The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1889-07-20
SCIENCE AND INDUSTRY.

The Greek professor, Paresi, has
found in the silk and pulp of the cocoa
mus a specific for tape worm.
1t is now claimed that the whole
domain of optics is annexed to cleo
tricity, which has thus become an i'm
perial science.
1t is announced, on high scientific
authority, that the bicarbonate OF soda
which is used as preventative of milk
forms compOund-the lactate of soda
which is particularly injurious to
children.
"A lecturer on photography re-
Gently succeeded in showing a plate
during development, with the stereop-
ticon, by placing the bath in fiat dish
of red glass. resting on it's side, and
allowing the light to pass through to
the screen.
Many efforts have been made by
scientists in this country and Europe
to determine the relative atomic
weights of hydrogen and oxygen. The
latest experiments in England lead to
the number 1889 as the atomic weight
of oxygen. American experiments
make the figure 1886.
"A prominent French firm uses cleo
tricity in tanning leather. Hides are
thus tanned in twenty-four hours that
under the old process took from four
to six months. The skins are placed
in a revolving cylinder containing tan
min, and a current of electricity is
passed through the drum.
An automatic tack driver is re-
cent mechanical novelty, coiled clock
spring being the driving power, and
the tacks are fed through a reel. They
fall one by one through a slot which
passes the body OF the tack, but not its
head; thence the lacks are conducted,
one by one, in single file, to the plum
ger, which drives them home.
AS wood becomes expensive for
railroad ties attention is being called
to metal ties. one having recently been
invented which can be produced at the
low rate of one dollar, including the
fastenings. There are 10000 miles of
metal track in use, the larger portion
in Germany. The United States is far
behind all other nations in adopting
metal ties.
Among the interesting and sue
cessful recent inventions is a rolling
mill for producing sheet metal direct
from the molten state, instead of roll
ing it from billet or bar. A machine
of this character has been a work for
some time at the can-factory in May
wood. near Chicago. 1t is used for
making sheet solder, six or eight
inches wide, and 15-1000 of an inch
thick, which it produces at the rate of
400 feet minute.
"A new rotary engine, as proposed,
presents some novel features. 1t has
series of cylinders secured radially
on a hub which forms a valve seat,
with ports and an exhaust chamber,
the former leading into the cylinders,
in which are pistons having central
openings on the rim Of wheel that is
held eccentrically to the hub. The ar
rangement thus indicated is alleged to
enable the engine to be operated by
water, air or steam.
Resin, as used in the manufacture
of building paper, is being largely re-
placed by petroleum product called
''still wax" or ''wax tailings." This
substance has several important ad-
vantages over resin, such as nom
liability to oxidize, toughening, in
stead of growing brittle, with age,
slow combustion, and rapid melting at
200o Fahrenheit, in which state it
combines perfectly with resin, asphalt
tum and warm oil.
-Potaline is the name of mixture
of gelatine, glycerine, and tannin, in
which sulphate of barium, or of zinc,
may be added, and which may be COL
ored by vegetable colors. 1t may be
kneaded while warm. When cold it
may be used for numerous purposes.
1t can be turned, filed, bored, polished.
and can be used for Theoretically seal.
ing bottles, etc. The proportion of in
gradients varies according to the uses.
For sealing bottles, of course, it must
be used liquid. Potel, the inventor,
uses it with success for preserving
meat. by applying it liquid, at tenn
perature of 500 to60o cent. English
Mechanic.