SCIENCE SIFTINGS.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXVI, Issue 138, 10 June 1905, Page 10

SCIENCE SIFTINGS.

DkUGGISTS' BOTTLES. Those huge bulbs of red and yellow and blue water, which are called show bottles, axe gradually ceasing to be a feature of the decoration of druggists' windows in England. In the past they were as necessary to every drug store as a red and white pole is'to a'tfarber's shop, but they hare not. as the pole has, a well-defined history: All that .druggists k-now; of themis that theyhave been always used as window ornaments. The brilliant liquids tha,t they contain are made cheaply and plainly of chemicals and water. Thus, a solution of copper and ammonia makes blue; bichromate of potash makes orange. Aniline dyes have of late been used in the chemicals' placa, but the liquids fade in a strong sunlight, and they have frequently to be renewed. The liquids coloured chemically, on the other hand, last well nigh for ever. A CURIOUS PROBLEM. A certain scientific man has recently bocn giving publicity to his views upon the question as to what would be likely to happen if a hole were bored right through the earth, and a stone was. dropped into it. The answer is extremely interesting. "The stone," says the scientist, "would fall with, increasing speed to the centre of the earth, where it would have attained a rate of nearly 300 miles a minute. Its momentum would carry it, at a constantly reducing speed/through the remaining half of its. journey, until, by the time it appeared at the antipodean end of the hole, it wouM have come to a standstill. It would then begin to drop again, and would perform exactly the same journey on its return to the starting-point. Thus it would continue to travel backwards and forwards from one end of the earth to the other, practically for ever." A STRANGE TONIC. A French physician believes liiniself to have discovered a new. tonic of marvellous properties. It is simply formic acid, the pungent, corrosive fluid which is secreted by ants, bees and wasps, and is the poison with which the latter sting. The medicinal use of this acid, in the form of an extract from red ants, is known, according to the "World's Work," in Turkey, Syria and Arabia, Dr. Garrigues called the attention of the medical world to the curative properties of this acid. Later Dr. Clement, of the Lyons hospitals, tried a series of experiments with formic acid on the muscular system, with surprising results. Dr. Hcuhard. of the French' Academy of Medicine, then made a careful study of the subject, and as a result of his experiences he is now a decided believer in the new treatment. He prescribes the new tonic in the form of formiate of soda*. The dose is three grammes in twentyfour hoxirs. REVIVING A FAMOUS VINE. The venerable vine at Hampton Court, which during the last few years dropped first to 600 and then to 50 bunches, is being given a new start. A new threequarter span house has been constructed, with tiers of hot-water pipes and latitudinal wire trellising to train the jjrowths two feet from the top glass, admitting a free circulation of air above the foliage and preventing scorching. It used to be said that the roots had trtivelled no one knew exactly how far, and therefore could not be fed to the best advantage. The house has now an internal border extending from one end to the other of loam enriched with bone and lime rubbish and other food materials conducive to root nourishment, and young fibrous roots have been encouraged to make a healthy though rather late start. Appearances are in favour of it renewing its old-time bearing capacity. The vine was planted in i.'"9 r and is believed to be the oldest but one, if not the oldest, in this country. Pliny writes of a vine that was 600 years old, but that was not subjected i»Ji»e same severe cultural treatment