The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1882-03-29
CURIOUS. SCIENTIFIC AND USEFUL.

A single plate of perforated zinc, about a
foot square, suspended over Il gas jet, is said
to retain the Boxious emanaticns from the
burning gas, which, it is well known, de-
stroys the bindings of books, furnishes the
gliding, and yitiatcs the atmosphere for
breathing.
Professor Langenbeck, of Berlin, has re-
Gently performed a successful operation,
during which the patient was kept i'm
mersed in water for sixteen days. These
permanent baths" so-celled, are likely to
play great part in modern hygiene, more
especially in cases of burns, for which bed
heat Is known 70 be very dangerous.
Iron Stag IS ceasing rapidly to be waste
product At an English iron-worl1s it is
employed as s non-conductor of heat.
When it is GROUND It is nodded into bricks
of great toughness, which are also imper-
vious TO frost, and 30 per cent. lighter than
common clay bricks. Cement, concrete,
and artificial stone are likewise made from
the Stag.
The number of natural products, of whose
genuineness we can be perfectly certain, is
diminishing with alarming rapidity. The
latest victim to science is mother. of-pearl.
which Bernese exPerimentalist has sue
ceeded in initiating 10 perfection. His new
material has the advantage of being capable
of being nodded into any shape and en-
dowed with any hue.
Mr. Arthur Ssradling publishes the follow
ing note OF the offensive and defensive
habits OF animals: A serpenL's frat insLinc-
tive impulse of self-preservation like that
of every other animal, lies in escape. If
surprised suddenly, or brought to bay at
close quarters, it may be too terFor-stricken
70 attempt fight; then il bites, following a
curious general rule which seems to obtain
throughout nearly the whole animal world,
from passionate child down ward, no mat
ter what the natural methods of offense NAV
be. Young Felidse will keep their talons
sheathed until they have exerted all possible
force with their soft milk teeth, and lizard
will seize the hand which restraints it with
Its Insignificant little jaws when its tail or
claws might infict far moro injury The
Boide never use their constructive powers
in self-Gefense, (unless they are gripped, }
and it seems probable that if q venomous
snakes fangs lay in its tail it would use its
teeth first when attacked before bringing
them into play. Indeed, it must be remem-
bered that very few animals are provided
with exclusively defensive weapons, and
buds Tie pFtIDi46 cLOFInOuS ttICn1tl IN coll
striction, he viper's poison apparatus, and
the elec.-ie discharge Of the gymnotus are
given them primarily for the purpose of
securing their food
By.a process known as enfeurage, which
is the exposure of beef fat to fresh flowers in
close boxes until it l. thoroughly permeated
and charged with their odors, the perfumes
of six flowers are obtained, which could in
no 9th 7 manner known to science be pre-
served apart from the fresh petals. Those
flowers are violet, jasniin, tuberose, rose,
orange dover and cssaic cinnamon flower. J
From those six there are fifty or more COM
binasioas made for the stimulation of the
oders Of other flowers Sweet pea is made
with jasmin and orange flower; hyacinth is
couEterieised by jasnin and tuberose; lily
of the valley by viole. and tuberose. Bat
the resources of the perfumer are by
no means confined TO the pomades,
as the scented fats are termed. He
uses many essential oils, the prin-
cipal OF which are ssndalwood, bsrga-
mot, lemon, rosemary, neroh (made from