Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1883-07-21
SCIENCE AND IHvREr1oH.

A Californian, il is said, some months
since discovered that the leaves of the en-
| calyptus tree could be used with success in
removing scale from boiler he used, and,
| having associated with himself partner,
! they have since made an extensive expert
meut and, it is claimed, with the most sat-
isfaotory results.
M. Rabourdin has made come expert.
/ ments On binocular vision. which lead him
| to the conclusion that man is one of the an
imals which possess In the lowest degree
the power OF seeing things in relief. and
! that he acquires the habit Of using ORG eye
more than the other as necessary condi-
ton of clear vision.
| A paper has been read before the Acade-
my of Sciences, Paris, by NJ Neyreneuf, on
the transmission Of sound by various gases,
Using sensitive fame arrangement, he
| proved that carbonio oxide has about the
zane transmitting power as our ordinary
atmosphere, but that carbonic acid gas mas
a much greater power.
al the Physiological Society, Rim, it
was lately stated that instead OF the con.
densed milk, which, owing tcita large per-
centage Of sugsr, has not kept its place as
4 food for children, preparation Of milk
has lately been imported and introduced
into the market from Switzsrland This
milk ia protected from fermentation and
decomposition by previous cooking.
It ia curious fact that so firm in texture
is the paper OF q genuine Bank of England
note that burning alone can hardly destroy
| it. The authorities have in little glazed
| frame the remnants of the note whicn was
| in the great FIRE of Chicago. Though
completely CHARGED aud black, the paper
holds together, and the note is sufficiently
legible 30 establish its genuineRsss and te
be csshed,
Brass work that is go dirty by smoke and
heat as not to be cleaned with oxalio acid
should be thoroughly washed or scrubbed
with soda, or potash water or I've. Then
dip in mixture of equal parts of nitric
soid. sulphuric acid and water; or, if it
can not be conveniently dipped, make a
swab OF small piece Of wooden cloth upon
the end of stick and rub the solution
over the dirty or smoky parts; leave the
/ acid on for a moment, and then wash clean
and polish.
A new invisible ink has been introduced
! by DR.. Wldeman. l. is made by init
mately mixing linseed oil ons part, water of
ammonia twenty parts, and water 100
parts. The mixture must be agitated each
| time the pen is dipped into it, as little Of
! the oil may separate and float on the surf
ace, from which, if taken up by the pen, a
stain would be left upon the paper. To
make the writing appear, all that is needed
Is to dip the manuscripts in water; when
the paper dries the writing will vanish.
The naval authorities at Annapolis are
| engaged in testing a six.inch rifed cannon
made by the South Boston Iron-works,
| from which remarkable results have been
obtained. With twenty-five pounds of
powder velocity of l, 920 feet was given,
and with thirty-two pounds2 2, 100 feet mug
ale velocity. The maximum pressure with
thirty.two pounds OF powder was fourteen
tons per square inch. The best results OBJ
tanned from the six-inch Krupp, Armstrong
and Woolwich guns is 2, 100 feet rnuzzle
velocity, with thirty-seven pounds of pow.
der and seventy. pound shot.
An imitation of and substitute for ma
hogany, useful in fine manufactures, is due
to French ingenuity. The first operation
ls to plane the surface of any species of
close grained wood antil it is perfectly
smooth, and it is then rubbed with diluted
nitro acid, which preserves it for the ma
terials subsequently, to be applied. These
consist OF one and half ounce of dragons
blood, dissolved in pint of spirits of wine
and one-third of that quantity of carbo.
nate OF soda, mixed together and filtered,
the liquid in this state being rubbed, or
rather laid, upon the wood with soft
brush. This process is repeated with very
little alteration, and in short interval
afterward the wood possesses all the exter-
nal appearance of mahogany.
The bee has long been type of the in
dustrious worker, but there are few people
who know how much labor the sweet hoard
of the hive represents. Each head of clo-
yer contains about sixty distinct flower
tubes, each of which contains a portion of
sugar not exceeding the 500sh part of a
grain. Some patient apiarian enthusiast,
who has watched their movements, con-
cludes that the probosois of the bee must,
therefore, be inserted in 500 clover tubes
before one grain of sugar can be obtained.
There are 1000 grains in pound. and as
honey contains three-fourths of it's weight
of dry sugar, each pound of honey repre-.
sents 2, 500, coo clover tubes sucked by the
beez