The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1886-02-06
Correspondence Baltimore County Union.
SCIENTIFIC MISCELLANY.
HOUSEHOLD SCIENCE.

A simple method of ornamenting wood or sized
paper is to brush over it thin coating of very |
concentrated cold solution of salt mixed with
dextrine, which gives to the surface beautiful |
mother-of- pearl appearance. To cause the ad-
hesion of the mixture to glass extra coating of
an alcoholic shellac solution is necessary. Suphate
of magnesia acetate of soda and sulphate of tin |
are among the salts which produce the most at
tractive crystalline coatings.
oRANG INTELLIGENCE.
''We will not say anything about the place the
orang has in the long chain of evolution" observes
Hornaday "but while abstract argument leads
hither and thther according as this or that writer
is most ably gifted for the same, there is still one
argument or influence to which every true natur-
alist is amenable and which no one will ignore
who has studied from nature any group of typical
forms. Let such an one-if, indeed, one exists
to-day-who is prejudiced against the Darwinian
views go to Borneo. Let him there watch from
day to day this strangely human form in all its
various phases of existence. Let him see the
orang climb walk, build its nest, eat, drink, and
fight like human rough. Let him see the
female suckle her young and carry it astride her
hip precisely as do the coolie women of Hindostan
Let him witness their human Like emotions of af-
lection, satisfaction, pain and rags-let him see
all this, and then he may feel how much more po-
tent has been this lesson than all he has read in
pages of abstract ratiocnation."
PAPER PIANOS.
An interesting experiment has been made in
Germany with compressed paper-capable of
high polish-as material for piano-cases. The
tone of the instrument is reported to be not loud
but very sweet and unlike the short broken note
&C .t-,-a:. .;c~e the sound is soft full and
slightly continuous resembling somewhat that of
the organ. This modification of tone is ascribed
to theevenness of texture of the compressed paper
YELLOW FEVER VACCINATION.
Some experimental yellow fever inoculations
by DR.. Carlos Finlay, Of Havana, have been made
in somewhat curious MANNER mosquito being
caused first to sting yellow fever patient and
then the healthy subject. A mild form of the
disease resulted, which became more severe when
two mosquitoes were employed to convey the poison.
Of eleven cases Of this incubation, six were efica-
cious one doubtful, and four negative. The
period of incubation varied from FIVE to fourteen
from five to twenty one days. DR.. Finlay believes
that the artificial yellow fever produced by this
method will effectively protect against the natural
and dangerous form of the disease.
CENTENARIANs.
list of persons who have exceeded the age of
100 years has been compiled in France. 1t is
surprisingly large as may be judged from the
fact that during the years 1924 to 1887 France
contained between Ill and us centenarians,
while there were no less than 1,23S in 1888. The
published list includes the famous Thomas Parr,
who died at the age of 152 years, and French
man named Prou, who died in 1888 in his l5Sth
year. One of the oldest persons now living-pos-
sby the oldest-is Madame Girard, who was
born in France March &c. 1761 and is therefore
nearly 125 years old. She is still active, and her
sight and hearing are good, but her memory is
greatly impaired.
MISCELLANEOUS
An investigation by Mr.. w. F. Smith, an Amer
lean chemist indicates that good cider never con-
tains less than three and one-half per cent. of
alcohol, and should have about five per cent
The acetic acid in genuine cider vinegar may fall
below four per cent, but good article should
contain five per cent, and from five and one-half
to seven per cent when prepared from the better
grades of cider.
1t is often matter of surprise that drunken
men sustain little no injury from falls which
might have been expected to result fatally. The
are so paralyzed in the drunken man as not to be
affected by the shock of the fall, which, in sober
man, would have acted upon them so violently as
to stop the heart arrest the circulation, and cause
instant death.
The Japanese Government proposes making
adequate provision for instruction in medical
science by dividing the country into six sections,
in each of which will be established a college for
the training of future physicians and surgeons.
A German chemist has ascertained that poisons
such as prussic acid, corrosive sublimate and
sulphuretted hydrogen-destroy the terminating
power of Seeds
II--.ean hands ~ be Oidabe evil.
DR.. Forster, an italian Investigator, has shown
that after the most thorough washings and brush
ings with soap and water and rinsings with car
boc acid and disnfectants of various kinds, the
hands are still impure that upon touching
them to sterilized gelatine micro organisms are
developed.
DIR. G. Rolhfs considers woollen clothing to be
unhealthy for wear in the tropics. He finds sup
port for this theory in the fact that sheep from
cool countries soon lose their wool in Central
Africa and become covered with thin coat of
hair, while lions lose their heavy names in hot
regions.
The birds of Labrador, according to Mr.. L. NJ.
Turner, embrace 764 species.