The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1886-09-15
POPULAR SCIENCE.

Domestication softens the whole or
gsnic structure. In the featnered species
the feathering is not as dense nor as hard
ss on the wild fowl. .... - ,;.gs
A quick cure for burns is to apply
layer of common salt a. d saturate it With
laudanum. Hold it in place an hour or
so by simple bandage.~ The smarting
sensation disappears rapidly, and the
burn gets well. = -
DR.. G. Keller, of Zurich, finds reason
for believing that spiders destroy mora
aphides and insect enemies Of trees than
do all the insect-eatiug birds. His yieWs
have been verified by observations on
coniferous trees, few broad .leafed trees
and apple trees. - - ~; !. :
The Improvements which have been
made of late in the mode of dfscharging
torpedoes by means of electrical appara- :
tus have greatly conduced to far higher
degree of precision being attained, and
with still further developments in this
direction there can be little doubt that
almost perfect exactitude will ultimately
be reached. ~
It is said that with rock salt lens
photographs may be taken of heated
object with specially prepared plste)
In the dark. For instance, a photograph
colld be made of black hot casting or
stove in dark room. This is because
it allows artificial light to pass through
it freely, while glass abso.bs both artif- :
cial heat and light. ..at,e-,.....sfI. q
By observing how far the sun has to !.
sink beneath the horizon before the top.
most summit of the air is cut off from
its rays, Mons. B.avais some years ago
determined the greatest upward limit
of twilight to be S7s, 200 feet, or nearly
seventy-one miles above sea level BY
observing the earth's shadow on tha !
moon during eclipses, astronomers shad
inferred that the atmosphere, must be
sufficiently dense to produce .wilight for
at least 40, 900 feet away from the earth's
surface. '. ...., ~. sr;- IS ~
OF the innumerable meteors which
daily and nightly strike the earth's at
mosphere, nearly all are 30 small that
they are instantaneously consumed By
the heat which this contact with the
atmosphere evolves The. product OF ;
the combustion of these small meteors
Is so slight that it is dissipated In the: !:
upper regions of the atmosphere. On
very rare occasions only the combustion 7
is imperfect and meteoric stones result. 5
It would take several billion Of years for !.
the average accretion Of meteoric stones
to make any perceptible increase in the
Wei0ht of the earth - 20 '%t.gt~'7
A physician, referring to the custom :
Of travelling on sleeping-cars with, the. !
berths made up with their heads toward
the engine, said: 'It is certainly bad
for the brain of the sleeper, as it is not
natural; and it is no wonder. that go
many travellers, especially those who
have been on the road extensively, ex-
perience bad effects from it. Take in
fants in baby carriages, and no sane
woman will think of trundling the vehi-
Gle along so the child goes head first.
They always, except the young and in-
experienced mother, push them along
feet first. Physicians invariably advise
such locomotion. It is the same thing
on the cars, and no one should hesitate !.
about having his berth made up 50 as TO-.
move along feet first. It is much better
for the BRAIN" .... / .s sgs,;