Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1888-08-17
PRACIYCA.L SCIENCE.

A NEW lubricant that is coming into
nse in Germany is mustard oil. 1t re-
mains fluid at the low temperature OF
IA degrees Fahrenheit, and will keep
unchanged for years.
IT is curious fact that wasps' nests
sometimes take fire, as is supposed by
the chemical action of the wax upon the
material of which the nest is composed.
Undoubtedly many fires OF unknown
origin in haystacks and farm buildings
may thus be accounted for.
A WRITER in The american Mdcha7o-
list recommends the use OF castor OIL IN
boilers where alkaline water is used.
He says that from two ounces to pint
of oil will prevent foaming all day. The
oil is put in after the engine shall have
started if foaming shall begin.
IT is said that dry-rot, the enemy OF
builders, is sort of contagious disease.
Good authorities state that it can be
carried by saws and other tools which
have been in contact with affected wood,
and that such contact and impregnation
is often the cause of the mysteriously
rapid decay of originally sound timbers.
The following is recommended as an
efficient means Of removing particles
from the eye: Make loop by doub-
ling horse-hair. Raise the lid of the
eye in which is the foreign particle, slip
the loop over it, and, placing the lid in
contact with the eyeball withdraw the
loop, and the particle will be drawn out
with it.
ERLENMEYER in his work on the
opium habit records case in which
fatal tubercular poisoning was believed
to have been produced by the hypor-
dermic needle. A physician, aged 3S,
who had been accustomed to use the
same needle for himself and tuber-
culous patient, died suddenly, and at
the autopsy tuberculosis, strictly
localized to the peritoneum, was found.
To DRAW or write on glass The Scien-
tJic american advises the use of var
nish of sugar. This is made as follows:
Dissolve equal parts of white and brown
sugar in water to thin syrup, add al
cohol, and apply to hot glass plates.
The film dries very readily, md furn-
ishes surface on which it is perfectly
easy to write with pen or pencil. The
best ink to use is India ink, with sugar
added. The drawing can be made per-
manent by vanishing with lac Or
mastic varnish.
A COMPOSITION has been produced
which may prove valuable to book
binders, having for its purpose the rem
dering waterproof of leather, cloth,
paper, etc. 1t is mixture of water,
silicate of soda, resin, alum, potash, fish,
glue, sulphate of zinc, and sulphate of
copper in various proportions. The ap-
plication is said to render the material
impervio1ls to the influence of oil or
water, and, if a variety of ingredients
increase practical utility, should bevcry
valuable.
One Of the oldest industries in Egypt
is artificial egg-hatching, principally
engaged in by Copts. There are said
to be several hundred establishments of
this nature in the country, and the pro-
duction Of chickens from the ovens has
been estimated at from ten millions to
twelve millions annually. The season
for incubating lasts through three
months of the early summer. The
country people bring eggs to the pro-
pretors of the farroogs," and give two
good eggs for every newly-hatched
chick.