Los Angeles daily herald., 1888-04-23
suspected of containing the delete
rious gas. Any considerable quantity
of gas turns the paper black.


OF gas turns the paper black.
The remarkable substance know
as poteline is formed OF a mixture {
glycerine, tannin and gelatin, to whicl
may be added the sulphate Of baryt
OF zinc-white. The resulting mas
may be colored by the addition c
vegetable colors. While poteline i
hot it can be nodded, and when coo
it is susceptible of every kind of man
ipulation, such as turning, filing, Dor
ing, etc., and takes very fine polish
Experiments performed at Aber
deem with view of determining tht
effects of extreme cold upon micro
organisms contained in meat show
that organic fluids may be exposed fc
temperature of 120 degrees below
zero for hundred hours, and that
even at the end of that time, afte,
they had been placed in higher
temperature, fermentation would pro-
ceed as in the ordinary way.
Experiments are being carried on t.
determine the characteristics of the
newly discovered metal, germanium,
which is prepared by reducing the
oxide OF the metal in stream of hy :
drogen gas. Concerning its position
IN the periodic table, there can no
longer be any doub. that it fills the
gap between silicon and tin, possess
ing those characteristics which had
been anticipated theoretically as nee
essarily belonging to a metal which
could fill that gap.
Phosphate of calcium, one of the
most important component parts of
the teeth, is readily dissolved in sali-
cyllc acid, which enters into the COM
position of a. large number of tooth
washes and powders. Dentists who
have experimental with it say that if
a sound tooth is allowed to remain
fifteen minutes in compa, ativeiv
weak solution of this acid, it loses its
gloss and the enamel is totally de-
stroyed. Hence this acid should be
avoided in.the manufacture of prep
arations for the teeth.
There is, as Professor Thompson
remarks, no assignable velocity of
electricity" as this must vary with
the current and conductor. Wheat
stone, in 1888, seemed to show a
transmission velocity of 1873, 900 miles
second through copper wire, but in
late experiments signals were sent
over ordinary telegraph wires on
poles and had rate of only $4,000 to
$1,000 miles. With wires near the
earth the velocity was IL, 900 miles,
but reached 24,000 on very high
wires.
A simple method of accurately cut
ting bottle is to place it upon some
level foundation and fill it with lin
seed oil to the point at which you de-
sire the line of separation to occur.
Then take an iron rod of as great
diameter as will pass into the bottle,
make it almost white hot and slip it
into the oil. After the lapse of few
moments a sharp crack is heard, and
the bottle is found to be as neatly cut
as if with diamond. Ii the bottle be
very thick, and the cracking sound
not heard in few secands, a little
cold water thrown on the outside will
accomplish the desired result.
Although the winds are among the
most irregular of the phenomena of
nature, observations systematically
conducted and extended for long
period of time show that these too
have their laws, and blow with some
degree of order. Beginning with Sep
tember, it is found that the average
course of the winds of that month is
due west. October follows with the
course veering slightly to the north,
and for the succeeding six months a
constant northerly increase is observ.
able. May brings with it a sudden
decrease, twenty-eight degrees less
northerly, and this is followed by the
months of springs and summer, with
strong southerly inclination OF the
winds.
1t has long been question with
scientists whether flying fish actually
fly, or are only carried forward
through the air by the impulse which
they gave to their bodies while still in
the water. Professor Mobins ex-
presses an authoritative opinion, and
claims that they are totally unable to
fly, for the reason that the muscles
which move the pectoral fins are not
sufficiently large to bear the weight OF
their bodies in the air. In birds the
average weight Of the muscles which
are concerned in the movement of the
wings, is one-sixth that of the entire
body; in bats one thirteenth, while in
the flying fish it is only one-thirty-
fifth. He affirms, therefore, that the
impulse to the propulsion of the fish
in the air is delivered whild they are
still in the water.
Among the animals which have
been considered extinct are the en-
crinites, or stone lilies, whose remains
are found forming beautiful fossils in
the rocks Of all the earlier forma-
tons. In the middle of the eight
eenth century naval officer brought
live specimen to Europe, and since
that time discoveries in the Northern
seas and in the Antilles have raised
the number Of species to thirty-two.
Among the older forms of encrinites
were those resembling lilies, palm
trees, and other graceful growths, the
petrified segments of the stems of
which are the stone beads found in
such abundance in the older rocks.
The modern schinoderms are devoid
Of stems for attachment to the ground
and resemble the starfish, but are
more elegant and graceful in form.
He Thought He'd Struck an Auc-
ti0m.
Temperance orator-I ask you, my