Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1888-12-20
SCIENTIFIC GLEANINGS.


the plan of fumigating the books. They
are exposed for fifteen minutes to the
fumes of carbolic acid at a temperature
of from $50 degrees to 200 degrees.
Some experim ents have been placed
on record, says the London Electrician,
in which number of eggs were Matched
out IN magnetic field, with the result,
that the chickens were all more or less
deformed, blind, deaf or lame.
Dr. Worms of the Paris Academy of
Medicine has ascerta.ned that bees, ants,
and wasps show a marked dislike to the
new saocharine. To the human palate
there is no difference in the taste bet 4een
it and sugar.
Prof. LecieTe, writing In Cosmos, main
tains that odors are due, not to the ema-
nations, as such, of so-called odoriferous
bodies, but to the vibratory movement
among such carnations, due to processes
of oxidation. Scent, on this theory, is
analogous to sound,
Resin should not be used as remedy
for slipping belts. If 1t is, it will pro-
duce immediate adhesion of the belt to
the pulley, a1d the resin will soon be
ground into the leather, stiffen the
material, and make the last state of the
belt worse than its first.
Aluminium united with some metals
produces very remarkable alloy of the
color oe amber, verging on gold, with a
very fine grain, exceedingly tough and
IN alleable, and susceptible of fine polish,
which it retains, not being affected by
sulphur. It's castings are very sharp, and
stronger and tougher than Bessemer
steel.
DR.. J. A. Linter, the we'll knowR en-
tomclogist, says there are in the world
100000 species of insects, %, 00U of these
belong to the United STATES, and about
$4,000 prey upon the productions of man;
1000 of 200 of these could be considered
as being fruit pests. On the apple alone
210 species are known.
Science has claimed the sponge fishery
of the Mediterranean. The native divers
who could stay under water not more
than two minutes, are being driven out
by men in regular diving armOr, who can
work by the hour. A German professor
has originated a method of planting cut
tjngs from sponges, and it is being prose
cuted with success.
Until the past winter not more than
eight consecutive days of snowfall were
ever observed in Berlin, according to DR..
| Hellman, but in the last season was one
| period of sixteen consecutive days on
which snow fell. Che previous maxim
um of days of snowfall for the winter,
! fifty, was greatly exceeded, as was also
previous quantities of snow.
The smell of paint, which is frequent
| lY so unpleasant in both new house and
| one that has been freshly done W, is
| easily removed by means of few arms
full of thoroughly dampened hay, which
should be laid loosely about the rooms
and passages, and left for twenty four
hours, after which it may be taken away
and if necessary, replaced by another
| lot.
When a small grain of potassium, the
size of half grain of corn, dropped in
| to q tumbierful OF water, some OF the
| oxygen of the water leaves its hydrogen
owing to the intense heat which the
chemical action produces, and com bines
with the metallic potassium, causing g
violet blush flame. When the piece o.
potassium is placed on the wick of Goa
oil or alcohol lamp the flame produced
by touching the potassium with bit o
snow or ice or drop of water will IN
flame it.
The force of steam boiler explosion
can be illustrated by getting tube mad
by a tinsmith, say half an inch in diam
eter and closed at one end. Put
piece of ice the size of cherry Or half
teas poonful OF water into the tube ant
cork the open end tightly. Suspend tn
tube over flame so that the ice melt
aud is converted into steam. The corl
viii be forced out with loud explosion
Candle bombs held over flame Will ex
plode in a similar manner. Water will
produce 100 times lis own volume o
steaui.
GreidenburG reported in Vratoh tn
case of soldier who suffered from tota
paralysis several times month, each al
tack lasting one or two days. This con
dit1on according to the mans report, ha
existed for ten years. The lower extrem
tiles were first attacked, the paralysi
creeping up through the muscles O
the trunk and upper extermities. TIL
power returned III an inverse direction
the upper parts being the first to regai
their normal strength. Westphal report
ed a somewhat similar case two or thre
years ago.