The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1902-03-01
Corrssp0ndencs Baltimore County Union
SCIENTIFIC MIS- CELLANY.

New GLASS observation-disclosures Las IN
Be1gium-Ghoets-N Photography
"A Scientific Violin-A Medicinal Rarity
Electric Currents From the Spectrum
Hardening of Varnish--Distance Of
the Perseus Nebula.
CoIoring glass By penetration, as NJ. Leon Le-
NAL calls his interesting process, offers varied
and attractive results. Silver salt. in small
quantity but varying with the intensity of color
desired, is placed upon the surface of the
glass. which is then heated to 5OOo or 550oC, bak-
ing for five minutes giving yellow stain to a
depth Of 1-150 Of an inch, which is increased to
Ills of an inch In eighteen hours. The yellow
shows beautiful greenish or blush iuorescence
in reflected light. Lace patterns can be trans
ferred to glass by this method, colered mono
grams may be obtained, and even collodion
negatives may be printed in various coiors.
Silver and copper give red. while gold and iron
salts have been used for other effects.
~
The understanding plan of NJ. D'Altof is
being satisfactorily tested in Belgium in several
steam engines and gas engines up to 80 horse
power. The smoke is driven by fan into fl
ter of wood, coke, tow, or other porous material,
over which passes continuous stream of pc
troleum. alcohol. or other liquid hydrocarbon,
and 1t energies as a combustible gas of great
heating power, which may be used for producing
steam or driving gas engines. The filter. with
the collected SCOT, ETC., also forms valuable
fuel, this "pyro-gas'' smoke suppression giving
great economy of combustion.
-
Of two specters made the subject of a recent
biological paper, one was the shadow of per-
son that had been thrown on cloud of mist by
light from window, and the other was SINH
lar shadow cast on passing dust cloud by an
electric lamp. AS mist and dust disappeared
the effect was of vanishing figures.
-
The cubit of Old Testament Hebrews eQualled
an English foot and one-fifth, If the latest evil
dence proves reliable.
-
Some curious pictures made by DIR. w. J. Rus
sell. F. Il. s.. have depended upon the action of
certain papers when laid on the Photographic
plate in the dark-cuts. holes and imperfections
generally being plainly shown after develop
ment. Papers of mechanical wood pulp and
fax are especially active, those of cotton and
hemp having no effect atall. Thorough bleach
ing destroys this Photographic power of the
hbers,a the most expensive papers are usually
the least active. The best results have been OBJ
tanned in about eighteen hours at temperature
of 13O0F. Inactive papers are made to give
pictures in few minutes by passage through
them Of hydrogen peroxide solution and dried,
or from plate of bright zinc or glass that has
been coated with picture copal. AS ink resists
the passage of the peroxide. though in varying
degree, writingand printing may be reproduced.
"a
The novel violin of Mr. Charles Stroh, of Lon
don, is claimed to have been perfected on scien-
tile principles after five years of experiment.
I.olI % L.
placed by circular diaphgram of aluminium,
which is loosely held in a suitable holder and
responds freely to every vibration of the strings,
and the sound is distributed through trumpet
resonator of aluminium at the side of the dia-
phragm. The volume of sound is stated to
equal that Of three violins, while on first play
ing the beautiful tone has the mellowness that
usually comes from age.
-.
Adrenalin, the newly discovered active prin-
cple of the suprarenal glands. will not become
a common drug. Every pound made requires
the glands of 14,000 cattle, each single gland
weighing but two-fifths of an ounce and yield
ing but quarter of grain of adrenalin. The
new product has promised much as astringent.
opium antidote, etc.
"a
The tea-pills-fourteen to the ounce-of
Caucasus grower are simply compressed tea in
a convenient form for travellers
-
Some electro-optical experiments lately made
by DR.. Emile Bose, OF Dresden, suggests novel
possibilities, practical and theoretical After
long passage of an electric current through
gold electrodes in a slightly acid solution. the
anode becomes coated with hydroxide and on
subsequently connecting the electrodes to
l. l. -
whose intensity varies with the light thrown on
the hydroxide. The variations depends upon
the color as well as the intensity of the light.
Under the electric arcthe difference in potential
between the plates has been as much as OIL volt,
but the most striking fact is that different parts
of the spectrum. red and violet, produce oppo-
site currents, differing in direction as well in
degree.
The formation of varnish, long supposed to be
an oxidation process. is otherwise explained by
DIR. Kronstein, a German chemist. He finds
that the constituent elements and their proper
tions remain the same, but the molecular weight
becomes changed, the process being that known
in chemistry as polymerization. Linoxin, so i'm
portant for lnoleum, is polymerized linseed oil
in its highest stage.
"a
The startling phenomena in Perseus have
opened fertile field for speculation. British
astronomer assumes that different portions of
the meteoric matter forming the nebula have
been successfully lighted up from the flash of
the explosion that produced the new star, - and
that the apparent expansion must have had the
velocity of light On this hypothesis. the new
star is so distant that light requires 33 years to
reach us!
AFs
Remains of pygmy race that inhabited south
ern Germany, as well as Switzerland and the
Pyrenees, are among the late prehistoric finds.
No skeleton is longer than So inches, many being
smaller.
ga
Petroleum ether has been used for a Their
mometer down to the temperature of liquid air,
at which it is still liquid.
A NET increase of over SO, 800, 000in the cash
in circulation was recorded for the month
of January. The total on February LIST was
S2,259, 951, 100, which represents an increase of
over 500, 600, 900 as compared with the cores
ponding date year ago. Increases are noted
in every kind of money except standard silver