The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1889-10-19
SCIENCE AND INDUSTRY.

- PhAHO VI VAHcOO Us w DO
in 1892 by the Guy Hospital, London,
for paper on 1.-The influence of Micro
organisms upon Infla mmation."
Experiments have demonstrated
the practicability of handling large
masses of iron in rolling-mills by means
OF electric magnets suspended from
hydraulic cranes.
Seamless boiler tubes are now
made from solid ingots of metal by a
process that twists and stretches the
fibers, and it is said to make tube
much stronger than the ordinary ones.
The important discovery has been
made that two chemically distinct kinds
OF sea water are present in the North
Sea. One is rich in chlorine, and
comes from the Atlantic to the south;
the other has less chlorine, and flows
from the Arctic Ocean.
Machinery especially designed for
the purpose is employed by shoe
backing manufacturers in grinding
and mixing ingredients used in COM
pounding CfIat useful adjunct. 10 the
toilet. The boxes are filled by hand,
experienced workmen acquiring great
dexterity in this particular branch of
the business.
Reports come constantly from St.
Petersburg of the ever-increasing use
of naphtha dregs as fuel. Russian
manufacturers and railways are adopt
ing it in place Of wood and coal, and it
is even utilized for domestic purposes
in stoves Of special construction. 1t is
about thirty-fve per cent. cheaper
than wood or coal, and it occupies less
space in storage.
An ordinary galvanized wire Of the
telegraph size is estimated to have a
resistance of fifteen ohms to the mile. A
smaller wire, having less conductivity.
offers more resistance, and conse-
quently a battery of larger power,
capable OF generating more volts, is re
quired to send a current through it.
The belief that smoke from soft
coal may have beneficial sanitary ef-
fects is gaining ground. 1t is claimed
that the sulphur in the coal when
burned becomes sulphurous acid gas,
a well-known disintectant. Further,
that creosOte and its allied products
are thrown off with the fumes of Bit
luminous coal, and that an atmosphere
charged with carbolic acid must be
freer from germs of disease than an
apparently purer air.
The Moors are said to have made
paper from linen in the thirteenth CEN
trry, all paper known before that be-
ing apparently made from cotton. In
the British Museum are some speci-
mems of linen paper from the fourteenth
century. Recently Prof. Church has
discovered an Episcopal Register of
1878 from Auvergne, in which paper
some strands remaining show to have
been linen. This carries linen paper
back further than was supposed.
-Electroplating OF glass and porce-
lain has been accomplished in France.
The chief difficulty heretofore has been
to obtain a conducting surface to which
the metal would adhere. The patentee
uses chloride of gold or platinum dis
solved in sulphuric ether. to which
sulphur dissolved in some heavy oil is
added. When warm the compound is
laid on with brush. The object is
then heated until the sulphur and
chlorine are completely volatilized. the
gold or platinum adhering closely to
the surface.
"A method has been lately adopted
for destroying organic matter in toxi-
Geological analyses. 1t consists of oxi-
dizing the organic matter by warming
with nitric acid, and alternately pass
ing in nitrogen dioxide and oxygen.
The advantages claimed for this pro-
cess are that the oxidation takes place
rapidly and quietly, thus avoiding the
risk of loss of fluid from humping, etc.
The reagents can be easily prepared in
a state of purity. They may be quickly
volatilized by heating on tie water
bath; and furthermore, willis securing
complete oxidation, no loss of volatile
metals can occur.