The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-08-29
SCIENTIFIC.

"A pen carrying a SIlaII ELECTRIC lamp TO
prevent shadows when writing has been
patented in Germany.
A mixture of so per cent of lime, of
rosin and of calcium carbide is claimed
by an Italian, h De Fazi, to be better
and more economical than calcium carbide
for producing gas. No special burner is re-
CURED and there is no fear OF explosion
from mixture with air
The largest land tortoise now living is
supposed to be one lately acquired by the
London Geological Society this being about
feet inches long, 2 feet 10 inches broad
and weighing about 800 pounds. 1t is a
native of the Aldabra islands in the Indian
ocean, but is said to have lived elsewhere
for $50 years.
A commission of the Hamburg Senate re-
ports that wrought iron pillars cannot with
stand a heat of 600 degrees c., while con-
crete filling offers little advantage. The
best protection was afforded by Gunzweig
and Hartmann's cork composition, or
xylotile encased in sheet iron substances
that give out intlammable gases for two
hours and a half leaving a earboraceous
residue that steam from the fire hose
does not destroy A pillar thus coated gave
way only after four hours of exposure to
fire, while an uncoated pillar succumbed in
seventeen minutes.
An antidote for snake poisoning from the
bile of the venomous serpents is suggested
by Prof. T. r. Fraser as likely to prove at
least as effective as the most powerful
tivenen'e. 1t was found that animals could
take into the stomach without harm doses
of venom that would kill one thousand sim
ilar animals by injection into the veins, and
investigation revealed the fact that the
poison cOunteracted by the bile. Es-
pecally powerful is the bile of the venom
Gus serpents themselves while that of the
OK, rabbit and guinea pig has the anti
venomous property in slighter degree.
The venom of the toad and salamander
is found by Dr. Hewlett to be substance
much like digitalin, that is secreted by the
skin, and, as this may have a favorable eff
feet in dropsy of the heart, the ancient use
of the toad for dropsy is less absurd than
at first appears the venom, being aka
lOidal, is quite unlike that of snakes which
is of proteid character Only in COM
paratiVely large amounts is the venom ia
tai TO the animal secreting it and the saIa-
mander proves to be remarkably resistant
to poisons of all kinds, curare producing
little effect and morphine none at all Actu-
al experiment has shown the blood and
blood serum of the salamander to have an
antitoXin effect toward curare.
Acid food in the view of DR. w. T. Eng
fish, of Pittsburg is our latest excess, the
acidulous habits of the body marking a
distinct stage in civilization. The con-
sumption of acid fruits, pickles and acid
drinks is increasing at an astonishing rate,
the production of tomatoes having multi
piled ten times since 1890, while the quantity
of acid drinks taken has doubled in
lHe SAINT p6IlOu, every year. Inc
tendency of the acid diet is held
to be to destroy the action of the
bile and pancreatic juice by neutralizing
their normal alkainity and to lessen re-
sistance TO infection by reducing the al
kalinity of the blood and other bodily fluids.
The effects may be farreachng, deranging
especially the nervous system and the
heart, and even temporarily causing intel
lectual confusion and incoherency of
thought.
German trials have shown chat a medium
electric blowing apparatus may pillow more
than four acres to depth of ten inches in
ten hours doing the work of four teams of
six oxen at half the cost of steam blowing
Half a day is required for setting the poles
and arranging the material ANY farm To-
connective of twelve to fifteen horse power
can be used as a source of energy and the
hywheel of this is belted to that of the
portable dynamo, the two conducting wires
being arranged on poles along the edges
of the field at right angles to the direction
the plow is to follow. Two trolleys travel
along these wires to take the current
through wires parallel to the direction of
plowing to the motor on. the plow. These
wires are kept stretched by tension car
riages at the two ends and rest upon two
contacts carried by the ploW on an arm
that also serves to lift the carriages and
arrange them at the proper distance for
the return of the plOw. The pillow is double
being changed for the return by fitting so
that the blades of the opposite end are put
TO work. The motor on the pillow rotates
a drum carrying a chain held by anchors
ut the two sides of the field, simple lever
arrangement enabling one man 10 shift the
anchors for successive burrows.
A definite idea of the present standing of
alchemy in America is given by DR.. H. c.
Bolton in the London Chemical News Two
claims to success in creating gold are
deemed worthy of mention on account OF
the holiness, persistence and apparent sci
entihc basis with which they have been
urged. The claim of DR.. S. II. Emmens
was first advanced in August, 1896. and in
July Of this year it was stated that nearly
81. 900 worth of an alloy of gold and silver.
which had been produced from Mexican
dollars had been sold to the United States