Frederick citizen., 1895-01-18
SCI ENTIFIC MISCELLANY


velopement of the Most Efficient
Heat Motor-A Novel Remedy
for Dyspepsia-Ca as Vapor
and Liquid.
The experiments of Herr Otto Lilien-
thai more nearly resemble the flight of
birds than anyt hing else ever accom-
plshed by man. His early apparatus
| was a cloth-covered framework resem-
bling pair of immense wings, with a
place for the operator in the centre,
and the inventor grasping the frame
work tightly with his hands, ran down
slope until sufficient velocity was ac-
quired to raise HIM and the apparatus
from the ground. With practice the
distance through which he can thus
cause himself to sail in air has increas-
ed until he has been able to cover a
third of a mile in Single bound. In
new apparatus, this sailing machine
! is transformed int flying machine;
series of feather-!ike sails having been
! placed at the eXtremities of the wings
! and connected with little motor
driven by compressed carbonic acid
| placed near the operators body. AS
| the operator fluids himself descending,
pressure Of the finger sets the engine
in motion, tapping the wings, and
! lengthening out the distance of flight.
| In the ordinary form of per cent
! solution, hydrogen peroxide, or oxy-
| genated water, Is an important bleach
! ing process. 1t has been supposed t.
be very unstaple. The surprising an
n0uncement Is made from Berlin
laboratory, however, that DR.. Wolfen-
stein has obtained the practically pure
peroxide by distiiling the commercial
solution under reduced pressure 1t
proves to be a colorlesss, syrupy liquid,
which gives an acid reaction, quickly
evapJrates on exposure to air, and has
little inclination To wet the surface of
the containing vessel. 1t produces Il
prickly sensation on touching the skin,
and causes white spots to appear,
which remain several hours.
X
Prof. f H. Currier, of the New
York Instit ltion, for the instruction
Of the Deaf and Dumb, believes that
certain cases of deafness can be cured
by hypnotic suggestion--th paralyzed
auditory nerve being capable of arous-
ing to action by the will Of the hypno-
tiZer.
Glass is a material whose astonish-
ing p 'ssibiiities We are only beginning
to realize. Great progress in its man
ufacture has been made during the last
ten or twelve years, blowing by COM
pressed air having greatly increased
the quantity and variety of the work
that can be produced, while improved
methods of moulding have made pos
sible castings of large size. Llrge
glass pipe, unaffected 10y the soil and
having the strength OF cast iron, is now
turned out in considerable quantities.
The material eau also be made into
plain and ornamental bricks, chin
neys, furniture, and even tapestries
anu COllHltlC tlDuS6S. NJ. y,
an enthusiastic French manufactures,
proposes to exhibit a glass house Of
novel design at the Paris Exposition
of 1900. An iron skeleton will be
erected, on which will b. placed slabs
OF gltss in such manner as to form Il
double wall, in the interior of which
hot air will be circulated in winter,
and compressed air-which will cool
the walls-in summer The roof will
he of glass on network of iron, and
the partitions, stalrcases, etc, will be
of the same material
The evolution of the gas engine is
one of the important industrial process
es that has been going forward in re-
cent years. These engines were at first
of but few horsepower, but in several
cases. according to the Engineering Re
UieW, gas motors of 300 horse power
have lately been constructed for ordi-
nary manufacturing purposes and 500
| horse power is look ID forward to as
a not uncommon limit in the near fu-
ture. Dawson's cheap gas-produced
III a generator no more cumb .rsonle
! than an ordinary b ,ier by passing "a
mixture of SuDerheated steam and air
through red-hot anthracite. has greatly
extended the usefulness of the gas en-
| glne, tut the apparatus can use only
anthracite or coke, and Mr.. b. II.
! IhWalte has just gone a step further
by constructing an improved genera
! tor, which supplies pure gas from bl-
! luminous cOaiS as well as anthracite.
1t Is practicable even to use wood,
crude oil and combustlbe refuse as fuel
for the gas engine.
In n careful investigation by two
/ Italian meteorologis,s, it has beeu
| found that veil of cirrus clouds alb
serbs rs much as 80 per cent. of the
suns rays, while slight fog, equally
diffused in all directions, may Inter
cept from 5S to 81 per cent. of the So
lar rays that would be transmitted
with clear sky.
A wide range Of investigation has
/ been opened up by NJ. Raoul Pictet in
his unique laboratory of cold. In some
OF his recent experiments, he covered
/ himself with furs, and placed himself
IN a great tube that could be cooled
down to 1902 below zero, G., his head
alone remaining outside, as the breath
ing of air so extremely cold would be
hazardous. The heat of the body was
retained by the furs until the tempera-
ture fell to about 600 below zero. Be-
yond this point the heat was radated
! through the furs, but without causing
the skin to feel any sensation of cold
Circulation and digestion were power
fully stimulated. The rapid combus-
ton necessary to supply the BODY with