The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1878-08-29
USEFUL AND SCIENTIFIC.

l.
known as the common beggar's lice is
said to be wonderful product, and IS
being cultivated successfully IN parts OF
Florida and Southwest Georgia. Poor
lands are made rich, and deserted lands
improved by its culture thereon. 1t
takes the place of clover, is a fine pro-
Queer of milk, stock fattens rapidly on
it, it is palatable and nutritious, makes
fine forage, and can be cut as many
as three times per season.
A New DIsINFEcTANT.-Under this
title, says the Birth Medical Journal,
DIR. John Day, of Geelong, Australia,
recommends for use in civil and militia
ry hospitals, and also for the purpose of /
destroying the poison germs of small /
pox, scarlet fever, and other infectious I
diseases, q disinfectant ingeniously COM |
posed of one part of rectified oil OF ntur- |
pentine and seven parts of benzine, with |
the addition of five drops Of oil of YER
bena TO each ounce. Its purifying and |
disinfecting properties are due to the
power which is possessed by each OF its
ingredients, of absorbing atmospheric
oxygen, aud converting it into peroxide
of hydrogen---a highly active oxidizing
agent, and very similar in its nature to
ozone. Articles of clothing, furniture,
wallpaper, carpeting, books, newspa-
pers, letters, etc, may be perfectly sat
urated with, it without receiving the
slightest injury; and when it has been
once freely applied to any rough or po-
rous surface, its action will be persistent
for an almost indefinite period This
may, at any time, be readily shown by
pouring a few drops of solution OF
iodide of potassium over the material
which has been disinfected, when the
peroxide of hydrogen which is being
continually generated within it will
quickly liberate the iodine from its COM
bination with the potassium, and give
| rise to dark brown stains.
ANTIsEPTIC PROPERTIES OF BoRAx.-
According to the Lancet, at a, recent
meeting of the Academy of Sciences of
| Lombardy, G.. Polli reported the results
of numerous experiments in which beer,
meat, eggs, blood, and urine were treat
ed with. boracie acid and Iborax for thir-
/ ty DAYS during the summer time, and
we're found stiIl to retain their freshness,
and to present no traces of fermentation
having taken place in them.s In eKper-
! iments, on the other hand, without the
| addition of the SALT but in some cases
with the addition of sulphate of. soda,
the fluids passed into a state of complete
/ decomposition in the course of fifteen
days. The energetic disinfecting bower
4 possessed by boracie acid and befax,
4 and the facility with which these sub
stances can be absorbed into the econo-
i my, led Polli to recommend their use in
diseases in regard to the infectious ma
i ture of which no doubt exists, or in
i which septic conditions readily arise.
He adduces several examples in which
! the feorile conditions of tuberculosis I'M
derwent diminution. No benefit was
obtained by Professor Visconti from ex-
: periments made with these remedies in
malaria, though other observers have
arrived at a different conclusion. In
charge quickly diminished, and even al
J together disappeared in the course of a
few days, and rapid improvement oc-
, CURED in cases of bad suppurating
} wounds when they were applied exter.
) nally. The dose recommended by POLL
: is IS grains of boracic acid and 15C
grains of borax per diem.
THE ELECTRIC LIGHT. One of Phil
! adelphia's largest carpet manufactures
: has recently put in the electric light to
, illuminate its floors, andsthe device is {
} complete success. It consists of d Brush
dynamo electric machine of 10000 can
die power, arranged to- give four separ.
ate currents, each running an electric
Ii, 49, h.
! the lamps were PLACED on the third tlool
and two on the fourth floor of the i'm
mense building, and when the engin,
was started up the machine started a
the same time, and without the slightes
manual interference the lamps dashed
4 out their light in all its magnificence
The effect was most brilliant. Tn
rooms were flooded with pure whit,
e light like the light of the sun, and i
streamed out of all the windows, illu
: minating houses and streets for Ion,
9 distance in every direction. The ligh
!; was very uniform and steady, free from
the Pickering, and considering the enor
: nous Illuminating power the light wa
+ Unexpectedly soft and endurable to tn
Z eyes. Estimates were made as to tn
n amount that the light furnished by thi
: apparatus would cost if used by the car
- pet company: as it was used on this oc
}. casion, and it was ascertained that tn
n total cost of theswhole light from tn
four lamps, including the items of con
i sumption of carbon in the lamps, inter
IsFestson the investment, and Iwear an
tear, would not exceed thirty cents a
:, hour. The light produced was photo
g metrically equal to 800 gas-burEers
i burning five feet of GAS Der hour each