The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1905-06-10
Cofresp0ndencs Baltimore County Union.
SCIENTIFIC MISCELLANY.

0Q4MNLlHlO MloOHHIANX-
Solid Fuel for Gas Engines-A ARTIFICIAL silks
Materials Awaiting Use-Fatigue An
tl-toxln-Cheap Calcium-Ant-N Nests for
the Electricity for Broken Bones
Advance In ron-Making- Science the
Magician.
The novel idea Of two French engineers is a
fuel for internal-combustion engines that can
be carried in solid form. The material Is naph-
thaline, product of gasworks waste that is now
used for disinfecting, and it is made into white,
marble-like balls. The balls melt into liquid
somewhat resembling treacle. The material is
held in special tank, with an outlet valve con-
trolled BY float, and Is sprayed into the cylin-
der by . special injector. The supply OF fuel
and air may be easily regulated. The liquid
shows no tendency to clog inlet pipes or valves,
and Is much safer than petrol.
-
OF artificial silk, DR.. J. n. Mathews in his
new work on textile 1bers, notices these four
kinds: 1. Pyroxylin silk, made from solution
Of gun-cotton in alcohol and ether. 2. FIbers
from cellulose dissolved in ammoniated copper
oxide or chloride Of zinc. 3. Viscose silk, made
from solution Of cellulose thiocarbonate. 4
Gelatin silk, from nlaments Of gelatin made in
soluble By formaldehyde. The first kind Is most
used, and is manufactured in England, Germany,
France and Switzerland. The solution requires
pressure of As atmospheres to force it through
the fine spinning-tubes.
An experimental in India has shown oils from
IS kinds Of common plants, such as the cucum-
Der, fapioca- plant. etc. Most of these oils have
never been put to use, even If their properties
are known. and it is suggested that wide field
for developing new industries is here open.
Asparagus kept in water has been found by
German experiment to absorb much liquid and
lose nutritive matter, its food value being much
lessened.
The toxin Of fatigue is obtained by Herr Weic-
hardt, German biologist, from the muscles Of
animals that have been worked to exhaustion.
This muscle extract is separated from other
products Of muscular activity by dialysis, great
care being taken to avoid contamination by
bacteria and it can be dried and preserved for
short time, but rapidly loses its power. Injec-
ted into MICE rabbits or guinea pigs it causes all
thesymptoms Of fatigue. In the horse the toxin'
yields an anti-toxin. which may be extracted
very stable substance. keeping indefinitely,
and which, in moderate doses taken by mouth,
lessons fatigue, acts as tonic and increases ca
pacity for work. The anti-toxin is much the
more powerful, appearing to neutralize 100 times
its weight Of toxin.
The production Of metallic calcium at q retail
price Of 50 pound in Germany is of interest, al
though the present demand is small. The metal
was first isolated by Sir Humphrey Davy. who
first formed an amalgam by electrolyzing lime
mixed with mercuric oxide, and then distilled on
the mercury. Moissan and other chemists have
since produced small quantities. The new COM
10
Itch. OF Btterfeld, Saxony, and consists in fusne
calcium chloride in the electric furnace and
drawing the kathode away from the globule Of
calcium that collects at its point, thus building
up an irregular rod Of the metal.
Glass hives for bees are well known, but por-
table ants nest, as supplied in London under the
name OF "The Lubbock Formicarium,' is some
thing OF novelty. It is expected that one of
these nests win serve six years or more for study
or exhibition. The nest resembles q nicture
frame ten inches square and contains the small
yellow ant in its various stages, with or without
queen, and with associated insects.
-
London fogs are of local origin although their
cause seems to be not fully understood. Kew
loses only 10 per cent. Of the annual sunshine
through fog, while Westminster loses 90 per
cent.
-
In the treatment of fractures, galvanism, fara-
dism and static electricity have all been used.
both in rabbits and in man. by francesca Blast.
In oil cases the limb was made immovable. In
rabbits the galvanic current reduced dropsical
swelling very rapidly, there were no signs of
suffering, and the animals walked and ran at
once on removal of the apparatus. One of the
four human patients, with fracture that had
shown no tendency TO unite after four weeks.
did well. The conclusions were reached that
gavnnism Is beneficial in all fractures IL favors
the formation Of callus, It reduces to minimum
the time Of dlsablement, and only temporary
splint and bandage are needed to keep the limb
in place.
The air-drying process Of James Gayley Is
claimed to be an improvement in ironmaking
second only to the hot blast introduced BY Nell
son IN 1928 The smelling Of ton of iron re-
raw material and the supplying Of II, 700 pounds
Of air. While the composition of the ore can be
limited to 70 per cent Of variation. however, the
moisture OF the air may vary from 20 to 100 per
cent: IN the same day, the range in Pittsburg be-
ing from TO gallons per hour for each 1000
cubic feet OF air per minute. In the new pro-
cess tine excess OF moisture Is removed by refriQ-
GRAFTON, and tests show that the product of iron
Is made more uniform, while the output is in
creased 20 per cent. for the same fuel.
Science now transforms radishes into pota-
toes Showing process of Pasteur NJ Moillard
cult1vates young radish in glass retort in
concentrated glucose, when the radish develops
much starch and and swells out. losing its pep
periness and acquiring the taste, consistency
ana nutrltive properties of the potato.
Two London investigators are seeking persons
Wnos "a the dark, can see colored rays from the
human 1ody and flashes from magnet. Prof.
SONS IN every 100 can see the latter.