The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-08-05
ITEMS OF INTEREST.

On the desk Of one OF the scientists at the
meeting Of the academy was thin slice of
hght-colored stone says the Philadelphia
Press. He used it for a blotter, and il alb
sorDed ink better than any bibulous paper.
IL was piece OF the new mineral plotting
stone, soon 10 be put on the market by a con-
Germ in Carthage. No. The stun is a forma-
ton composed of sediment deposited by
certain hot springs. 1t has been accumu-
lating for ages IN the locality mentioned. and
is available in ineXhausuble quantities.
highly porous, 1t viii take up a surprising
quantity OF ink. The merchants will employ
il incidentally as paper weight, and occa-
s1onally the ONCE boy will scrape it of with
knlfe-an easy task, the substance being
Speaking Of bibulouS stone. a new kind
OF white hydrophane has been found in Col
orado, Will h Is remarkable for its power of
absorbing liquids. When water is dropped
slowly upon II it becomes chalky and then by
degrees perfectly transI aren't II has been
named the magic stone and is coming into
use Dy jewelers. for lockets to conceal photo
graphs or other objects viii b the wearer may
wish only to reveal at pleasure. Not less
curious, though comparatively common, is
the nexirle SanOs one, a slice Of which is as
substance having been Dissolved out OF it. the
clayey matter is left the grains Of which are
not held together firmly. This stun is the
matr1x Of diamonds in Brazil
Sea air and mountain air, both being tonic,
will undoubtedly improve the health that is
already fairly good. says the-Londan Lancet.
Children almost invariably do well at the sea
SIDE, while the mountain resor IS are IN gen
eral much less suitable to them--Ihe same
rule applies, though for different reasons. to
the aged. Dyspepsia, especially If Of hepatlc
origin, often does badly at the Seashore. but
vel IN the mountains Skin diseases. espe-
clally eczema, are often aggravated by sea air,
IL IS not clear that mountain air las any e1ec5
upon them: Struma.ln all its protean shapes,
does notably better at the seaside than any
where else. The braclng marine resorts
should generally be chosen. The existence Of
rheumatism, cardiac disease or renal disease
is usually SUFFICIENT reason for placing
veto on the mountains. Bronchitis and en-
physema do badly in the mountains, but often
wei at the more sheltered marine resorts.
| Obstinate insomnia is a contra-indication
against both sea and mountain resorts and
calls usually for the sheltered inland resorts
M1lder cases Of insomnia, however. are often
much benefited both at the seaside and among
the mountains. Hysterta does very badly in
the mouHtalnS and often not well at the sea
side. Here, again, if any change be desired,
the sheltered and moderately bracing inland
resorts Will probably found to be most suit
able. Incipient phthiSis often does well both
at the seaside and among the mountains. and
II is one OF the most ditticult points in thera-
peutlcS to Oh Jose wisely between the two,
Without entering into this obscure question
fully we may safely say that If the phthlsis be
at all OF ''StrumouS type, sea air VIII be
| found most Suitable If of a catarrhal" origin
the most sedatlve marine resorts should be
tried: and II QuleScent and limited in con
stitutiCn that is not neurotic, the mountains
may have the first trial.
The chief muscles concerned IN walking,
says the London Hospital, are those in the
calf and back of leg which, by pulling up the
heel also pull up the bones of the foot con
etted with it. and then the whole body the
weight OF which is passed on through the
l. ones OF the leg. When walking he trunk is
| thrown forward so that il would fall down
! PROSTATE were not the right foot planted IN
| time to support il. The calf muscles are
| helped IN this action by those on the front OF
| the trunk and legs. which contract and pull
| the body forward. and the trunk sauting for
! ward when the heel is raised by the calf
| muscles, the whole body will be raised and
! pushed forward and upward. This advance
ment of each leg is effected partly by muscl-
| lar action, the muscles used being ~ those
on the front OF the thigh, bending it forward
| on the pelViS; ~ the hamString muscles,
! which slightly bend the leg on the thigh: 81
| the muscles on the front of the leg which
| raise the front OF the foot and toes, prevent
| Ing the latter, In swinging forward, from
hltching in the ground. When one foot has
| reached the ground the action of the other
has not ceased. there is another point III
| walking. The body is constantly supported
| and balanced on each leg alternately. and
! therefore, on only one at once. Hence there
! must be some means for throwing the center
! OF gravity over the line of support formed by
! the ZONES of each leg as it supports the
! weight OF the body. This IS done in various
! ways, and hence the difference in the walk of
! different people. There may be slight rota-
! ton at the nip joint, bringing the center of
| gravity Of the oily over the foot of this side
| This rocking motion of the trunk and thigh
| is accompanied by movement Of the whole
| trunk and leg over the foot planted on the
ground, ana is accompanied by a compensat-
ing outward movement at the hip. The body
| rises and swings alternately from one side to
| the other as its center of gravity comes alter
nately over one or the other leg, and the
curvature OF the spinal bones is altered with
| the varying position of the weight.
The eloctrocution of grass is the latest en-
| gineering feat on the Illinois Central lines
near Memphis. According to the Railroad
Gazette, this process is now in use on that
railway to kill the grass and other vegetation
on the roadbed, the apparatus employed be-
| ing the following: An ordinary fiat car was
| equipped with a suitable arrangement at one
! end, from which what might e called brush
| extended at right angles to the roadbed and
was of sufficient length to reach over the ends
| OF the ties. Fine, bare copper wires were
! uspended close to the ground, so as to come
! in contact with the vegetation. The brush
| was arranged so that it could be raised or
| lowered as desired. At the end of the on
| posite car to that from which the brush was
| suspended was attached box car containing
! an engine and dynamo, steam being Detained
| from the locomotive used to push the cars
! over the road. The commutator of the gen
| orator was connected with the tine
| wires of the brush affording g connec-
! tion through the vegetation to the
| the generator up TO speeI, and then push the
! cars slowly over the track to De cleared the
! brush being in front. The train moved at
| about FIVE miles an hour and killed most of
! the grass and weeds on the t1rSt passage over
! the line On going over the track the second
| time the remaining grass was killed, and thai
| ele> trocuted the first time was set on 1re Nv
| the current The dynamo used was one
/ which had cen ordered with view OF using
1t for electric lighting in case the experiments
! were successful. I he voltage was not high
| but by means OF step-up transformer volt
| ages as high as 10000 were obtained. 1t was
| found, however, that 10000 volts were annie
and that what was needed was volume rather
! than pressure. I was demonstrated too
| that the brush should be in short sections
! insulated from each other. with an indie
/ pendent circuit, otherwise the entire current
might pass through a small part OF the brush
and so roo the other portion Of its effect The
| experiments were highly satisfactory The
/ value of some device which will cheaplv kin
| the vegetation between the ties and rails of
! the tracks is more fully appreciated by those
| southern and southeastern railways which
| have such light traffic that they can not
afford to employ enough men to keep down
the grass. The use of brine has not been
found satisfactory, and experiments made
several years ago on the Burlington road with
steam we're also a failure. In the latter ex-
periments, steam was clown against the vege-
tation from finely perforated pipe. Another
method for accomplishing the same object
VIII Gu has been proposed is to suspend mum.
Der OF gasoline burners from car in such a
manner That IN passing over the tracks the