The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1884-12-25
POPULAR SCIENCE.

Dr. Et Guenot recommends q ten.
grain dose of calcined magnesia in
the morning before breakfast as cure
for wart=.
Flltering stone is now made by mix
Ing in water in certain portions of
clay, levigated chalk, coarse and fine
glass, sand and ground flint. They are
nodded and hard-burned.
Nearly 1000 miles of underground
Geographic cable has been laid in Ger
many, crossing seventy rivers. and
seven or eight miles is laid under
water. Most of the cable contains
seven wires and the rest four.
Forty-fye years ago the Britannia
was considered remarkable ship.
She was POI feet long. and her tonnage
was ,155. The new Cunard vessel
just launched at Glasgow is 500
feet long, and her tonnage is nearly
5000.
According to the observations OF an
Havana doctor, reported In the Royal
Academy Of Science in that city,
mosquitoes may be agents for the
transfer of the germs of yellow fever
and of the parasites which produce
elephantiasis.
Glass bearings for journal boxes.
glass shingles, glass pulleys, etc., have
been tried with favorable results. YES
sells have been sheeted with glass in
stead of copper, with the most salts.
factory results. With glass pulleys.
especially for cable roads, friction is
reduced to a minimum.
The organ of hearing is generally
double, but not always located in the
head. In the clam it is found at the
base OF the loot; some grasshoppers
have 1t IN the fOrelegs, and in many
insects it is on the wing. HOLSTERS
and crabs have the auditory sacs at
the base of the antenn9.
NJ. Dubois, of Paris, finds that chic
reform acts with extraordinary rapid
ity on criminals after the introduction
OF alcohol into the system, and teruni-
ma es in death with startling alb
ruptness. This discovery may form
clew to the fatality of chloroform in
some cases.
The amount of carbonic acid gene
rated By lights is thus represented:
Electric lights, none; argand gas
burner, 46; flat-fame petroleum, 95;
COLA oil light, 1; parafine candle 122,
and talloW candle, 1.45. 1t has Eeen
remarked that the tallow candle, the
Oldest artificial light, is not only the
hottest, but the most unhealthy
An English scientist has discovered
that waspS are most active between
$50 q. NJ. and IL m. and 2 and 4:30 p.
m. For the information of a trust
ing public, it may be well to state
that if there are any wasps who think
it beneath their dignity to do an odd
job or two during lunch hour or after
quitting time, they have not been dis
covered by the enterprising folk who
go about picking up these energetic
little birds by the tail
German technical papers recon-
mend the following mixture for the
staining of wood In initiation of
cedar: 200 parts of catechu, 100 parts
OF caustic potash and 10000 parts of
water, all by weight. The longer the
wood remains in this solution the bet
ter the stain penetrates its fibres, and
thick veneers can, in this way, be
stained right through the whole
thickness, which permits a refnishing
without injury to the color.
A medical lecturer discusses at
length the subject of catching cold"
Sick people are carefully guarded
against this danger. Hence It is that
sick-rooms are poorly ventilated, and
patients are oppressed by a superb
bundance of garments and bed clothes.
ga reform" remarks the lecturer, els
greatly needed in respect to catching
cold.' Let the demon be exercised
first from the medical and next from
the popular mind! Let it be generally
known and believed that few diseases
are referrable to the agency of cold,
and that even the affection commonly
called "a cold is generally caused by
other agencies; or, perhaps, by spe-
cial agent, which may prove to be a
microbe. Let the axiom, "a fever pa
tent never catches cold be reiterated
until it becomes household phrase!
Let the restorative influence of cool,
fresh, pure atmosphere be inculcated!
Let it be understood that in therapeu-
tics, as hygiene, the single word COM
fort embodies the principles which
should regulate coverings and
clothing"