The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1889-05-25
SCIENCE AND INDUSTRY.

SCIENCE AND INDUSTRY.
Photographs of the fight and ex-
plosion of dynamite cartridges are
among the achievements of the instau-
taneous method of photography. How
our grandfathers would have wondered
at such pictures!
The Electrician reports rumor
from Berlin to the effect that d means
has been discovered of using electricity
for ascertaining the true north, instead
of the magnetic needle; that, in short,
the new means will be superior to the
compass and is likely to supercede it.
Fourteen thousand tons of beets
were crushed in the beet sugar factory
of Claus Spreckels in California last
season. The sugar from these beets
weighed 1,640 tons. The farmers who
entered upon beet culture netted an
average of $35 an acre. Next season
the production of beet sugar will be
much larger.
Artificial ooifee-beans are a Curl
osity of the German market. They
are made from roasted grain flour, with
an addition of dextrine or similar sur
face. and the counterfeit is only de-
tected by critical examination. Two
establishments offer for sale outfits
claimed to make from 1000 to 1900
pounds of these beans each per day.
The so-called "joss-sticks," the
burning of which supplies incense for
| Chinese religious ceremonials, are
made of the powdered leaves of Lin
dera fragrans, mixed with the pow
dered leaves of Biota. Lindera fra
grams is shrub of the true laurel
family Uauraca), and its Chinese
name means "Incense Leaves"
AN electrical fire engine, which
can be tapped for service whenever
wanted, is the latest invention. The
advantages claimed are that it can be
started at full speed; that it is much
| lighter than a steam fire engine of
equal power; that it costs one-third
less; that it is noiseless in its opera
| ton; makes no smoke, sparks nor ashes;
that it is safer and easier to control,
and is economical.
| DR.. F. ID. Reese, of Cortland, n.
| Y, writes to the Medical Record. de-
| scribing the use of carbolized oil APP
| piled to the carbuncle and then covered
with oakum, which had previously
been saturated with the oil. OF "a few
cases of carbuncle treated in this way
not one has run over two weeks. The
disease has yielded to the carbolized
oil and oakum treatment as by magic.
He uses twenty per cent. solution.
M. Ungerer, a French scientist.
believes that flowers and the perfumes
distilled from them has salutary
influence on the constitution. and, in
deed, may be regarded as therapeutic
agency of high value. He says that
residence in perfumed atmosphere
forms protection from pulmonary
affections and arrests the development
of phthisis. He adds that in the town
of La Grasse, where the making OF
perfumes is largely carried on, phthisis
is rare, thanks to the odorous vapors
exhaled from the many distilleries.
For several years past fears have
been freely expressed that the box for
ests of Europe are giving out, and that
the engravers would suffer from the
decreased supply. A new species has
been discovered in South Africa, the
wood of which is believed to be equal
to its long-known relative, BuXus SEM
pervirens. The new species has been
named Buxus Macowani by Hooker.
One forest covering fifteen square
miles exists in the Buffalo River Valley,
and smaller forests have been found
near the coast 1t sometimes has
trunk two feet thick.
"A very valuable insulating mate
rial, as it is regarded, is described in a
French journal. 1t is composed of
one part Crock pitch and two parts
burned plaster, by weight, the latter
being pure gypsum raised to high
temperature and plunged in water.
This mixture, when hot, is q hemo-
geneous viscous paste, and can be APP
piled by a brush or cast in molds. 1t
is amber colored. possesses the insulat-
ing properties of ebonite, and can be
turned and polished. A peculiar ad-
vantage it possesses is the endurance
of great heat and moisture without any
injury to its insulating properties.
|