The Monitor. [volume] (Woodstown, N.J.) 1884-1892, 1884-11-07

Among the last acts of the Hygienic
Congress was Remuneration of the mod
ern system of education and competitive
examinations as eminently prejudicial to
the health of those subjected to it
A mixture OF 10 parts of air and 80
parts of hydrogen gas ignites at tenn
perature between 1,026 to 1,02S0 Fahren-
heit, while the ignition point of mix
ture of coal gas and air in similar pro-
portions varies from /, 2020 to l, 2150
A uranium mineral is found III the
feldspar quarries near the seaport OF
Moss, on the Christiania Ford, Nor
way 1t contains nearly 81 per cent. of
uranoso- uranic oxide, with 0.30 of the
cerium earths and :. ~ of the yttrium
earths.
Scientific works by Agassiz, Buchner,
Huxley, Lubbock, Lewes, Moleschott,
Reclus, Adam Smith, Spencer, Vogt,
Zimmermanu have been added to the list
of those already prohibited by ukase
from circulation by libraries in Russia.
Two ounces of soda dissolved in a
quart of hot water will make a ready
and useful solution for cleaning old
painted work preparatory to repalntlng.
This mixture, in the above proportions,
should be applied when warm, and the
I T. ntar
to remove all traces of the soda
1t is announced Ill the Nature that q
grotto from to 10 metres high has been
discovered i'll a rock washed by the sea,
III the Morbihan, by NJ Gaillard. He
has since continued his researches at low
wafer and found some human bones,
ancient earthenware marked with ale
gorical figures, and coins believed to
have been struck by the ancient Gauls.
Recently the dome of st. Peters in
Ro e, was reclad at the expense to the
Vatican of $4,000 The old sheathing
required such continuous repairs that it
was deemed better to replace it. The
sheets of lead which now cover the dome
weigh 708, Clio pounds, and would extend
over more than all acre and half of land
if they were spread ont fiat.
Suppose" said an examiner to STU
dent in engineering, you had built an
engine yourself performed every part of
the work without assistance, and knew
that it was in complete order, but when
put on the road the pump would not
draw water, what would you do?" Il
should look into the tank and ascertain
if there was any water to draw" replied
the student.
Experiments indicate that the effect of
light upon plant tissues without chloro-
plyn, such as roots, rhyizome, blanched
plants, and some parasitic plants is to
decrease the intensity of the respiration,
more c;rbonic acid being given off and
oxygen absorbed i'll darkness than in
light The amount OF oxygen absorbed
is, however, i'll the same proportion to
darkness.
Elastic rubber tubing, perfectly gas
tight and free from smell, has lately
been invented 1t is made of two layers
of rubber with pure soft tin-foil between
them, aud it retains the fexibility and
elasticity of simple rubber tube. 1t
ought to be serviceable us connection
between a heating or illuminating gas
supply pipe and a gas-burning apparatus
which requires to be movable, if this
sort of rubber and tin tubing can be
manufactured of sufficient length.
In the course of his Cantor lectures on
alloys used for coingage Mr. Chandler
Roberts, chemist of the British Mint,
said that short cylinder was the geome
trical form which, next to the sphere,
presented the smallest surface for the
greatest weight, and, consequently, in
order to reduce the wear of coins to q
minimum, their thickness should be
equal to their diameter. Such a form
would present many Inconvenience !;
but, on the other hand coins should not
be made too thin, and muc! may be
gained by even a small approach to theo-
retcal requirements,
Casting of bronze statues of Buddha is
carried on in Bangkok. The process,
says a late official report, is OF the kind
known zen cire perdue and the alloy
used consists of copper and lead, some
times with the admixtnre of small
quantity of zinc 4 clay model is first
made upon this coat Of wax is nodded,
and over this again is put another layer
OF clay. The whole is then baked, the
wax running of through apertures left
for that purpose, and, the central core
being kept in its place by iron pegs. the
alloy is then run into the space previ-
ously occupied by the wax.
To prevent the growth OF moss or
weeds on gravel walks it is recommended
to sprinkle salt pretty freely on the
paths, (about pound to the square yard
does for one year at least,) care being
l. I. 30 III f,lt Al l..