Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1908-05-02
THE MAGIC PAINTING
When the Room Was Darkened
the Cow Went to Sleep.
1T WAS A VERY SIMPLE TRICK
How the Transformation Was Effected
and How Some Other Seemingly
Wonderful Effects May Be Produced
bv the Aid of Chemicals.


and How Some Other Seemingly
Wonderful Effects May Be Produced
by the Aid of Chemicals.
The Chinese Emperor Tai Tsung pos
sessed among other treasures a picture
known as q magic painting 1t repre-
scented a pastoral scene with COW
standing In field and mountains be-
yond. When the picture was shown 10
strangers or guests and they admired
it, the emperor would say:
Yes. this is a remarkable painting.
The cow, as you see, is standing, but
If the room was darkened the COW
would think 1t night and would lie
down."
Then the emperor would order the
room to be darkened, and the COW
would be seen to be lying down, APP
parently asleep.
The picture was water color, over
which was painted in colorless phos-
phorescent paint similar picture rep
resenting the COW lying down. In the
light the standing animal was seen,
but at night or in a darkened room
only the phosphOrescent picture was
visible. SO the magic picture was, aft
err all, very simple trick.
4 Dresden chemist named Schade
discovered method Of initiating II
which can be accomplished as follows:
First paint In ordinary colors the
picture of the COW standing. Then
melt some Zanzibar copal over char
coal fire and dissolve fifteen parts or II
in sixty parts Of French oil Of turpen-
tine. Filter this and mix with twenty
five parts Of pure llnseed oil which mas
been previously heated and cooled
Now take forty parts of the varnish
so obtained and mix with six parts OF
prepared calcium carbonate, twelve
parts of prepared white zinc sulphide
and thirty-six parts of luminous cal
cium sulphide, all of which can be OBJ
tanned from any chemist.
This emulsion should be ground
very fine in a color mill. The result
will be white luminous paint, which
should be used to paint the COW lying
down.
Many seemingly wonderful tricks
can be performed with the use of
few simple chemicals. One of them IS
the ball of fire Take for this barium
sulphate (CP) one part, magnesium
carbonate (CP) one part, gum traga-
canth q. s. This should be mixed and
rolled into marbles and kept at a red
heat for about an hour, then allowed
to cool slowly and placed in q glass
stoppered bottle. A few hours before
using place in the sun, and the marbles
at once become luminous.
At the entertainment ordinary mar
bles are passed among the audience,
one or more of the luminous marbles
being concealed in the hand. The eI-
| hibitOr then takes a marble from some
one in the audience, holds it between
his thumb and forefnger, blows upon
1t and asks to have the lights turned
down AS this is done he substitutes
the luminous marble, and the mysteri-
Gus light is seen. This is handed
around and changes again as the light
is turned on, when the magician pre-
sents to the audience several Of the
ordinary marbles as souvenirs.
Another trick is very effective. Take
two similar punches of artificial flow
ers. Brush one over with glue or mu-
cilage and powder it with the dust
! from one of the marbles described.
Then place in the sun. When taken
into a darkened room, luminous flow
ers are seen. The magician exhibits
the flowers that have not been prepar-
ed and shows that there is nothing pc
culiar about them. Then as the light
Is turned down he substitutes the con-
cealed bunch, blows upon the flow
ers and, presto, displays to the as
tOnished observers a luminous bunch,
each flower Of which stands out as If
at white heat.
Luminous letters can be written and
exhibited In the dark to the wonder OF
the audience Luminous ink is made
by placing a piece Of phosphorus about
the size Of a pea in test tube with a
little olive oil. Place the tube in a
water bath until the oil becomes heat
ed and the phosphorus liquid. Shake
we'll and pour into bottle with a
glass stopper Admit air just previous
to using 1t, and the fluid will become
luminous tracery In the dark.
Water can be rendered luminous in
very simple manner. Dissolve a
small piece of phosphorus in ether for
several days in a glass stoppered bot
tie. In this place a lump of sugar,
then drop the sugar in water, which
will at once become luminous.
Luminous paints can be made any
color-green, yellow, violet or blue
and if applied to various objects make
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