The Osceola times., 1879-11-08
MECHANICAL AND SCIENTIFIC.

The presence of ammonia in water
oi existing seas is general, although its
quahtity Is variable. Ii exists to nota-
Die extent in gypsum, which, being a
documentary formation, gives evidence
that ammonia was also in the ocean
water of the seas of early geological
times.
-.CornhM tells of man who, being bit
ten by cat which died of hydrophobia.
was attacked by symptoms ofthe disease,
and cured himself by violent physical
exercise In the open air, although he
suffered greatly. His physician SAYS
he was cured by a violent effort of the
will.
dynamite was used with economy
and success in removing the snags which
obstructed navigation In the Waikato
River, New Zealand. BY means of a
plain wooden tube, having a piece of
glass in the bottom of the part of the
snag to be bored for, the charge was cas-
lily selected. One peculiarly of the ac-
ton of the explosive has been noted
the stumps were invariably cut off clean
at the bottom of the augur-hole, leaving
a surface as fiat as that which would be
left by cross-cut saw.
The British Medical Journal remarks
that during the last time the plague was
epidemic at Vetrjanka, Russia, not sim
gle case occurred among the Kalmucks,
who lived not very far from that place
The fact is surprising, as the Kalmucks
live totally regardless of sanitary rules.
Their religion does not permit them to
eat flesh except that of animals which
are found dead. They do not bury the
bodies Of persons who die, but simply
throw them into the fields; and in person
they are far from being clean. The con-
clusion seems to be that anti-hygienic
conditions alone do not produce the
plague, and that there is some other
agent to which this disease is really
due,
The busy bee on Long Island has
utilized novel receptacle for his hon
eyed product. The ancient homestead
Of the Van Brunt family stands IN the
town of New Utrecht. For 300 years it
beaten upon its shingled sides Recently
repairs were needed, and workmen in
tearing off the shingles which covered it
in lieu of clapboards found their further
progress opposed by an immense swarm
of honey bees, which dwelt between the
outer and inner walls, and resisted the
destruction of their hive. BY aid of sui
phur the bees at length were overcome,
and forty pounds of honey were cap
tured.
DR. Moesta, ageologist, while search
ing in the vicinity of Rotenburgh, on the
Fulda, discovered subterranean oak
forest, at a depth of eight feet under the
ground. The number of well preserved
trunks il enormous. The wood il as
black as Irish bog oak, in consequence OF
the influence of water for centuries; but
it is hard and sound, and an excellent
material for wood carving and mosaic.
The size of the trunks is astonishing.
One of them, about Is metres, or 730
inches, in length, and l.50 metres, or 90
inches, in breadth, has been preserved
for exhibition at the Royal Museum at
Berlin. The forest evidently belongs to
very remote period in the formation of
the globe.
"A beautiful novelty, recently intro
duced, says the Fdrber Zeittng, is that of
gilded and silvered feathers. 1t is chiefly
goose feathers and the wings Of pigenos
which are selected for this curious art,
and the process is quite simple. The
feather is dipped in bronze powder and
rubbed with piece of wash leather. In
course of wearing, however, the bronze
thus acquired would, necessarily, be very
easily detached. To prevent~tAis, the
feather, before being dipped in the
bronze powder. is taken through gum
water, pressed nearly dry through
clothes, and in its slightly adhesive state
Is treated with bronze powder. Partially
bronzed feathers and wings are also pro-
duced by simply covering those parts
which are to remain plain with paste
board, and the bronze powder is rubbed
upon the rest with feather, fine effect
being thus obtained.