ASK THE WITCH DOCTOR

Auckland Star, Volume LX, Issue 46, 23 February 1929, Page 2

ASK THE WITCH DOCTOR

Anxious asks if the words "cose," nieiininjj to make comfortable and "paly" meaning wanting colour, are to be found in any English dictionary?—l cannot find "cose'' in any dictionary, but "paly," according to the Oxford dictionary can he used in the way you suggest.

Thea wonders: (a) What is tho greatest land battle in British history? (b) What is the greatest sea battle in British history?—(a) I would say that the closing battles of the Great War are the greatest land battles in history, (b) Trafalgar was undoubtedly one of the most important sea fights, to be rivalled, perhaps, only by the Battle of Jutland in the Great War.

Naomi inquires: (a) When a person has written a book to whom would they take it in Auckland, (b) What is the price usually paid for a book. Does the author get anything on each book sold?—

fa) Take, it to an Auckland publishing linn, (b) Books are often paid for by royalty, in which case the writer gets a certain ,r»nuit of money on each book sold; however, a book can be paid for in a lump sum in which case no royalty is "iven.

Electro wonders: fa) How a steam turbine works, (b) Where in Auckland he could obtain books by Messrs. Percival Marshall and Co. on model making, model engineering and electricity—(a) The working of the turbine is easily understood. To an axle is attached a drum covered with buckets or bent blades. Jets of steam play rpon these blades and force them round, with the result that the axle is turned round also, (b) A series of books by Messrs. Percival Marshall and Co. are on sale at the leading stationers and cost 1/ each.

Gipsy wants to know: (a) What is cork made of? (h) Who makes up Fashion Plate Fanny and Us Fellers each week?—(a) Cork is made from the onto' 1 hark or the cork-oak tree, (b) Mr. <T. C. Baneks, an Australian cartoonist is the man who makes up the coloured covcr of " 'Star' Twinkles."

Ginge wants to know: (a) The cause of brown rot in nectarine and peach trees, (b) The cure for it?—(a) Brown rot is a fungus disease. It attacks most kinds of fruits in addition to nectarines and peaches, (b) Affected fruit should be picked from the trees as early as possible. Strong solution of lime sulphur applied during the spring before the buds burst will act as a preventive to' this disease.

Freckles asks: (a) What was the name of the ship which, when sinking, had its band play "Nearer, My Gad, to Thee"? (1)) When people get sunburnt, why do some go red- and others just brown?— (a) Although the newspaper report makes no mention of the band playing "Nearer, My God, to Thee," it is a belief held by many people that it was when the Titanic went down that this hymn was played, (b) Some skins contain more protective pigment than others and do not burn readily.

Puzzled wants to know: (a) What makes people dream? (b) Why is it when we dream we are falling, we never reach the bottom? —(a) People dream because some part of their brain is still active after the rest of it has sunk into unconsciousness, (b) Here you have made a wrong statement. Actually at the conclusion of a "falling" dream the sleeper does "hit the bottom," the "bump" causing the dreamer to awake. At times people asleep arch their backs upwards off the bed, and at such times the person is usually disturbed by a dream in which he seems to be falling through space. The cause is very easily explained. When the muscles relax the body slips back on to the bed and the brain is disturbed by the sensation of falling. The silght bump received when the body reaches the bed causes the sleeper to awake.