The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1883-06-28
Scientific Miscellany.

Then fill a clean Florence oil flask wit
water and plunge the neck as far as it wi
go into the Aarger bottle. The water i
the flask will rise and fall with the wealth
er, sometimes leaving it perfectly empt
eight hours before storm
Motes.-One who has tried it repeated
says that moles may be removed by tn
following method Seat the patient in
clear, strong sunlight. With a sun.glas
Costing from $3.50 to $5) bring the con
centrated rays Of the sun to bear on TIN
eXcrescence five OF ten minutes. In tire,
or four weeks the mole will scab off and ;
new skin come on. If the mole shouldno
be entirely removed by the first appica
ton, repeat.
| A ScoTge Turning to q Blessing.-A busl
called the Malice scrub has been q great
torment to the farmers of Australia, nearly
one hundred million acres being covered
with it, 1t is low shrub, with thick
glossy leaves, and the land it covers is
cursed with a blight, for nothing grows
beneath the scrub, and it springs up almost
as quickly as cut down, so that long AND
severe struggle is required to free the land
from it. Now, however, this scourge is
found to contain an essential oil that can
be used as substitute for turpentine and
can be distilled at slight expense.
Malaria. Malaria, so prevalent at Rome,
is attributed by Professor Tucci to super
fetal draining. He regards 1T as much an
evil as would be stagnant waters above
ground, on account of the action of water
and atmosphere upon the turf beneath the
surface of the soil. The drains of the old
| Romans, before the days of malaria in the
city, were often fifteen meters below the
surface Of the ground. Perhaps our water
ing places, which are becoming filled with
malaria, and the country at large, may
learn lesson from the Professors inves-
tigation.-Man and Builder.
Disintectant for Se,cers. 1t has been dis
covered that the best disinfectant for sewer
gases is the washings from gas works.
This serves double purpose-that OF an
nulling the poisonous effect of the sewer
gas and at the same time enabling persons
having defective traps to detect it by the
strong, pungent odor arising therefrom,
while the gas sewer alone, almost odorless,
permeates the building, carrying sickness
and death with it. The washings from gas
works, at least, will not clog OF obstruct
even the smallest of sewers, while their
presence, as above stated, might save valu-
able life Water Gas Journal
4 Substitute for Wood.-A substitute for
wood is now made from compressed straw,
flax, hemp, OF any other fibre which will
work into pulp. The pulp is rolled into
thin sheets, which are cemented together
by waterproof glue, then pressed into a
solid The boards can be sawed, planed,
and polished like ordinary wood, and are
now made into counter and table tops,
doors and ornamental frames. They sell
at one-half the price of the finer pines and
walnuts. The artificial timber is practi-
cally fire-proof and proof, having
been manufactured under 500 degrees Of
heat, and boiled without any apparent
change of structure. Its tensile strength
is greater than that of oak or walnut, and
it weighs more than walnut when dry. A
ton of straw produces about l 900 square
feet Of boarding.
TO Protect Iron from Rust.-The follow
ing procedure is described in Les MOndeS:
1t consists in treating the casting with di
lutte hydrochloric acid, which dissolves q
II I L.
face a firmly adherent skin Of graphite.
The article is then washed in q receiver
with hot or cold water OF steamed, so as to
completely remove the chloride of iron
that has been formed upon it. This piece
is then allowed to dry in the empty re-
ceiver, and a solution of caoutchouc, gutta
percha OF gum resin dissolved i'll essence
of petroleum (benzine) is injected. The
solvent, afterward evaporating, leaves u
hard and solid enamel on the surface of
the metal. By another plan the chloride
of iron is not removed, and the piece is
immersed in q bath of silicate and borate
of soda. A hard and brilliant film of silico-
borate of iron is thus formed, which eff
fectually protects it. The chlorine COM
bines with the sodium which remains in
the pickle. Manufacturer and Builder.
Wh0oping Cough Remedies.-M. Pierre
Vigier, in q French journal, gives few
sera to be given in the form Of alcoholate
for a child one to two years of age, 20
drops three to four times day in q little
sweetened water for older children from
l to teaspoonfuls in the course of day.
The favorite remedy of DR.. Delpech is one
frequently employed in this country
namely, 80 grains of powdered cochineal
and 20 grains of subcarbonate of potash
in half a pint of water favored and sweet
ened. M. Vigier gives modification of
this formula a recipe for a preparation
which will keep us follows
Powdered cochineal ............ Is grams
SubcarbOnate of potash. ....... II grams
BOILING water. .....-.........; oOO grams
Sugar. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. ....9OO grams
infuse the substances for half an hour, add
the sugar, dissolve with gentle heat and
strain Children of one OF two years may
take two OF three teaspoonfuls per day :;
older children from three to six teaspoon
fuls. and adults two tablespoonful per
day.
DIR. Beauchene prescribes the following
powder
Calcined magneSia ........ grams.
Sugar. 2 grams.
Extract of belladonna. .....20 centigramS.
KermeS ...................l0 centlSramS.
OrriS go centlgramS.
Mix the extract and the sugar, add the
kermes and the orris, then the magnesia
and triturate to homogenity. Divide into
fifty powders. Children of one year may
take three per day between meals child
rem from two to three years of age five
and older persons eight. -Phuna Record
Bad Teeth and Disease. we the
means we should endow charity the
great aim of which should be to prevent
disease by establishing an institution for
the treatment of decayed and imperfect
teeth There are more cases of disease of
various kinds and various degrees of sever
ity emanating from bad teeth than from
almost any other cause. The trouble is
easily remedied if taken i'll time; but
those who suffer most are they who have