The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1888-10-03
POPULAR SCIENCE.

Claus Speckles will introduce the beet
sugar industry in America.
A patent has been granted in England
for new process for purifying alcohol
BIZ means of hydrocarbons.
A believer in grapes claims that they
are good for that mysterious disease,
malaria. Eat all you can, but be sure
they are ripe, is the advice.
DR.. T. Maccall, of Morecambe, Eng
land, has patented a hydrophobia virus
DESTROYER. The instrument is in the form
of pencil, and can be attached to key
ring.
Electrician Edison has scientifically
shocked dog to death. Three thou
sand volts alternating 500 times per sec
ond will kill man. Salt bandages on
the doomed mans wrists will help.
DR.. M. w. Taylor, an English physi-
clan, has convinced himself that diph-
liberia has its origin in common mould
fungi, which he thinks must require
virulent properties under special con-
ditions.
M. Balbiana, a French scientist, has
found organs of sight in the vegetable
growth called pandorina. This is not
as startling as it may at first sight ap-
pear. 1t has long been known that
potatoes have eyes. 9
Along Island physician, finding his
watch had become magnetized, inclosed
it in cloth bag and buried it in damp
earth, where it remained for three days.
Upon digging it up he found 1t COM
pletily demagnctised, and it has not
since varied one second.
A Pittsburg optician makes the state
ment that gum chewing has harmful
effect on the eyes, and when carried to
excess is apt to cause blindness. The
constant moving of the jaws affects the
nerves that lead from the spine to the op-
tic nerves, and strains the latter until
they give out.
Machinists and engineers will appre-
ciate the value of new lubricant which
has been discovered by Chief Engineer
Thier, of Erfurt, Germany. 1t is com.
bination of mustard oil mixed with q
small quantity of petroleum, and has the
advantage of preventing iron surfaces
from welding together when subject to
rapid friction under high pressure.
Professor Cragin, of Washburn College,
has discovered at Downs, Kan., the petri-
fed remains of huge fossil. The animal
when alive was little over sixteen feet
in length. The jaws measure three feet
eight inches, the neck between four and
five feet long, and the body about nine
feet in length ahd three or four feet in
thickness. 1t has hippers quite similar
to those of seal, and two short feet.
The Italian Admiralty have recently
caused to be carried out number OF
experiments with view to testing the
comparative merits of castor oil and OF
olive oil for lubricating purposes on
board ship. From the results obtained
they have given orders that henceforth
all exposed parts of machinery are to be
fabricated exclusively with castor oil,
while mineral oils are to be used fol
cylinder and similar lubrlcation.
A remarkable instance of the increase
of TEN perature in the earth towards the
centre has been presented at Pesth, where
the deepest artesian we'll in the world il
that now being bored for the purpose OF
supplying the public baths and Other
establishments with hot water. A depth
of $40 feet has already been reache d,
and it furnishes 17G, 200 gallons daily at
a temperature of 15s degrees F. The
municipality have recently voted large
subvention in order that one boring may
be continued to a greater depth, not only
to obtain a larger volume of water; bu,
At temperature of 176 degrees F.