The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1886-02-24
CURIOUS, USEFUL AND scIEN-
TIFIC.


TIFIc.
One field of ice that passed down the Penob-
scot River last week Is declared to have con-
tanned Inward of $50 acres.
Manhattan Island, Professor Fairchiid says,
is gradually sinking. and the sea will yet
cover the present site of New York.
Sarah McDaniels, a colored woman living
on Mr.. Fisb's place, one mile from ITALIA
hassee, Fla, has given birth to forty-two
children, and is now q robust, healthy-look-
ing woman.
The first umbrella ever seen in England
was carried by footman named John Nc
Donald, and it is q remarkable fact that. 1t
belonged to somebody else, and was taken
Shy mistake for his own"
It is said that there are Zoo, 900 children
in England who do not attend school by rea-
son of the poverty OF their parents. 1t may
be added that in half of these cases drink is
the cause of the poverty.
At a dinner given lately in New York, the
dining-room ceiling was covered with q net
work of vines fastened from the chandelier
to the four corners of the room. The vines
were literally covered with flowers.
Small fy-wheels cast hollow and loaded
with lead, is foreign notion that promises
to become popular in this country. They
afford the same centrifugal power as a large
wheel, cost less and take up less room.
A Washington correspondent tells of "a
death there recently which is sensational in
its details. A young doctor, handsome,
strong and of great promise, was called to see
lady in carriage at his door. Receiving
no answer to his greeting 70 the patient, he
thought she had tainted. He stepped into
her coupe and found her already corpse.
He drove by the side of the dead woman to
her house and thence to the hospital where
he was expected to participate in a meeting
of the managers. Apologizing to his col
leagues for his lateness, he related his
CHASTITY experience. Then remarking, 81 feel
faint, he fell, struck dead by paralysis.
Paper is about to monopolize another
branch of industry, which is no less a one
than the making of gentleman's head gear.
By a new process of manipulation, hats
more Serviceable and finer than anything
now in the market are made of wood pulp.
They are impervious to water and not want
ing in tiexibility. 1t is believed that felt
hats will have to take back seat as soon as
these new hats can be placed on the markets
in SUFFICIENT numbees to supply the demand.
They are certain to revOluti0niZe the hatterS
trade, as they can be nodded into any
shape or style desired, and colored to meet
the taste of the public. They can be made
to represent glossy or happy appearance.
Saccharin, a species of combined benzoic
acid discovered by Fahlberg in 1882, is a SUBJ
stance many times sweeter than cane sugar,
and, when mixed with grape sugar, possesses
the flavor of the cane product in a marked
degree, Its high price has hitherto pre-
vented its acquiring commercial importance,
but the RundSchau Leitmeritz now states
that several costly steps in its production
have been eliminated, and it is likely to be-
come very useful to cOnfeCtiOners. One part
of saccharin added to 1000 parts of glucose
is said to give that substance a sweetness
equal to cane sugar. The same authority
states that saccharin is harmless to the hui
man organism, and does not, like cane sugar,
become decomposed in the system.
Investigation shows that the limit of tenn
perature at which men can work depends
upon the length of the exposure, the
amount of exertion put forth, their con-
dition and the nature of the atmosphere,
particularly as to its degree of moisture. 1t
is stated that men have been employed on
railways at 104 deg, in mines-under very
favorable conditions-at 125 deg, and are
said to work occasionally in the stoke-holes
of tropical steamers at loo deg. Professor
Dubois is reported to have estimated that
temperature of 122 deg. can be endured
| when the air is as dry as possible, but even
104 deg. is likely to be fatal in an atmosphere
saturated with moisture. 1t is also con-
| Sidered certain that men cannot become ac-
| customed to stand for any considerable
time a higher temperature than from l45
deg to 165 deg. even when they keep per-
fectly still and are in quite pure air.
An expert in physiological chemistry, Dr.
r. n. Wolfenden, in experiments with the
poison of the deadly cobra di capello, says
that while it has been alleged that the venom
of this snake contains an alkaloid and prin-
ciple known as cobric acid, he has been I'M
able to verify either of these assertions; in
deed, he denies the existence of both sub
stances. He further shows that the venom
loses its power when the albuminous bodies
are removed, or otherwise, rendered inert.
Mixtures containing the cobra poison, when
treated with metallic salts that precipitate
albumen, were found to be harmless. Amy
compound that removed albumen from So
lutions of the poison, or any agents, such as
permanganate of potash, that oxodized albu-
mems Unto oxsulphonic and other allied
acids), destroyed the poisonous property of
the venom. Wolfenden has found three pois-
onous proteids in the venom. The largest
quantity of proteid was globulin that had
asphyxiating properties, and a smaller guam
tity of syntonin possessing similar properties
was also detected. A form of serum albamen
existed in minute proportions, and this was
ascertained to have remarkable powers par
| alvzinO small animals