Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1882-02-01
CURIOUS, USEFUL AND SCIENTIFIC.
PRESERVATIVE WRAPPING PAPER.

REPRESENTATIVE WRAPPING PAPER
Two new kinds of preservative paper
have lately come into commerce III
Europe. One is produced by dipping
soft paper into bath of salicylic acid
and then drying. The bath is prepared
by mixing strong solution of the acid
In alcohol with much water. The paper
is useful for covering apples, etc. The
other paper, meant to preserve from
moths and mildew, consists of so called
Manila packing paper, dipped III bath
and dried over heated rollers. The bath
is formed of seventy parts spirits of tar,
FIVE parts new carbolic acid containing
about half of phenoD, twenty parts
coal tar at 1862 f., and five parts refined
petroleum.
GRIM MEMENTO.
Hermann, the prestidigiator, has pre-
sented to the Imperial Museum of
Natural History at Vienna a collection
of curious articles picked up by him
during his professional wanderings.
The most curious Of these is said to be
war trophy of the Jivaros, an Indian
tribe of Ecuador. It is nothing more or
less than the entire scalp and face-skin
of warrior, carefully dried by the ap-
plication of heated stones to the under
surface. The flowing hair, bushy eye
brows and strongly marked features are
perfectly preserved, but the last, in con-
sequence OF the peculiar treatment to
which they have been submitted, are
shrunken SO small that the whole face is
little larger than baby's clenched fist,
and looks like a well-executed miniature
carving.
NEW MACHINERY Betting.
Hair belts are quite extensively used
In Germany. They are less smooth than
leather or rubber, and therefore adhere
better to the pulleys without slipping,
so that a much narrower hair belt and
pulley can be used than is the case with
leather or rubber. They are little af-
fected by damp weather or by getting
wet; at least they elongate much less
than leather, and do not involve the
stOppage of the machinery when long
belts become so slack as to necessitate
shortening. They are exceedingly strong
and durable, only friction at the edges,
which are the weak parts, must not be
allowed, by avoiding the crossing of
these belts. The high price at which
they were sold at first has been lowered,
so that now they cost about the same as
leather belts.
HYDROPHOBIA.
One of the most abhorrent ways of
leaving this world, whether one con-
siders life worth living or not, is by
hydrophobia. To die of dog-bite i'm
plies a sense of humiliation to the vic
tim and his friends. Most of the al
legged remedies are either dangerous at
the best, or are pure devices to play
upon the imagination. The saturation
of the system with alcohol may be in
stanced as belonging to the frst-class,
and the application to the wound OF mad
stones and the like to the second. In
the Revue Medicale NJ. Dartigues pro-
poses that the patient be inclosed in a
sort Of sweat-box, while from time to
time pilocarpine sublimate is admins
tered through the skin. This method
evidently requires caution and expert
ence, but the treatment is a rational one.
ANCIENT GLASS STAINING.
1t is well known that window-glasg,
perfectly clear and transparent when
first used, becomes tinted with various
colors after some exposure to the sun.
Some regard this as the effect of sun
heat; but Mr.. Thomas Garfield, of Bos-
ton, In very able paper read before the
American Association, shows that it is
sunlight. and not heat, which causes the
color. When submitted to the heat of a
glass makers kiln the colors are driven
off; but are again assumed on exposure
to the light Of the sun. It has been be-
heved that the ancients knew more of
coloring glass than we do; that In many
respects staining glass is a lost art; but
after careful examination of the glass
OF old cathedrals IN Europe, and COM
parlsOn with sun-stains ON glass. as he
has observed them, Mr.. Garfield con-
cludes there has been nothing lost, but
that the peculiarities of some that are
famous there are due to the long time
that sunlight has been acting on the
glass IN these old buildings. Old-time
glass was really inferior to ours, and
these very defects helped the sunlight
to do pretty work.
ASBESTOS PAINT.
Some interesting tests have recently
been made IN England of the value of
asbestos paint applied to wood, canvass,
and other combustible materials.
Amongst other experiments, piece OF
light pine wood, about six inches long
by four inches square, painted with FIVE
coats, was placed for upwards of half am
hour Ia an ordinary CRATE fire, but, al
though the wood within was reduced to
charcoal, there was no blaze whatever
emitted during the charring. a small
model theatre. built of wood, with net
scenes and. accessories, was sprinkled
with turpentine and set on fire. Every
portion ignited and the whole was con
sumed. A similar model, with the net
Sconns md tln ruool e. Ill ,.o:,,4,l