Amador ledger. (Jackson, Amador County, Calif.) 1875-19??, 1906-11-02

Earthenware. Peat Cement Con.
crete. "A RadInm Medical School,
A Hot Gas t'lame.-The Electric
"Honk."
Obesity has been subject of recent
study by French physicians, who find
that growing fat may be as much u
mark of disease as growing thin. The
shortness of breath and other troubles
OF the very fat are OF toxic character,
and usually Indicate that the normal
toxins of the body are imperfectly
oxidized and eliminated. In some
maladies accompanying obesity the
toxins are microbian, animals in
oculated with the bacilIi having gain
ed IN weight as much as 100 per cent.
Other poIsons, however, may be con-
cerned, the fat forming effects of
alcohol, arsenic and phosphorus being
we'll known, while Carnot has lately
increased weight with such substances
as lead, stryehnine and morphine. A
rabbit treated with a preparation of
lead more than doubled in weight in
six months.
A military result of the Japanese
lighting at Port Arthur, it is predict
ed, will be wide spread discarding
OF the bayenet for the hand grenade
or bomb. 4 modern London made
grenade is INCHES long by ia inches
in diameter, weighs a ponnd and a
quarter, is safely carried on a belt,
and can be thrown 80 or 40 yards by
an Is inch tail-rope. The decorator,
carried separately, is screwed into
the grenade just before throwing.
The charge is tonite, but any high
explosive can be used, and this gives
much greater effectiveness than that
of the oldtime gIenades.
Last winter's attendance at the ten
higher institutions tor technical
education in Germany was 10, 500, and
the many smaller trade schools had a
large number of students. While this
remarkable development of thorough
training has the effect of cheapening
scientific service, it is undoubtedly
the secret OF Germany's great in
dustrial progress.
The electron seems to be looked
upon by Prof. J. K. Rydberg, oil
Lund, Sweden, as the original form
of matter. His work ON the chemical
elements has convinced him that there
must be lighter substance than any
hitherto known, and he finds this by
assuming that the electron is an ele-
ment, with an atomic weight only a
fraction of that Of hydrogen. Ibis
new element-to be known as cleo
tron-ls not separate kind of
material. The evidence at hand sug-
gests that it makes up the metals,
and Is universal gas. or at least
forms an atmosphere throughout the
solar system. This new discovery or
theory is expected to explain magnetic
storms, northern lights, terrestrial
magnetism, and other mystify ing
phenomena.
A new earthenware or porcelain
differs from others in being tough as
we'll as hard, so that it can be bored,
sawed, planed and polished. 1t is
made by baking a paste of feldspar,
sand and lime; its specific gravity is
3.3; it has great hardness and du1a-
bility, resisting Gorroslop by acids
and tn, atmosphere, and it is a poor
conductor of heat and electricity.
Its yeliowisn white color can be
changed by adding metallic oxides as
desired. This cheap new material
seems to be suitable for many pur-
poses. but is specially recommended
for pipes for water, ga, chemicals,
etc.
Feat contains MUCH water, and in a
newly patented process 1T is pressed
with dry cement to form such mater
ials as pipes, building blocks, etc.
The water necessary for the hardening
of the cement is withdrawn from the
peat. This results in close union OF
the constituent parts, and the pro
duct is given great strength and re-
sistance to atmospheric action.
Inc biological radium laboratory
lately opened in Paris is lavishly
equipped. 1t has sections of physics,
chemistry, and experimental medi-
cine, pathology and bacte1 iology,
with a clinical department. Sugges-
tive results in the treatment of
disease have been already obtained.
A handy laboratory flame, giving an
intense heat and adaptable to many
uses, is obtained by q. Mecker, a
German, through an improvement of
the Bunsen burner for the ordinary
gas Jet. The new burner ensures
complete com Sustion by double row
of openings to admit the air. Above
this the pipe is widened, thus di-
diminishing the rate of escape of gas
and air, and producing a pretectIy
homogeneous mixture. The burner
tube has on its top a perforated
nickel cap dividing The opening into
small quadrants. This device breaks
up the large blue cone of the ordin.
airy Bunsen burner, and its place is
taken by the numerous small flames
from the oneninps in the caD which