Amador ledger., 1910-06-03

luloid The Solar Systems Velocity
A recording Hospital Thermometer
Harmful Light Light.We ght Bricks
Growing Iron Mines-An Ancient
Art-An Electrical Ear-Tester.
The water-so oftening process of DR.. r.
Cans, of Berlin, claimed to have
solved the problem of cheaply and
eifectually treating the hardest waters,
consists in rapid fitering through a
composition called "permutit, " which
removes the calcium, manganese, iron
and magnesium compounds that render
water hard, as we'll as any microbes
that may be contained. If desired, the
permutit may be so compounded as to
leave the lime or the magnesium in the
water. One method of preparing the
material is ny smelling clay with car
Donate of sodium, and adding quartz
and tie resulting granuous soda -aumi-
mum silcate is capable of exchanging
its sodium not only for calcium and
magnesium, but even for metals. The
gold is seawater may actually be
separated out though it is not stated that
this can be done prohtably The cost Of
permutit is about 8 cents pound and
when a filter has become exhausted it
may be regenerated by the application of
common salt. Used in boilers, the
softened water not only causes no in
crustatiOn but is said to require less
coal in making steam.
Bv the new method of Dr.. Clement
Botrelle, a celluloid is obtained that is
not only uninflammable, but is claimed
to have the properties of the ordinary
material. Celluloid is an agglutination
of ntrocellulose fibers by camphor, and
the union is usually effected by a tenn
porary solvent of ether and alcohol. In
the improved process, silica is added to
the solution. The cellulose ibers be-
come agglutinated as usual, but they
are coated with thin film of silica on
the evaporation of the solvent.
Several attempts to determine the
velocity of tile Solar system in space
have been made. Taking the displace-
ment of AZ stars about the point toward
which the sun seems to be moving,
Prof. Stroobant, in the latest effort,
works out speed of 49, IS kilometers
second; and Is opposite stars give him
21.55 kilometers. Combining results,
he estimates our rate of travel at 1890
or about miles a second.
The new British clinical thermo-
meter. expected to be specially useful
in watching cases. of typhoid fever and
pneumonia keeps continuous record
of the bodys variations in temperature,
even to small fraction of degree. A
tlattened coil Of l-250 inch platinum
wire on thin strip of celuloid is in
suated by covering of celluloid film,
and has the ends connected to ordinary
copper electric light leads, a very sensi-
tive galvanometer and an electric record
er being Joined in the same circuit. The
change in the temperature of
the coil varies the current passed by
the galvanometer, giving an upward or
downward motion TO the linked pen
on the continuously revolving
paper cylinder of the recorder.
The instrument is enclosed in a cellu-
loid case, and is held in position in tie
armpit by bandage passing over the
opposite shoulder. To shield the ther
mometer from the influence of the at
mosphere, the arm itself may be bandged
to the side.
Considering the influence of light on
the eye, Dr. Stockhauscn has pointed
out to London engineers that an excess
may result i'll injury no matter what the
wave-lngth may be- The yellow green
are the rays most favorable for the
human eye. The heat of the red and
infra-red has given these reputation
for very harmful action on the retina.
but it does not appear that the effect is
really very serious under ordinary con-
ditions. Blue to deep violet and even
ordinary ultraviolet rays cannot be re-
garded as very injurious. The rays tC
be particularly avoided are the extreme
ultraviolet and these not are found ir
ordinary sunlight, and do not pas,
though glass, 1t is in the light o
quartz enclosed mercury vapor lamps
that such rays may reach the eye.