The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1879-08-28
USEFUL AND SCIENTIFIC.

Union.
USEFUL AND SCIENTIFIC.
Foul AIR IN WELLs.-Proved by let
ting down candle, which will go out
if the air is impure. 10 dissipate it,
throw in water, dashing it against the
sides, and if this will not do, quantities
of loose burning straw. Best of all,
draw up and down brush wet with
strong lime-water.
DIR. T. L. PHIPsoN says that the purer
a water is the better it will dissolve lead,
and that many good spring.water has
been spoiled by storing in lead cisterns,
being supplied by lead pipes, or pumped
through a leaden pump. Slate cisterns
are preferable, but they should not be
frightened at the joints with red-lead, as
is usually done. ss4 o2t
The enameled ware known as Cincin.
natl faience is fired in kiln at a tenn
perature of 5000 degrees, while the
famed Limoges faienceis not fired high
er than 1850 degrees. The enamel of
the Cincinnati variety is exceedingly
brilliant in C lor, and so hard that the
point of any steel instrument is said to
make no impression upon it.
The latest return of the Bank of
France is the most remarkable ever is
sued. On the oath of April the note is
sue of the bank was 2, 187, 900, 900 francs,
aud the cash in hand was 2,148, 100000
francs. There was therefore reserve
of more than 984 per cent. upon the note
liabilities. Moreover. the actual amount
of money on hand has never been reach
ed by any other institution in the world,
and rarely or never by the Bank of
France. 1t is close upon $50, 900, 900 in
hard money-almost three times as
much as the Bank of England reported
as in its possession the same day.
PROF. BENCKE of Marburg, Germany,
after measuring go human hearts, says
that the growth of hat organ is greatest
in the first and second years of life. At
the end Of the second year it is doubled
in size, and during the next five years is
again doubled. Then its growth is
much slower, though from the 10Th to
the goth year its size increases by two
thirds. A very slight growth is then
observed up to so, when it gradually
diminishes. Except in childhood, men g
hearts are decidedly larger than those
of women.
PROF. ST. GEORGE MIvARr says
"It is now known that q variety of ami
mails habitually reproduce their kind, as
plants so largely do, by process of ex-
ternal budding. This happens, for ex-
ample, with the hydra and animals like
it. Animals may even be propagated
by cuttings. Thus, if hydra or the
common sea-anemone (anthea) be BIZ
sected, each half soon grows into the
perfect form once more, and many
| worms (such as scyllis, or catenula),
and many animalcules called infuriosa,
habitually multiply by self-made Sec
tons, that is, by spontaneous division or
fssion."
DISTINGUISHING FIREs.-Sulphide OF
carbon is now largely used in Paris for
extinction of chimney fires. DR.. Hee-
rem has remarked in the Hanover Soci.
ETY. of Engineers that, according to his
experiments, 100 grammes of the sui
phide, consumed in shallow open dish,
| VIM AAOO 0cSOoo VI OIL ICQuIAC July SIX
minutes, and the sulphurous and sui
phuric acid, formed must undoubtedly
be much diluted by the large amount OF
nitrogen in the air required for COM
bustion, while they must also be great
ly expanded by the high temperature.
DR.. Heeren therefore recommends the
use of condensed sulphurous acid as q
powerful agent for the purpose in ques-
ton.
M. LACERDo has given much atten-
ton to the character and effect of the
venom of the rattlesnake. The poison
seems to be of the nature of ferment.
The red corpuscles of the blood of ami
mails bitten by snake begin to display
small brilliant points on the surface,
which increase rapidly in number, and
then the globules unite with each other,
forming paste which can not circulate
through the veins. Affected blood, il
introduced into the circulation of other
animals, will produce the same symp
toms and fatal termination as the
original virus. The author believes that
the best antidote for snake-poisonipg is
alcohol, which may be given to the pa
tent to drink or may be administered
simultaneously.
AN English hotel claims public favor
on the ground that it is patronized by
royalty, American Presidents and the