Amador ledger., 1910-10-14

Iron for Platinum Concrete Casting
in Rotary Molds Reversible Tur-
bines The Myth OF the Argonaut' S
"Sail."
The old idea that life may have been
spread from world to world by dust
particles traversing space is being
again discussed Prof Svante Arrhe-
MUS, the Swedish physicist, finds that
spontaneous generation is probably no
longer possible on the earth, but con-
ceives that it may take place on some
globe having more favorable physical
and chemical conditions. From that
globe lite may be scattered to other,
habitable bodies on particles driven by
the pressure Of light. In recent ex-
periments with bacteria, half OF the
dried organisms perished within three
days at ordinary temperatures, but
others showed no impairment of
vitality after four months at the tenn
perature of liquid air, and it was con-
cluded that the cold of space might so
diminish vital activity that life may be
sustained for millions of years. An
objection to this theory, by M. Paul
Becquerel is that the ultra violet rays
from incandescent stars are constantly
sterilizing space. Even extreme dry
ness and cold cannot greatly lengthen
resistance to these rays, and spores
exposed in a vacuum to ultraviolet
rays under conditions of extreme cold
were destroyed within a few hours.
An injection of cement was the
novel method lately adopted to make
strong and sorviceable two crumbling
stone railway bridges at Hamburg,
Germany. The archcs-51 feet in
span--were cracked in all directions,
and small holes were bored partly
through the masonry at the sides of
the cracks, and thin cement mortar
was forced in at pressure of five at
mospheres. When this had hardened,
the stone work was found to be
thoroughly consolidated.
The rapid increase in mortality from
anaesthetics is giving much concern in
England where there were 5 such
deaths in 1866, over 100 in l900 not
less than 155 in 1905, and 235 in 1909.
The experience in the United States is
probably quite as startling. More
than half Of the deaths seem to be due
to chloroform and the deathrate IS
doubtless much increased by the free
use of anaesthetics by unqualified per
sons.
The government radium baths at
Joachimstal have been pronounced
highly successful by the Department
of Commerce at Vienna. OF 209
patients treated with radioactive baths
and drinking water at the expert
mental establishment, 1863 derived
benefit and only 40 were unaffected,
marked improvement being shown in
cases of rheumatism, uric acid poison
ing, nervousness, neuralgia and cer-
tain skin diseases, while there was no
effect on wasting disease and diseases
of brain and spinal column. The re-
suits compared very favorably with
those from electricity, mud baths,
massage, etc. The action of radio
activity varies with the strength, and
up to a certain point stimulates the
cells, while at higher degree ii
paralyzes and dlsintegrates. Much
further experiment is necessary to de-
termine just how to get the best re-
suits.
A substitute for platinum in electro
light bulbs is much to be desired.
This metal is very rare and costly, and
even the minute pieces used in the sc
million electric lamps manufactured
early have total value of more thar
$500, 900. The proposition to use iror
wire in its place has now been made,
by DIR. H. j. S. San1 of nottingham
University College. Hitherto only
platinum wire has been satisfactorily
sealed into the basis of the bulbs on &
commercial scale, but DR.. Sand claims
method of sealing iron wire vacuum
tight into glass, and has made a sue
cessful demonstration of his process
The cost of iron for the lamp bulbs
if used in the place of platinum
would be very small.
! Concrete tubes, posts, etc. are pro
duced by centrifugal action at
factory in Saxony. A steel skeleton
may be used to give strength to tn,