Year: 1878




Intervention OF clay and sand strata,
the former holding water, and the latter
permitting its free passage.


SELF WINDING CIooK.-An inventor
describes an automatic clock, in which
the winding machinery is operated by
the alternate expansion and contraction
of glycerine, or other suitable liquid.
A piston, on the surface of the glycerine,
is 30 connected with ratchet wheels and
toothed racks that motion in either di-
rection will wind up the weight. He
thinks that the contrivance will be es-
pecially valuable for self. re gistering me-
teorological instruments.


YELLOW GLASS FOR SPECTACLEs. -
Yellow glass gives greater rest to the
eyes than either blue or green, and OBJ
jects at distance can be seen more dis
tinctly with than without it. At rifle
practice the yellow glass was found to
take off all the glare of the light without
impeding vision, and allowed the men
to see the targets most distinctly. Vel
low glass cuts off chemical rays, and,
perhaps, on that account has a less in
furious effect on the eyes.


PROCURING FRESH WATER FROM SEA
WATER method of procuring fresh
water from sea water through the direct
action of the suns rays is among the
foreign inventions. The apparatus con-
sists of box of wood one inch thick,
about fourteen feet long, two feet wide,
and of an average depth of Six inches.
The upper part of the box is closed with
ordinary glass, which has an inclination
of an inch and half. At the lower
edge of the glass there is a semi-circular
channel, destined to receive the fresh
water which is condensed on the inte-
rior surface of the glass. The operation
is entirely simple. The salt water is let
into the box for about an inch in depth,
a1d is then exposed to the rays of the
sun. A very active evaporation then
begins, and it is found that square
metre of glass will condense daily the
amount of two gallons of pure water.
| A CHEAP TEnEPHoNE.-Pro Bar
rett, in recent lecture on the telephone,
gave (says Nature) recipe for making
cheap one. Take a wooden tooth
size of half-crown in the lid and the
bottom. Take disc of timed iron, such
as can be had from preserved meat tin,
and place it on the outside of the bottom
4 Of the box, and fix the cover on the
1ther side of it. Then take small bar
magnet, place on one end small cotton
or silk reel, and round the reel wind
some iron wire, leaving the ends loose.
Fix one end of the magnet near-as near
as possible without touching-to the
disc, and then one part of the telephone
is complete. A similar arrangement is
needed for the other end. The two are
connected by the wire, and with this
Professor Barrett says he has been able
10 converse at a distance of about 100
yards.


| ARTIFICIAL GEMS. What we popular
| ly call paste is technically known as
strass; this is also the French word for
the same substance Qrom M. Strass, its
reputed inventory. Paste, then, is a
material with which diamonds are i'm
itated, and by mixing up with it metallic
oxides of different kinds, cclors in great
variety are impaired to. the paste, by
which it serves as a representative OF the
various colored gems. Strass is prepared
from silica, potash, bUrax and oxide OF
lead, and sometimes arsenic. The cru
chile in which the materials are melted
claims particular attention, since, if the
substance of which it is formed confirms
metallic particles, color would be i'm
parted to the strass. Hard porcelain
and Hessian clay are the best materials
for this purpose When the crucibles
are supplied with the proper quantity of
ingredients, they are placed in porce-
lain furnace, where they are exposed to
a steady heat for twenty-four hours, and
then allowed to cool very slowly, SO that
kind of annealing goes on. By this
means is produced strass or paste
which, after passing through the hands
of the lapidary, who gives it the form
necessary for setting, presents us with
an imitation of the diamond.


Medical Hints.


How TO SOFTEN THE HANDs.-Take
equal portions of glycerine and alcohol
mix we'll before retiring at night wash
the hands in warm water and rub well
with the lotion.


HAIR Tonic Bay rum, one pint


alcohol, half pint castor oil, half an
ounce carbonate of ammonia, quar-
ter of an ounce tincture of cantharides
J half an ounce. Mix them well. This
mixture is said to promote the growth o
the hair, and prevent it from falling out
FREoKLE AND TAN RECIPE. - Foul
pounds of good hard soap; shave flint
and dissolve in ten quarts of boiling
, soft water; add one ounce of salts o


tartar, three ounces borax. Then tax
away from the fire and set to cool; thel
add one ounce of liquid ammonia, tw
ounces glycerine Ond ten drops of oil
, sassafras.


+ NEURALGIA AND RHEUMATISM. -
{ very simple relief for neuralgia is =
boil small handful of lobelia in half
/ pint of water till the strength is out
. the herb, then strain it off and add a tea
s spoonful of fine salt. Wiring cloths ou
: of the liquid as hot as possible, an
I, | s,,raad over the mart affected III act