Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1881-03-19
SCRAPS OF SCIENCE.

Even so infiammable material as cot
ton can now be used for the construction
of fire-proof buildings. 1t is converted
into paste-by chemical treatment
which becomes as hard as stone 1t is
nodded into large slabs. and designated as
architectural cotton.
A magnetic sand, imported from the Isle
OF Bourbon, and since found near Morbi-
han; is said by M. Edard to have the
property of rapidly reviving plants which
had shown pronounced symptoms of decay
through disease.
A new air thermometer, by M. Miller,
consists of an iron support, fitted at its
upper end with two tubulures, in which
are fixed the two tubes OF the manometer.
The closed branch bears a thread of Opaque
glass, soldered on its side at the point
where the large tube joins the connecting
tube
NJ Colladon has found that any tall tree
may serve as lightning conductor to pro-
tect house, provided its roots enter damp
soil. In the case, however, where the
house stands between the tree and pond
or stream of water. the shortest path for
the lightning from the tree to the liquid
conductor may be through the house.
A simple hygrometer can be made by a
piece of catgut and a straw. The catgut
twisted, is put through hole in DIAL in
which straw is also placed. In dry
weather, the catgut curls up; in damp, it
relaxes and so the straw is turned either
to the one side or the other. Straws do
not only "show which way the wind
blows" you see.
C. ]. Kintner, of the United States
Patent Office, believes that, judging from
what has already been done in various ap-
plications of electricity, within the next
decade we shall find our large Geographic
corporations operating their elevators,
supplying motive power, heat and light
throughout their buildings and electricity
for their lines from one common source of
power.
A new method of producing light from
electricity has been, patented in England.
Small balls of platinum or iridium are ar
ranged at the ends of small platinum rods
inclosed in pairs in the center of suitable
globe, and rapid succession of sparks is
passed between them, whereby they are
raised to incandescent heat. A disad-
vantage is the noise attendant on the rapid
sparks.
DIR. Oscar Jennings, physician of stand
ing in Paris, writes to the London Lancet
that in the treatment of mental disease he
has constantly used music, which calms
and soothes the mind, and declares it to be
too precious an agent to be neglected.
This is both scriptural and poetical indorse-
ment. Saul of Tarsus was cheered by
music, and the poet recognizes it as the
soother of the savage breast, while Shake
speare denounces :" he who has no music in
his soul is fit for strategem and spoils.
1t will be remembered that the artificial
production of the diamond made last year
by Scotch chemist looked very much as
though small diamonds had been fractured.
None Of the specimens were perfect. ALI
of them were fragments. A step in adj
vance has been made, however. DIR. Mars
den has lately been able to effect the crys-
talization of carbon in the cubical form.
Possessors of the most valuable gems need
not be alarmed as yet. DIR. Marsden says
his crystals are so small that they are of
no commercial value whatever.
It is well known that if a long, dry tube,
open at both ends, be held over jet of
burning hydrogen a musical sound is pro-
duced, the pitch and quality of which vary
with the length, thickness and diameter of
the tube. 1t has been proposed, says the
Electrician, to adapt such tube to the
safety lamp underground, and to place it
near telephone in communication With
another telephone in the managers Office
on the surface. The alteration of the
sound, due to greater or less admixture
of gas with the air of the mine, would
warn the manager of the state of the at
mosphere in the workings.
NJ. l.. Cruls has communicated to the
French Academy of Sciences notes of OBJ
servations which he has made at the Impe-
rial observatory, Rio Janeiro, on stars
unfavorably situated for observation from
the Northern Hemisphere. Some of these
stars appear to possess slow bat we'll
defined orbital motion, amounting in some
instances to about six degrees retrograde in
forty-three years. They have been oh
served heretofore only by Sir John Her
schel at the Cape of Good Hope and by
Capt. Jacob at Poonah, India, and it is
from a comparison with these observations
that he has deduced the fact of motion.
4 dairying company of London has
lately established laboratory at which
samples of milk received from farmers are
subjected to chemical analysis Prizes
have been offered by the company, which
are to be given to those farmers whose
milk-supply stands highest in quality dur
ing stated period of time. The SAMPLES
of milk are carefully examined by the
company's analyst, whose analyses and re-
ports will decide the competition for the
prizes. 1t is expected that much valuable
information respecting methods for pro-
ducing the richest possible milk viii be
secured in this way.
HAMMERS CAsoARA SaesADA BITrEEs cures all
complaints arising from obstrueted stats OF the