The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1879-06-03
SCIENTIFIC.

Aniline Dyes.-There has been at var
ious times much discussion on what
may be termed the sanitary aspect Of
the aniline dyes. Although it may be
Mt first difficult to see in what way the
color of an article of costume can pos
sibly Affect health, yet the relation Of
the one to the other Is not so remote as
might be anticipated. Socks, stockings
and gloves are worn next to the skin,
and poisonous matter may thus be
brought into the system; even the very
wear and tear of ordinary costumes, in
the event Of the color not being of Il
very firmly adherent nature, results In
portion of coloring matter being lib
Grated In the form of fine dust, and
thus inhaled by the lungs. In France,
stringent measures have had to be
adopted to prevent the artificial colora-
ton of cheap wines with fuchsine."
Recent experiments have now be-
yond doubt established that aniline
dyes, at least the reds and blues, are in
their pure condition comparatively in
crt, and that the i'll effects which have
been sometimes attributed to the use Of
these dyes are traceable, not to the pure
colorIng matters themselves, but to
traces of arsenic which they contained,
anu which arose from inefficient purifl-
cation subsequent to manufacture.
Enterprising scientists may always be
found who are willing to become mar
tyrs for science or for notoricty, and
the present inquiry has had its self
sacrificing hero in the form of Herr
Scidlcr Of Rega, who administered to
himself thrce-duartcrs of u grain of
aniline red every morning for Il period
OF five weeks, without any i'll effects.
When 1t Is pointed out that single
grain Of aDilinc red is sufficient to i'm
part good pink color 10 fifteen gallons'
Of alcohol, 1t would be necessary to
drink an enormous quantity of artificial
colorcd wine in order to equal q single
morning performance OF Herr Seiulcr
So far the question is practically settled
the only remaining difficulty being our
lnaDlllty 10 ascertain whether pure or
impure coloring material has been used
In any purchased article; and it Will
therefore be better, as Il simple matter of
prccaution, to be on our guard against
the indiscriminatc use Of aniline dyes
for coloring purposes.
ALLOYS Of different materials In imita-
ton Of gold and silver, applicable as
substitutes for these metals for orna-
mental purposes, have been produced
by Mcltlren & Co., OF Marscilles. TO
make an alloy having the color and ap-
pcarancr of gold. they place In cruel
Die copper rs pure as possible, platinum
and tungstic acid to the proportions as
statee below. When the metals are
comp letcly melted they stir and gran
late them by running them into water
containing 800 grammcs Of Stacked lime
and 900 grammes Of carbonate of potash
for every cubic metre Of water. This
mixture, dissolved in water, has the
property Of rendering the alloy still
purer. The grannlated metal Is next
collected, dried, and, after remclting
ina crurlhle, certain quantity Of fine
gold Is added. Annlloy Is thus produce
cd which, when run into ingots, pre-
Sen's the appearance OF red gold Of the
standard Of 750-l 900. The color Of the
alloy may be changed by varying the
proportions Of the different metals. AS
ilnN boric acid, nitrate OF soda and
chloride Of sodium, previously melted
together In equal proportions, are used.
The proportion of iluX to be employed
Is 20 grammcs per kilogramme Of the
alloy. The proportions employed by
preference for producing M alloy Of
red gold are: Copper, 800 grammes {;
platinum, 20; tungstic acid, 10, and
gold, l70 grammcs.
Up TO the latter half of last century
we had not reached to the excellence Of
the locks that were in use In Egypt and
Chiua thousands of years ago, and have
now for very long period run in the
line of rcdiscovcry or rcapp!icatlon of
what had been tested 50 long ago in
them. The essential principle of the
Egyptian lock was movable pins or
nails dropping, each Independently, by
Its own weight, into the bolt, aud SO
curing 1t on being touched at the right
point by corresponding pins at the end
of the true key, all Of them requiring
to be raised together to the proper
height. The very latest idea In lock-
making may be regarded as suggestions
or applications Of this principle.
There arc two mining academies in
Austria, one Mt Pribram ahd another ut
Lcoben, for the higher education of
mining engineers and officers. Besides
these there are six mining schools for
the instruction Of workmen, one at each
OF the following places; Pribram,
DnX, Ostrava, Deobcn, Klagenfurt and
Wieliczka.
Grenat, an incidental product in the
manufacture of fuchsine, is used to
color wine. Although large quantity
may be taken without dirpctlv Ejllinv n