expense, and
in a few weeks time 1.-The tung-
state Is made by the addition of tung-
state of lime to hydrochloric acid and
| salt, aifording, as by-product, chic
ride OF lime, in large quantities"
An interesting case is reported
from Germany, which shows that the
SUPPLEMENTARY attempted by rea-
son of its unsuccessful grating
healthy skin on raw or morbid surfaces
IS capable of being performed success
fully. The patient IN the case in ques-
ton was young German woman who
had received a dreadful burn, inyolv-
ing three-fourths Of the surface of the
body. Her medical attendant, the
weli-knOwn Prof. kied, tried epider-
IMITATION planting of pieces of cpl
dermis on the burnt part), but without
much success; the bits were carried
off 10y the very abundant suppuration
The idea then occurred To touch the
wounds with solution of nitrate of
silver; then fifteen fragments of the
skin were applied. The success was
such that the number was increased to
one hundred. The pieces were taken
from persons who volunteered to fur
nish them. They We're removed with
razor. dry. or well noistened with
water or oil; those got with the dry
razor succeeded best.