Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-07-07

NJ. B. Church, in a paper read before
sanitary convention at Hastings, Mich,
went very fully into the question Of the
sanitary bearing of the prevailing modes OF
coating or recoating and ornamenting the
ceilings and walls of rooms for domestic
hsbitation, and he showed that more sick
ness is caused by want of knowledge on this
subject than even from the very dangerous
arsenical papers. The practice of pasting
new paper over the old one is to be strongly
condemned. The -four paste moulds very
quickly, and like the paper itself is ready
absorbent OF moisture and disease germs.
The coloring and bronzes, which are pulver-
lied metals, brasses, etc., are only temporar-
lily held upon the face of the paper with
animal matter (glue), that soon decays;
and glue is the greatest absorbent
of moisture, and the natural culture
ground for the germs. The glue soon rots sufn-
ciently to allow ;he air. or any friction, to re-
move small particles to which these germs
have attached themselves to float about the
room unseen, until they lodge in the system Of
some unsuspecting victim, whose physical con-
dition is such that they take effect Much
malaise, which is attributed to cold or over
work OF some improperly in eating is simply
owing TO the way in which the walls Of rooms
are clogged up with layers of paper, paint or
heavy kalsomine, which prevent the passage OF
air OF wall respiration" on which health SO
much depends. a cheap, clean aud sanitary
coat for walls Is composed mainly OF sulphate
of lime, known as gypsum or alabaster. which
has been calcined by subjecting it to great heat
in retorts, or boiled in large kettles until its
water of capitalization is driven Of, so that
when water is added to it again it will again
take up its original water OF capitalization
This is given to the public in the form OF
"alabastine" or "anti-kalsOmine and plastco,"
and It can be spread upon walls in such thin
condition that 50 coats would form hard
porous shell not thicker than card-paper; and
1t contains nothing OF glue or paste nature.
Submarine Torpedo Bonts.
Submarine torpedo boats are now engaging
good deal of attention among naval men, both
in this country and in Europe. Some French
experiments have been made with a boat of
spindle shape, 6 feet in diameter by Sc feet in
length: provided with torpedo tubes and driven
by electricity, the power being furnished by
storage batteries. while the submersion Of the
boat is regulated by means Of water tanks
These experiments have been carried out with
good deal of secresy, but are said TO have
been very successful. The French Government
is also experimenting with a smaller boat of q
similar shape, but Is feet long and carrying but
two men. This boat is intended as a detector
of submarine torpedOes and mines, and de-
strOyer of the wires and cables by which they
are connected. For our own navy, a submarine
boat has been designed, the motive power Of
which is steam generated by burning petroleum
while the boat is running on the surface, and
stored up in the boilers when she Is submerged
She is to be submerged automatically by means
of ruddeTs on either side, which are TO be so
arranged as to plunge her beneath the water
Even when running on the surface, she will be
invisible at comparatively short distance
and would be able to use her dynamite gun
very effectively at close range.
The HarmoniGraph. |
An invention halls from New Orleans for |
which very remarkable powers are claimed. |
This device embodies mechanism by means of |
which music. as it is played on the piano or |
similar instrument may be indicated on paper,
so that 1t may be reproduced as desired, thus |
enabling one improvisng mnsic to have the
music written as it is played, in such a manner
that it may be read and translated into the |
characters ordinarily employed in writing
music. The invention is said TO consist in the
combination in a harmOnigraph of the markers
and connecting rods arranged for engagement
by the keys OF the piano or other similar in
strument and by which the movement on the
key may be transmitted to the marker. In the
combination is also embodied a tone marker
and a measure marker. Some of the finest
ideas Of the lmpromptu player on the piano ap-
pear to be the most eNanescent. What COM
poser, while abandoning himself to the flow of
happy extemporization, las not longed for
some means of catching the exquisite melody |
the superb orchestral effect and recording
it before It's form and beauty have become i'm
paired or lost? If the harmonigraDh can do
this it is truly wonderful invention. and one
which will be received with gratitude by the |
whole musical world.
Treatment of the Opium Habit.
The opium habl: is becoming so widespread
that DR.. J. c. Wilson's paper on the subject
read before the Philadelphia Neurological So
cie:y, is well timed He says the habit cannot
be satisfactorily treated at home, and he rec
ommends private boarding houses for those
patients who cannot be induced TO enter a
public or private institution. For general
treatment he advises hypodermic injections eff
morphine, carefully graduated by the physi
clan, the systematic administration of suitable
food at short intervals, and the judicocs use of
alcoholic stimulants; until the incidental in
somnia and asthenia of convalesceuce have
passed away. the patient should be kept under
observation, and upon the convalcscent must
be strongly urged the warning that in future |
the first drop OF opium or morphine, either by
the mouth or hypodermically, is likely 10 lead
TO thevformation ef the habit anew.
Cool Upper Stories In Summer.
The most efectual plan Of keeping upper
stories under slated roofs cool in summer is to
lay felt on boarding and then batten the latter
to the states, and the felt is more likely to last
than when 1t is placed close to tie states. II
there is no ceiling one can be placed at q
trifing expense by suspending slabs of fibrous
plaster from the rafters or tie-beams il there
are any. A circulation of air should be kept
up in this space by apertures made in the outer |
walls or, better sill, by tube carried up |
above the ridge, upon which an exhaust OF |
'Rir-pump ventilator" can be fixed. by which |
means the heated air can be drawn of. Many |
private houses bave rooms in the roof quite un- |
endurable for sleeping or living in during the |
summer months The heat of the lower rooms |
ascends and, with the heat from the suns rays |
on the roof, renders these stories only useful |
for storage purposes.
Disinfection by Steam.
The recent researches of Esmarch seem to |
indicate that the destruction of bacteris by |
steam does not depend so much on the temper. |
ature as upon the degree of saturation OF the |
steam. II there is much air with it, the power |
of destroying organic germs is very much d.
minished. In the course of some experiments
on the spores Of the anthrax bacillus it was
found that while super-heated steam which |
not in q condition of saturation at q tenn
perature of l20o oentigrade was unable to
destroy the spores in half an hour, saturated /
steam at 1902 destroyed them in from hve to
ten minutes. This information will have to be
borne in mind In the construction of apparatus
for disinfecting hy means Of steam, the uncer.
tainty of which Is thus explained in a way
which will enable it to be remedied in the
future.
Safe Transportation of SulphurIc Acid.
A process has been patented in Germany for
enabling sulphurc acid for manufacturing
purposes to be safely transported. Advantage
is taken Of property of certain salts--of
which alkaline sulphates are representatives
by which they give up their water of crystal.
lizatIOn when heated, and take up again when
cool, and the salts are mixed in anhydrous
condition with q calculated quantity of sui.
phuric acid. The whole mass becomes granu.
lar OF may be formed into cakes; and when
heated the whole liquihes, and may be used as