The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1905-12-28
SCIENCE. AND INVENTION.
Work Worlds Busy Brains in Discovering nvenng and
Creating.
ABALONES.

ABALONEs.
A new and quite important industry
has developed on the Pacific Coast in
the gathering of abalones. The word
has four syllables. with the accent on
the third. The abalone is a gigantic
sea snail, whose natural home is the
deep water off rocky coast, and this
is the description of the coast of GEN.
trail and lower California from Cape
Mendicino to Capt st. Lucas. The sup
ply of the shell-fish seems limitleSs, for
as fast as one part of the ground is
worked over it is refilled by fullgrown
shell-fish coming in from the ocean.
Within three months after thoroughly
clearing off the ground it is as thickly
covered as ever. A large-sZed abalone
weighs as much as two pounds of good,
wholesome, easiy-assimilated food.
The Chinese and Japanese are very
fond of the fish, but have only limited
coast upon which they will grow.
Therefore, there has a great business
grown up in diving to the bottom of
the sea in searching for them. The
custom has been to lay these fish out
in the sunshine to dry, which reduced
them to about one-third and made a
dry, tough, horny product which had
to be ground into powder before it
could be used for making soup and
other food. The japanese improved
somewhat upon this process by treat
ing the abalone as We do clans and
oysters when they are canned. Some
time ago the attention of the Ameri-
cans was drawn to the abalone matter
and the endless quantities to be had in
California, and straightway the active
American mind began devising ways of
putting the product into the market in
the best shape. A process was at last
developed by which the flesh of the
abalone is rendered as soft and succu-
lent as that of the oyster. and as a re-
suit great company has been incor-
porated and built large cannery at
Cayucos, in San Luis Obispo County.
The work is done in large number of
anese divers. One of these goes down
for three or four hours and then is re-
leved by the other. In the treatment
Of the abalone at the factory every
part is made profitable. The flesh and
juice are prepared as oysters are and
can be used in as many different ways.
The viseera are used for glue and the,
shells furnish mother-of-pearl for the
button trade. These shells are sent to
the East and to Europe and bring
from $35 to $135 per ton. Much of the
canned product goes to China and
Japan, but the Pacific Coast people
are coming into the habit of eating
abalones and all the leading hotels
abalone dishes on their regular bills
of-fare.
A most important discovery has been
made in the use of epson salts as an
anesthetic. The discovery was made
by DR.. S. J. Meltzer and DR.. John Auer,
of New York, who have been making a
long series of tests at the Rockefeller
Research Laboratory. These tests have
been confirmed by surgeons at the var
fous hospitals. 1t is used as a solution
injected into the veins of the patient,
and the action is very rapid. Respira-
ton is checked, and a general paral-
ysis of the whole body ensues. II the
injection be simultaneous the influence
is more gradual, but complete uncon-
sciOusness results. If the solution be
applied only to a particular trunk
nerve, it's influence is limited to the
limb or other locality to which the
nerve normally ministers.
Finally, if lumbar puncture" be re-
sorted to, only that portion, of the
body below the waist is affected-that
is to say, the abdominal region and the
legs-while the upper part of the body
retains its sensibility and the mind it's
faculties. Lumbar puncture is pierre
ing the spinal cavity near the lumbar
vertebrae Tin the small of the back.
The full effect is not produced for
about three hours. 1t should be added
that severe case OF tetanus was cured
in So hours by this treatment. Recov-
cry from the influence of the drug can
be fastened by i3Icting solution of
wonderful deposit of copper is now
being worked in the Grand Canyon of
the Colorado. The mine is in a forma-
ton more than 1000 feet below the
rim of the canyon and is so great that
the width of the vein is at places 500
feet. So far the ore is gotten out en-
tirely by hand labor under much diff
Guilty, and the ore has to be carried up
to the rim of the canyon upon the
backs Of burros, which also carry 1t to
the railway, IA miles away. where it is
hauled els miles farther to the smelter
at FL Paso. The company expects to
use the waterpower to operate an cleo
trical tramway and a teller system ;
that is. buckets running along upon a
wire from the mouth of the mine to
the rim Of the canyon. The difficulty
about this plan is that when the floods
come such volume Of water tears
down through the canyon that il is
doubtful IL any dam could be built to
Withstand the force.
climb Appliance"
Arthur NJ. Valentine, GAINESVILLE, Wis.,
comes to the relief of crooked lauoad