The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1889-04-27
SCIENCE AND INDUSTRY.

Astronomy has been declared to be
subject of intellectual pleasure rather
than an economic one.
The number of mems linen collars
made in this country every year is
100000. About one collar to every
eight men.
-Barium sells for 1916 a pound,
when it is sold at all, and calcium is
worth $500 a pound. Cerium is a
shade higher-its cost is $3.50 an ounce,
or 81, 920 a pound.
One DIR. Terc. in England, is advo-
eating the sting of bees as remedy
for rheumatism. He declares that he
has treated with success 173 cases and
has given in all $4,000 stings.
The process of manufacturing India
ink has been Il secret with the Chinese
for many centuries, but firm of Eng
lish chemists claim to have discovered
a process of treating camphor with
sulphuric acid that produces pigment
identical with India ink. ~, s'ss
There are, according to Rev.
George Henslowe, more than 100 vari-
cites Of maize, which differ among
themselves more than those of any
other cereals. Some come to maturity
in two months; others require seven.
Some are as many feet high as others
are inches. They vary similarly in
| shape and size of ears, color of the
grain, and also in physical and chemi-
cal composition.
"A new and effective method has
been introduced for protecting dyers'
watts against damp and fire. 1t con-
sists in grinding oxide of zinc--not
sulphite of zinc white-with glue water
until it forms stiff paint, and with
this covering the wood, which latter
must be quite dry. After it has dried
two or three hours it is again painted
| with glue water, in which ten per cent.
of its weight of chloride of zinc has
| been dissolved.
"A recent writer says that those
nations which are given to the cultiva-
ton of vocal music are strong and Wig
orous, with broad, expansive chests.
Vocal music is a good lung exercise; it
increases expansion of the lung tissue;
it calls into action the entire lung. thus
making the apices less likely to de-
velop organic disease.-Virgiria Med
ical Monthly.
A process Of engraving on glass
and crystal by electricity has been
| communicated to the French Academy
of Sciences by NJ. Plante. The plate to
be engraved is covered with a concern
trated solution of nitrate of potash, and
| put in connection with one of the poles
in the battery, and the design is traced
out with fine platinum point con-
nected to the other pole. The results
are said to be of marvellous delicacy.
Experiments have been made on the
preservation of wood placed in the
ground. Piece of oak sunk in the
ground in the direction of the growth
of the tree. decayed in twelve years,
while indentical pieces, coming from
the same tree, but inserted in the OPP
posite way, showed hardly any trace
of decay in the same time. The phe-
nomenon is explained by the moisture
which follows the capillary tubes in
the wood. The simple precaution of
placing the wood in the ground oppo-
site to the way in which it grew would
seem to augment considerably its dura-
bility.
-Nitro-glycerine bids fair, say the
doctors, to become an important
remedy for diseases of the kidneys, and
experiments are now making in cases
of Bright's disease. Nitro-glycerine
of pure quality, possessing all the
explosive powers of the substance, is
prepared in alcohol (Which removes
the explosive quality in the proper
ton of one part of the nitro-glycerine
to ninety-nine of alcohol, and is then
prepared with sugar or milk in tablets.
Thus prepared it is called "Trinitrin. ="
A patient in Philadelphia hospital
has had the dose increased until it
reached eighty grains day. He had
Bright's disease, and the effects wore
said to be highly satisfactory.