Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1889-01-24
SCIENTIFIC GLEANINGS.

SCIENTIFIC GJEANINGS.
Or. JastrOw of the University of Wis
consin, proves that the ear is the domi-
nant organ of the mind in some persons,
and the eye in others. People are there
fore, either ear minded or eye minded.
Sweet flag (ca'amus) is claimed by DR..
Haigh of Granda, Kan, to be an agent
that will relieve and stop persistent hic-
cough in almost any case. He directs
the person to chew small piece of the
root. It has never failed in his hands.
African teak wood weighs from forty
two pounds to fifty-two pounds per Gu
bic foot, works easily, but wears away
tools rapidly, on account of the quantity
of slick in it. It contains an oil whioh
prevents the iron in contact with it from
rusting.
According to the statement of Brazilian
physicians in Nouveaux Remedies, flies
are most active agents in the propaga-
tion of yellow fever. Other authorities
hold these little insects largely RESPONSE
BILE for the spread of pulmonary con-
sumption and cholera
A metallurgist gives as reason why
steel will not weld as easily as wrought
iron that it is not partially composed of
cinder, as seems to be the case with
wrought ir n, which assists in forming a
fusible alloy with the scale of oxidation
formed on the surface of the iron in the
furnace.
At the great steel works in Cleveland,
q large electric magnet is used suspended
from a crane, to pick up iron or steel
bars and billets. 1t will take up 800
pounds, and, as soon as the electric cur
rent is turned off after moving, 1t drops
it in the proper place, thus dong the
work of a gang of men.
During a discussion of the 'sightnipg
rod question" ct the last meeting of the
British association, it is stated that
where there are special cOrroding agen-
cies at work copper is to be preferred to
iron as being less easily oxidized, but
that in ordinary cases equally good &C.
curity can be obtained, at much less ex-
pense with iron. The question W ether
rods really afforded any security was not
considered.
The animal body may be less like the
steam engine in its operations than we
are accustomed to think. Mr.. W. Mattieu
Williams mentions recent experiments of
A. Monoir, an Italian psychologist, as
tending to show muscle is used by the
exertions of the body, and this to estab-
fish Liebig's theory of the physiology of
nutrition, in place of the more modern
one, that life work is generated by She
combustion of food. If Liebig was righ
as Mr.. Williams believes, the work is don e
by the consum ption of living tissue-of
the engine itself-which the food then
renews.
A writer in the Weekly Medical Review
says: 81 have collected every catarrh,
asthma and hay fever "sure cures" that
is in the market, numbering in all forty
eight, and have carefully examined them.
Eighteen of these are bare faced frauds.
One ounce of qusssia chips, pound of
table salt, forty gallons of water will ID Ike
one barrel of sure cure tn as sells for 81 a
bottle holding six ounces. The same
amount of water, pound of muriate of
ammonia, pound of ground oubebs and
| little com non potash will make another
cure that sells for so cents bottle of
four ounces. These two are the best of
the frauds.
Some OF the most singular processes
appear TO be in vogue at Oberstein, Ger
many, where the industry of manufao
| turing jewels is SO largely carried on.
Chalcedony is the usual base of false onyx
es and agates which are most frequently
| initiated, the stones in this case being
boiled in the coloring matter and chen
| subjected to intense heat, the color per-
meating the whole stone. One establish
ment possesses the secret of converting
crocidolite into seats eyes" Gypsum
and horn biende are also made into the
same gems. Ticons, which are cheap
stones of silicon and zIrconia, have the
color washed out, and are apparently
diamonds until tested; thin slice of
diamond is laid over topaz so that the
whole appears to be Ole gem; emeralds
are EARLY initiated; many stones sold as
rubies are only red spinal, and much of
what is termed lapis lazuli is only dyed
chalcedony.
According to the new Canadian Manu-
facturer, a new scheme of utilizing the
saw dust of the Ottawa river for the par
pose of fuel is proposed. 1t is claimed
that by system of grinding the refuse
into uniform hneness, mixing it with
the refuse gas tar from the gas house, and
comprising the substance into cakes, a
fuel can be made IN every way superior
to soft coal for open fires. SawdCsG rolls
were common forty years ago in England
and Scotland, and were considered far
ahead of peat and CRATE fires. The cost
Of manufacturing this kind of fuel is
merely nominal and it is expected that it
can be sold at a very much lower rate
than soft coal. The formation of COM
pany giving the scheme practical effect
ismooted.