The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1878-06-05
FARM, GARDEN AND HOUSEHOLD.
IntereslIng scIentIac Notes.

OBAf- w 1NOlNd O1OOhs-Au inventor
describes an automatic clock, in which
the winding machinery is operated BY
the alternate expansion and contraction
of glycerine, or other suitable liquid
A piston, on the surface of the glycerine
is 30 connected with ratchet wheels anc
toothed racks that motion In either di
rection will wind up the weight. he
thinks that the contrivance will be es
pecially valuable for self. re gistering me
teorological instruments.
YELLOW GLASS FOR SPEcTAcuEs. -
Yellow glass gives greater rest to the
eyes than either blue or green, and OBJ.
1ects at a distance can be seen more dis.
tinctly with than without il. At rife
practice the yellow glass was found tc
take off all the glare Of the light without
impeding vision, and allowed the men
to see the targets most distinctly. Vel
low glass cuts off chemical rays, and.
perhaps, on that account has less in
furious effect on the eyes.
PROCURING FRESH WATER FROM SEA
WATER.-A method of procuring fresh
water from sea water through the direct
action of the suns rays is among the
AOASAc5h 4hNOAOAOhos LILO apparatus COu-
sists of box of wood one inch thick,
about fourteen feet long, two feet wide,
and OF an average depth of six inches.
The upper part of the box is closed with
ordinary glass, which has an inclination
of an inch and a half. At the lower
edge of the glass there is q semi-circular
channel, destined to receive the fresh
water which is condensed on the inte-
rior surface of the glass. The operation
is entirely simple. The salt water is let
into the box for about an inch in depth,
ED is then exposed to the rays of the
sun. A very active evaporation then
begins, and it is found that square
metre of glass will condense daily the
amount of two gallons of pure water.
A CHEAP TELEPHONE. NE.-Professor Bar
rett, in recent lecture on the telephone,
gave fsaFH Nature) a recipe for making
9. Cheap one. Take a wooden tooth
oLtm4ef box and make a hole about the
size of half-crown in the lid and the
bottom. Take disc of timed iron, such
as can be had from preserved meat tin,
and place it on the outside of the bottom
of the box, and fix the cover on the
9ther side of it. Then take q small bar
magnet, place on one end small cotton
or silk reel, and round the reel wind
some iron wire, leaving the ends loose.
Fix one end of the magnet near-as near
as possible without touching-to the
disc, and then one part of the telephone
is complete. A similar arrangement is
needed Tor the other end. The two are
connected by the wire, and with this
Professor Barrett says he has been able
TO converse at a distance of about 100
yards.
ARTIFICIAL GEMS. What we popular
ly call paste is technically known as
strass; this is also the French word for
the same substance (from M. Strass, its
reputed inventory. Paste, then, is a
material with which diamonds are i'm
itated, and by mixing up with it metallic
oxides of different kinds, cclors in great
variety are impaired to the paste, by
which it serves as representative of the
various colored gems. Strass is prepared
from silica, potash, burax and oxide of
lead, and sometimes arsenic. The cru
cible in which the materials are melted
claims particular attention, since, if the
substance of which it is formed confirms
particles, color would be i'm
parted to the strass. Hard porcelain
and Hessian clay are the best materials
for this purpose. When the crucibles
are supplied with the proper quantity OF
they are placed in a porce-
lain furnace, where they are exposed to
4 steady heat for twenty-four hours, and
then allowed to cool very slowly, so that
a kind of annealing goes on. BY this
means is produced a strass or paste
which, after passing through the hands
Of the lapidary, who gives it the form
necessary for setting, presents us with
IN imitation of the diamond.
Medical Hints.
How TO SOFTEN THE HANDS. s.-Take
equal portions of glycerine and alcohol
mix well before retiring at night wash
,he hands in warm water and rub well
With the lotion.
HAIR TONIC Bay rum, one pint :;
Alcohol, half a pint castor oil, half an
)unce carbonate Of ammonia, quar-
.er of an ounce tincture of cantharides,
half an ounce. Mix them well. This
mixture is said to promote the growth of
ihe hair, and prevent it from falling out.
FREoKLE AND TAN RECIPE. - Four
pounds of good hard soap; shave fine
and dissolve in ten quarts of boiling
ioft water; add one ounce of salts of
,artar, three ounces borax. Then take
away from the fire and set to cool; then
ldd one ounce of liquid ammonia, two
ounces glycerine end ten drops of oil of
sassafras.
NEURALGIA AND RHEUMATISM. - A
very simple relief for neuralgia is to
poll small handful of lobelia in half
pint of water till the strength is out of
he herb, then strain it off and add tea
spoonful of fine salt. Wiring cloths out
If the liquid as hot as possible, and
spread over the part affected. 1t acts
ike a charm. Change the cloths as
soon as cold, till the pain is all gone !;
hen cover the place over, so as to pre-
7ent taking cold. Rheumatism can often
IA relieved nv aDDlicatiOn In tha naiDfi,l