Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1905-07-22
science
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One thousand five hundred and fifty
six tons of meat were destroyed in
London last year as unfit for food, ac-
eording to the report of the health Of
ficers. This, however, was only small
part of the meat consumed, which
reached 410,50O tons. The tables show
that % per cent of the total was
country killed." 3.6 per cent town
killed and ia per cent either Ameri-
can or colonial meat, frozen.
A quite extraordinary combination of
merits is claimed In France for a new
explosive, which consists of a mix
ture of powdered aluminium and
nitrate of ammonium. 1t Is not liable
to spontaneous decomposition, cannot
be prematurely exploded by shock or
friction, burns only with difficulty, is
not affected by frost or dampness, and
the gases from its explosion are harm
less. 1t can be exploded readily by
an ordinary detonator.
Twenty years ago the average yield
Of wheat for California and the San
Joaquin valley was forty bushels to
the acre. Now yield of twenty Dush-
els Is considered an exceptionally good
crop. The millers of the State COM
plain Of a marked deterioration in the
quality of the wheat now grown. The
gluten content is becoming more
starchy. The land used for the produc-
ton Of wheat has been used for the
same crop since Americans have been
in California.
English miners are interested in a
new compressed-air coal cutter recently
introduced by a Sheffield firm. The ma
chine weighs only $50 pounds. and 1t Is
said that it can be used in seams so
steep that the miner cannot stand up
right, and so thin that he has to crawl
on hands and knees. A piston carry
ing pick, and governed by q valve
movement, flashes TO and fro with
great speed, the point of the pick being
gradually moved across the coal by
means of a lever so that continu
Gus cut is made.
Alumlnum-coated paper, made In
Germany for wrapping food SUD-
stances, is prepared by applying thin
coat of an alcoholic solution of resin
to artificial parchment, then sprinkling
aluminium powder over the surface,
and finally submitting to pressure The
artificial parchment paper is paper that
has been treated with sulphuric acid.
The aluminium paper is not attacked
by the air or by fats, is much cheaper
than tin-foil, and late analyses in Paris
Of this paper and of aluminium foil
showed but a small proportion of for
eign matter and no arsenic or poison
Gus metal.
DR. A. charrin, a French sayant,
fed two groups Of guinea pigs on car
rots. One group took the vegetable
after 1t had been sterilized by boiling
and all germs thus destroyed; the other
after it had been sprinkled over with
dust or with the soil in which the
carrots had been grown. Of seven
teen subjects IN the first group twelve
died before those in the second and
the investigation showed that the to-
tai absence of germs in the sterilized
food impaired the digestion and low
cred the asslmilative power Of the ami
mails. Only five altogether were lost
of the group fed on the germ contain
ing food.
In recent address Prof. H. F. Os-
born gave some additional facts about
ancient American horses 1t appears
that in North America there were al
ways from four to six entirely differ
ent varieties of the horse family living
ing contemporaneously. Some were
slowmOving and relatively broad foot
ed horses. living in the forests; others
were very swift, having narrow feet
more resembling those of the deer, and
lived on the plains. Moreover, there
were American horses larger than the
huge Percherons of to-day, and others
smaller than the most dimlnutive Shet-
lands. Strangely enough. the grea test
beauty and variety In the development
Of the horse family were exhibited here
just before the total extinction Of
horses on the American continent. a
catastrophe which still offers an I'M
solved problem for investigation