The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1879-12-02
soINTILLAriONs OF SCIENCE.

|
Sth says that the apparatus belonging to
the late Electric Lighting Company has
been sold by auction. The sale took /
place by order of the official liquidator-
M. Niaudet's chloride of lime battery
consists OF a positive electrode OF zinc in
a solution of chloride of sodium, and a
negative of carbon surrounded with fragg-
ments of carbon and chloride Of lime in
a porous vessel.
Tommasi proposes a modification OF
the Bupsen battery ~ substitute both
for the ordinary Bunsen battery and the
dvnamo-electric machines. For II full
account of his views see Les Mondes OF
October 2Sd. He maintains that an
adoption of his battery would result in
greatly cheapening the production OF
the light.
The wood Quebracho Colorado which,
as new material for tanning, excited
great interest in Europe, contains, be-
: sides peculiar tannin, about 2S per
cent. of another astringent, acting like
gallic acid with reagents 1t yields, also,
; a beautiful yellow dye. The wood is
said to equal sumac IN the manufacture
of morocco leather.
Regarding the adaptability of steel as
a material for the construction OF bridges,
the Scientific American remarks that the
attitude of engineers on the subject ap-
pears to be one of expectancy. They
seem inclined to put the burden of proof
on the manufacturers, and to require
them to furnish evidence of its suita-
bleness and economy before consenting to
: use it.
In paper on actions of life without
air, Pasteur maintains that in the ami
} NAL economy phenomena take place OF
the same order as in fermentation. Oxy'
) gen acts not only by efiecting combus-
tions, but by giving activity to the Gel
) lules, from which they derive the power
: of action beyond the influence of free
oxygen, in the manner Of the ferment
! cells.
q A very good test for examining the
: stability of explosives that are not in
7 tended to be stored for great length OF
4 time is given in Dingler's Journal. Sub
G ject small quantities of the material in
close vessel to temperature of TO- for
e about eight days. If hypo-nitric acid
d does not appear or an explosion occur in
d the meantime, the composition may be
regarded as stable.
:. 1t is intended to keep dead bodies in
| the Morgue at Paris in a frozen condi,
IS ton, so that longer time may be given
+ for their identification. syet, however,
d the Municipal Council has not deter.
n mined what kind of ice-making machine
|. will be adopted. The choice will depend
1t on a report by Commissioner now en-
l.. gagged in examining the several kinds OF
l, apparatus for the manufacture OF ice.
M. Wolfe has submitted paper on the
!, specific heats and points of fusion of var
g ious refractory metals, to the French
a Academy of Sciences. He finds that the
u specific heat of iridium increases regular
ly with temperature, and the formuls
y gives 1,9500 of the air thermometer al
, the point of fusion. The specific heat Of
u gold varies up to 6000, and then gradual
y ly increases toward the point OF fuslor
"a 1,035'.
e A qualitative test for traces of mer
n curry, whereby even one ten-tbousandtE
of a gramme may be indicated, has beel
e described by M. Z. Teuber. A dry ant
It powdered sample of the material i
it mixed with ignited iron filings and lit
10 tie red-lead. 1t is then placed in cruel
as BILE upon layer of red-lead, and covered
h with iron filings. The fumes given Of
D. in heating pass through the lid OF tn
h crucible and strike the bottom of a smal
gold capsule containing cold water
,e In niche in the Cathedral of FREE
n! burg box was discovered containin
I'd rines and medals. 1t is thought the bo
had remained in its hiding-place severa
le hundred years. One of the rings ez
I'd amined by DR.. Schertel was of tin, nearl
er pure, and the metal had undergone il
p peculiar gray modification. 1t could b
ut easily crumbled between the fingers, an
We its fracture WAS uneven. When til
lie changed metal was heated in the vapc
of acetone at so its usual characteristic
were restored.
Bone-dust for manure, Prof. Krock'
saws, SllOulu contain lT'iH ~ W AZ IN
ial cent. of phosphorous acid, and at lea
ty 3 to 3.5 per cent. of nitrogen due to ge
mt attn. To ascertain the presence of oth'
'rd matter than bone, which may have bee
els introduced to raise the percentage of II
"a trogen, he shakes up the bone-dust viii
he chloroform, and then horn, blood, leat
Zip er-waste, &C., rise to the surface, but II
be bone-dust, with its natural gelatino
5he matter and pure phosphates, remains
ir. the bottom. The microscope will reve
IA the presence of vegetable ivory amol
ra- the bone-dust deposit.
n' ra The Nature says that DR.. 0. Lohse,
res -" the Physical Observatory at Potsdal
o,v ,"v who has watched the planet Jupiter re
u~ ,rv ularly during the last nine years, me
as ,Scs. tions that on June 9th, when his obsery
,an ' tons for the present year commence
~" the red spot was of an intensity of col
+bo to be perceived at the first glance
ins h;. 15h. mean time, when it was ne
,n ms the eastern limb. The sha
Iy ontJ;ne and the form of the spOt a