The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-06-12
SCIENTIFIC.

A coating of asbestos cloth has been ap-
piled to the bottom of glass TASKS and re-
tortS, with the result that such apparatus
can be much more safely heated than be-
fore.
A German metallurgist uses~ rotating
mold, into which he pours hard steel, which
flies to the sides, and then he fills the hol-
low center with soft steel. The result is a
casting having a soft core and hard face
like ordinary chilled castings.
The curious experiment has been per-
formed by Rev. f. c. Lambert of fixing a
Photographic negative before attempting to
develop it, He announces the surprising re-
suit that, using a SilVer-intenSifying devel-
oper, the image can be brought out, even
after the plates have been exposed to full
daylight.
The feat of photographing flying bullets
has been eclipsed by NJ L. Decombe, who
has reported to the French Academy the
photographing of the Hertzian oscillation
occupying less than the five-mllionth of
second. The period of oscillation was shown
by reflection of the explosive spark from
rotating mirror to the focal plane of the
camera by collimating lens.
In new process proposed by chemists of
the Massachusetts Institute of Technology
meats are sterilized by placing for a GER
tain number of hours close to an electric
light, and at the same time are dried by a.
stream of air at temperature of lis to $50
degrees Fahrenheit When powdered the
dried and stertlized meats are ready for use
by army and navy or on long exploring ex-
petitions.
The possibility of using a snusoidal cleo
trio current of high frequency as an anaes-
thetic has been shown by Prof. E. w. Scrip
ture, of Yale. Anaesthesia of the tissues
lasts for a considerable time after removal
of the electrodes, and while in this condi-
ton the finger can be pricked with pin
q NJ ffY1o inn NIT hn
of dull contact. SensitiVeness to cold is
also removed.
The lightest metal tubing is now made
from an alloy of nickel and aluminium A
quantity recently made for electrical instru-
ments was only 0.O36 inch in outside dia-
meter, with walls O.0O15 inch thick, and 5000
feet weighed but pound. still more re-
narkable specimen was only DOL inch in
diameter, with a hole that could be seen
only with magnifying glass These tubes
mark great progress in aluminium working,
as few years ago such alloys could not be
drawn.
TO a study of records that we are just be-
ginning to recognize NJ. J. Thoulet has given
the name of paleomineralogy. 1t shows that
important facts concerning the earths con-
stitution or geography in past epochs are to
be read from the traces of events in miner
ais such as are illustrated by the formation
of liquid inclusions in crystals, the optical
reformation that shows whether feldspar
has been red-hot, and the wearing of peb-
bles. Through the character of the sand the
dunes of Holland were traced to the Scan
dinavian rocks. The shapes of sand grains
are found to bear certain relations to the
distance they have been transported and
the velocity of the current that carried
them; and it is suggested that some day we
may read such lessons so thoroughly as to
be able to determine from a piece of lime
stone the dimensions of the sea in which
1t formed, with the force and direction of it's
currents and Winds and the depth, temper
AZURE, salinity and density of it's water.
Horned men and women, NJ. Jean Finot
points out, are not only well known, but are
less rare than one might suppose. A work
by NJ. Villeneuve describes seventy-one in
stances of people with horns, which in half
of the cases have grown on the forehead
More women than men have been noticed
with horns and the horns are usually long
er. In the British Museum is a horn eight
inches long-the largest human specimen
known-from the head Of an English noble-
man. In the seventeenth century a Mrs.
Allen, Of Leicestershire, England, had q
pair OF horns which she wore ali her life,