Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1880-05-05
CURIOUS. USEFUL AND SCIENTIFIC.

THE ELECTRIC LIGHT UNDER WATER.
The electric light burns brightly I'M
der water. During the past year the
German army has used it successfully
for submarine operations.
EFFECT OF SMOKE ON FLOWERS.
Nh. E. Da Can't reports that it has
been found in the Azores that the en-
trance of smoke into the conservatives
causes a rapid development of the buds
III the case of roses, ananas, &c., and
that this fact is now made use of in has
tening the blooming.
BLEACHING JUTE.
To bleach jute, Singer recommends
that the yarn be placed III weak and
slightly warm soap bath for ten minutes,
and then transferred to a chloride of lime
bath of 1O035 specific gravity. After
the lapse OF forty minutes the yarn is
taken out. Sometimes it may be neces-
sary to repeat the operation. Finally,
the warn is washed In warm and then in
cold water and dried In the open air.
SIMPLE APERIENT.
DR.. Wier Mitchell, lecturing on a case
of nervous affection In which constipa
ton existed, said that he had recon-
mended the girl to take each morning,
on rising, tumblerful of water III which
was dissolved teaspoonful of common
salt. The water should be cold, or it
might nauseate. ''This simple aperient
[ frequently employ in cases of consti-
patton, and generally find 1t efficient.
There is a great advantage in starting the
bowels and keeping them IN soluble
condition, particularly In cases of ner-
vous disorder in women, as it sometimes
clears up obscure points In the case, and
at all events eliminates one source of
error.
NOVEL CELLULOID.
A material that can be carved, says
the american Machi2eist, may be made
out of peeled potatoes, which are pre-
pared for this purpose by being first
blackened for thirty-six hours in eight
parts of sulphuric acid to one hundred of
water; it is next dried with blotting
paper, and then pressed. The French
now manufacture pipes, In close imita-
ton of meerschaum, from this novel sub
stance. A heavy pressure gives ma
terial SO hard that good billiard balls, in
imitation of ivory, can be made from it.
CURE FOR sLEEPLEssNEss.
The following IS recommended as a
cure for sleep]essness: "Wet half a
towel, apply it to the back of the neck,
pressing it upward toward the base of the
brain, and fasten the dry half of the
towel over so as to prevent the too rapid
exhalation. The effect is prompt and
charming, cooling the brain and Undue
ing calmer, sweeter sleep than any mar
cotic. Warm water may be used, though
most persons prefer cold. To those who
suffer from over-excitement of brain
work, or pressing anxiety, this simple
remedy has proved an especial boom"
IRON IN POLAR SNOW.
Polar snow is known to contain five
fortieths of iron, which must have de-
scended from thu atmosphere. In the
snow north of Spltzbergen Nordenskjold
detected iron, cobalt and phosphorus.
Facts like these appear to have suggest
ed theory of the aurora borealis to
Prof. Grinneman of Goettingen. He be-
lieves that large masses of iron particles
describe path round the sun, and
when the earth crosses their path some
of the particles are attracted by it,
especially at the poles. When the par
ticles strike the atmosphere the friction
thus produced causes them to ignite
and become luminous, following exactly
the behaviour of meteorites.
A PECULIAR PHENOMENON.
DR.. K Birnbaum writes in Dingler's
Journal that at the st. John Gas Works
near Sarrbruck, some gas pipes which
been in use for ten years showed pecu-
liar phenomena. The cast-iron of which
the pipes were made had assumed tn
form of regular brittle, and graphite
like mass of magnetic oxide which could
be cut with knife, and had q shining sur
face. The brightness, however, disap-
peared when the surfaces were exposed
for few weeks to the air. The explana-
ton given of the alteration Of the quail
ties of the iron is that owing to the soft
ness of the soil it was necessary to sur
round the pipes with some hard material
to keep them IN position, and for this
purpose cinders were employed. These
were obtained from the Saar coal, which
is noted for containing large amount OF
pyrites The latter coming into contact
with rain-water, and also being partly
exposed to atmospheric influences, readi-
ly acted on the metal and brought about
the change.
HOMEMADE SODA WATER.
The artificial seltzer water, made with
a carbonic acid generator, is already
says The Scientific american, an imita
ton, far from perfect, of the natura
water A recipe to make it on the small
scale for family use, as it were, can only
give a product differing still more from
the product of the spring. Yet the fol
lowing would fairly initiate the taste ant
properties of the natural water:
Fused Chloride of calcium ........ grains
Chloride Of magnesium .............1 grains
Chloride OF sodlurn. .......-...-...... grain
Bicaroonate of soda. ......-.... 2H drachn
Water sufficient
Dissolve all the salts, excepting th
tartaric acid and the bicarbonate in abou
one pint of water, and introduce the SO
luton into a champagne bottle. Then