ASK THE WITCH DOCTOR

Auckland Star, Volume LIX, Issue 255, 27 October 1928, Page 2 (Supplement)

ASK THE WITCH DOCTOR

I Wonder wants to know: (a) Why does thunder kill chickens just berore they are hatched? (b) What causes a person's hair to split at the ends and what will cure it?—(a) The vibration caused by thunder kills the chickens, (b) A parasitic, disease la the cause or split hairs. The best way to treat it Is to keep the hair cut short jand dress it with paraffin. Pigeon Breeder asks: (a) What Is the Best carrier pigeon? (b) Where to obtain a book on pigeons.—(a) There is only one kind of carrier pigeon. (b> Nutshell series of caged birds Is the be9t book that I know of and any prominent stationer should supply it. Budding Scientist's queries are: (a) Is caustic soda poisonous when dissolved In ■water? (b) Is there any liquid which is ! colourless but not transparent?—(a) ir i any poison is diluted with water' it naturally becomes weaker in its effects, but never theless does not loose its poisonous qualities. .(b) No,

Herbs Inquires: (a) How glass Is made, (b) WHo invented paper.—(a) Glass Is made by melting: together sand, alakli, lead and other materials. (b) The Invention of paper dates back to the beginning or the Christian era. It was Invented by a Chinaman, whose name is not recorded. Census asks: (a) What is the population of the world? (b) What is the number of planets including- the world? —(a) The population or the world is 1.949,500,000. (b) This is really very hard to say Tor every time a more efficient telescope is built more planets are discovered. We do know, however, that more than a hundred million stars reveal themselves to us. Chatterbox would like a list of Ethel Turner's books. —This can be obtained from any large book store. Sunset Wings says: (a) In dictionaries we llnd that tile world "intrigue" means "to plot." How is it then that we frequently see in books that a person "was intrigued"? (b) Why do rowl's eyelids close from the bottom of the eye, instead of from the top as a human being's does? (a) Really speaking this is a misuse or the word; which; comes from the French word of. similar spelling meaning to be Interested in. (b) This Is merely a peculiarity of the bird.