The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1885-07-01
CURIOUS. Useful AND SCIENTIFIC.

DR. J. Miner Fothergil predicts great
future for malt a. food. Among other things
lac COmmends lemonade made with malt in
stead of cane sugar.
In Germany they are now trying compO-
sition OF cork. sand and lime. nodded into
bricks. for the construction of light partition
walls. 1t i said Ia exclude sound better
than ordinary brickwOrk, while being light
and good nonconductor of heat
A brilliant black varnish for iron. stone
wood. or concrete can be made by stirring
up ivory black in ordinary sheIlac varniSh
1t ought to he applied TO the surface when
the article To he coated is cold. This varnish
does well for stoves or fireplaceS.
An interesting exhibition of whale skee-
tons and products has been held i'm Hamburg
The most imposing exhibit was the skeleton
of the blue whale, the greatest animal ON
earth. II measured seventy-five feet in
length. and was mounted in it, natural posi-
ton.
A cement very much used at the present
q day in China and Japan is made from rice.
1t l. only necessary 10 mix rice flour init
Inately with wafer and gently simmer the
mixture over clear fire. when il readily
forms delicate and durable cement which
answers all the purposes of common paste.
Some time ago the discovery was made by
VI. Oh. Montigny. by means of a beautiful in
f>trument called the >cintillometer. that blue
tlargcly predOminateS in the twinkling of the
stars when there l. much water in the atmoS-
phere, and that the prepOnderance nj green
violet i indicative of great drync~S. \
late series of tables 10y this Brussels savant
indicates that he has hit upon law by which
wet or dry season niay be predicted with
great certainty.
Escaping gas may come. along tine outside
of pipes communicating with the main street
supply pipes, directly from the mains
themselves through loose soil, i'm quantity
sufficient to produce admiXtures with atmOS-
pheTic air of great explosive energy within
buildings. 1t way oe well then To to it
that adequate provision he made against
such contingency by the proper application
Of asphalt or concrete between the mains and
the foundations OF houses.
The wax-plant i now grown on large
scale in Algeria: and its product j. grad ually
finding its way into the markets 0f the world.
The process of separating the wax is simple
The fruit is inclosed in "A bag ri coarse cloth
J. plunged into boiling water, on whose sur
face the substance soon floats. The wax i of
the same chemical composition a. bceswaN
and Is likely To be used in place of it. II *
stated that these waN-plantS may be seen
growing wild in Pennsylvania and the Caro-
linas.
There are no such things a white teeth. as
can be proved by contrasting those called
white with snow, raw cotton or marble.
Roughly. teetn can be ulNldeu, ~ regards
color. into blue, gray and yellow with hun
'ireds OF different shades. The apparent
witness l. due IL the complexion and hue of
the lips; and the ''gliStening ivnre." of the
negro are. a. a rule, ~ exceedingly yellow
that they would di>ligurt a white person. 1t
l. the black skin. hair and eyes that make
them look white
No method, SAYS the Engineer has vet been
discovered for removing the obstacles from
pneumatic tubes preferable To that resort i'm
Paris. The position of an obstruction i de-
termined by simply firing pistol into the
tube. The resulting wave OF compressed air,
traversing the tube. strikes the impediment.
and i then detected back to its origin where
ii strikes against delicate Diaphragm, its
arrival being recorded electrically upon a
very sensitive chronograph. on which also
the instant of firing the pistol had previously
been recorded. Tit wave OF sound on reach
ing the diaphragam. This operation being
several times repeated, successive measure
ments are thus made of the time required by
the sound wave to traverse To and fro within
the pneumatic tube. and the exact position
of the blocking matter is ascertained.