The National tribune., 1897-12-23
PUZZLES HND QUERIES.
Some Problems Which are Really
Worth While Working Out.

The National Tribune presents some puz-
Zling problems in science and natural his
tory, which involve valuable and practical
knowledge, and which when worked out,
will add To the workers store of infoTma-
ton on the working of Natures great laws.
Answers 10 these should be designated
by number, as they are numbered con-
secutIvely; the answers given in future
issues, and also the names of the most
successful SOlverS.
Henry S. Cox, Franklin, Mich, sends n
correct answer to Al. He takes issue with
Asa w. Slayton's answer to q, thinking
the ball would be carried a long distance in
the direction the car is going.
Peter p. Fox, Pho, 73 Woodward ave,
Philadelphia, answers correctly Al, "A, 46,
As, 10, 30, and 81
l.. C.. Bowen, Waterbury, Conn, answers
correctly Al, AZ, IL, 46, 1919 and 30. The
answer to 81 errs i'm formula OF glucose
(dextrose) but is otherwise correct.
Dorsey b. Shore, Keyser. W. Va, sends
correct answers to to the first, second,
third, fourth, seventh, eighth, ninth, and
tenth questions of Dec. ?, although the last
named is not the answer meant to be clio
tied. The answers to the fifth and sixth
are incorrect.
If answerrrs so desire, by inciosing n
stamped addressed envelope, the answers,
as marked by the Editor of this column,
will be returned.
Answers.
Al. Plaster of Paris is prepared by bakine
gypsum. Gypsum is calcium sulfate united
with water of Capitalization. Part of this
water is lost during the roasting. and when
the water is restored to the plaster it be-
comes reconvcrted into crystals, or sets
and becomes hard. Over-burnt plaster has
lost ali its water, and though it will set, it
will not do SO with sufficient rapidity to be
useful.
AZ From PASSPORT, Me-, % degrees east
from Washington meridian,) to Cape Flat
terry, Washington State, (4S degrees west }
making the total extension east and west
81 degrees. Alaska extends from Fort
Tongas (57 degrees west,) to Cape Prince OF
Wales, (93 degrees west,) total OF 80 de-
greeS. Thirty six added to 81 make 80 de
grees, or little more than quarter of the
circle. It is interesting TO notice that the
break in the continuity of or possessions
is degrees, or just the number that East
port lies to the east of Washington.-Z. C..
Bowen.
From 66 degrees SO minutes west OF
Greenwich to the island of Attoo, 172 de
grecs east longitude, making 121 degrees
"A minutes, or a third the way round the
world.-Asa W. Slayton.
AZ. horse is inocuIated with a weak
dose of broth in which dphtheria germs
have grown and secreted their poison
C'tOxin'O. When fully recovered he is
inOculated with stronger dose, and so on
repeatedly until the animal is able to bear
a very large dose of yirulent broth. This
process takes six TO eight months. The
blood of the horse is able to secrete a sub
stance 'anti-tOxin'D which has the power
of neutralizing the diphtheria poison, and
by this systematic course of treatment the
blood becomes rich in this new substance.
When the horse is finished the iniec-
tons are stopped, and blood drawn from him
at intervals into steriliZed glass vessels. On
standing the blood separates into a clot OF
blood cOrpuscles and straw cOlored, clear
liquid, the serum. This serum Is what IS
known commercially as anti-toXin, and
contains dissolved the real anti toxin, of
whose chemical nature little is known at
present.
A. Culm is (a) waste coal; OBJ soft
or slaty anthracite; (c) a name Occa-
sionalIy given to series of carbonifercus
rocks; I'D the iointcd stem Of gIasses.-
Century Dictionary.
ID. The ore is crushed to fine powder,
which is made to fall near magnets. These
attract the PARTICLES OF iron ore so that they
drop into different chute from the one
which catches the silica and other in
gradients of the Ore.-ASa W. SIayton.
As. Baryta is the oxide or hydrate of the
metal barium. 1t is quite like quick-lime
in its properties, but is more active chem
ically, as well as much more soluble.
IL. Low nitrated guncOttOn is dissolved
either in a mixture of ether and alcohol or
in wood alcohol, to form colOdion. The
collodon is squirted through capillory glass
MOBILES into large body of water. The
solvent is taken up by the water, leaving
the guncottOn behind as a silky filament.
A number of these filamentS, which are ex-
tremely fine are twisted together to form a
single thread. This thread resembles a
silk thread very closely. To deprive the