Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1885-09-24
SCIENTIFIC NOTES.

Senior Ugas, In the Cronica Medica,
Kima, calls attention TO the vesicat-
ing property of the inner bark of the
walnut tree. He soaks the bark IN
vinegar for about fifteen minutes and
applies it to the part on which bis
ter is required. In applying this
remedy in cases of lupus he busted
the blister with calomel.
Crucibles of nickle have lately been
adopted In some chemical laboratories
in the place Of the silver ones general
ly used in melting caustic alkalies.
They have the ADVANTAGE not only of
being cheaper, but of being capable of
resisting higher temperature than
the latter, and the result is said to be
favorable.
Experiments reported by M. Guig-
net to the French Academy of Sciences
confirm the views of M Frenzy that
the behavior of chlorophyI, or the
coloring matter of leaves, is usually
like that of acid. M. Guignet has OBJ
tanned chlorophyllate of soda, and
from it by double decomposition, salts
of lime, baryta and lead.
A new method of dressing wounds,
FASTENED and the pain made to disap-
pear at once, has been brought into
notice by French surgeon. It con
sists in the application of congresses
wet with decoration of thirty parts
of valerian root In 100 parts of water
It is expressly stated that the treat
ment is of no avail ia deep wounds.
A bushel of corn, when compacted
into lard, or cheese, or butter, can find
its market anywhere In the world
where the cost Of sending the corn
itself would make q market for it irs>
possible. Besides this, in the making
of lard or butter, a manurial residue
is being left on the land instead of
being carried away to fertile foreign
fields. This is the kernel of the argu-
ment for mixed farming instead of
grain farming.
The greatest gunpowder blast In
connection with railway works was
that by which Sir William Cubitt
blew away with one charge of $4,000
pounds of gunpowder the entire mass
of the Round Down Cliff, which rose
to the height of $50 feet above the
level of the sea, within a few miles of
Dover. This monster blast, fired by
electricity at several points at once,
tore from the cliffs a mass Of more
than million tons of chalk.
A cement which is proof against
boiling acids may be made of COM
position of India rubber, tallow, lime
and red lead The India rubber must
first be melted by gentle heat, and
e fa hxy yNf
tallow is added to the mixture when
it is kept well stirred; next day slack
ed lime is applied, until the fluid
mass assumes a conslstence similar
to that of soft paste; lastly, 90 per
cent, of red lead is added, in order to
make it harden and dry.
Tobacco used to be regarded as
valuable medicine, and is prescribed
yet by physicians in occasional cases
Before the discovery of ChIorOform 1t
was used in strangulated hernia to
give complete relaxation, and in
courses where mercury was the
chief medicine 1t was added to evert
the after affects. AS an ingredient in
asthmethics, cigarettes, with belladon-
ma, stramoniunS, ETC., it is entitled to
part of the credit Of the remedial re-
suits.
To manufacture iridescent glass, tin
salt is heated in furnace until it be-
gins to volatilize and the glass is ex~
posed to the vapors, when it becomes
quickly coated with an iridescent
film. In order to obtain stronger
iridescence nitrate of barium or nitrate
of strontium is added in small quantity
to the tin salt. The glass is not re
heated for this pupose, but the objects
are exposed to the vapor while still in
the hands of the glass blower.