NEWS BY MAIL

Gisborne Times, Volume LXXIII, Issue 11829, 10 January 1933, Page 6

NEWS BY MAIL

ARTIFICIAL. HAIR: AND LUNGS

Dr Bruehinenko’s “artificial heart” goos from strength to strength, and now holds out an immediate hope of performing major cardiac operations on human beings (says a message from the correspondent of the “NcwsChronicle” at Moscow). Already more than a dozen dogs have had their hearts dissected (luring the last two years, but all survive in normal health. One operated on during four and a half minutes had its heart cut up and then 'sown, tip in seventeen different places by Professor Torebinski with tlie help of Dr Bruehincnko’s "artificial heart.” which consists of a perfectly balanced circulation pump connected with system after the heart lia s been disconnected. The special chemical substance injected prevents the blood from congealing during the preliminary operation, and afterward while the heart is being linked up again. This substance keeps the blood in perfect condition for many hours.

ROMANCE OF ZIP FASTENERS

A fastener that began as a 1 allure 40 years ago is now making large prof it's for a British firm (says Llio Sunday Express”.) It is the .lightning or Zip fastener. It was invented in 4893 by an Alsatian ; was improved to its present form by a Swede in 1915; became a failure; wu's bought in. 1919 by a British linn, and is now a success, millions of feel being sold every year. The patents were bought by Kynocli Ltd., of IViHon, near Birmingham but for three years only the 'smallest quantities were made. New applications were found, and demand grew, but for several years sales did not balance Clio money spout on investigation and machinery. Itv 1925 the business had grown, so much that the formation of a separate company. Lightning Fasteners • Ltd., became necessary. In 1928 an entirely now factory was built at AVitton. which includes ai development section to find improvements and new uses for tho fastener.

A MAN’S WORTH. A doctor stated recently that: a person weighing lOst. is composed, iu part, of ingredients worth at least ss. A 10st. man possesses iu his body iron enough lo make one mediumsized nail. He has fat enough to make up seven Lars of soap. He has carbon enough for 90,000 lead pencils. He lias pliospohorus sufficient to majvo 2,000 match-heads, enough magnesium for one dose of salts, limp which would serve to whitewash a chickencoop, and sulphur which would rid one dog of fleas. Except for the- interiors of our skulls, chests, and lower chests, we are principally made of bone and muscle. Our facial features are moved by more than 30 muscles, and eight muscles are set to work when we movo our jaws for eating. But the number of cells in our bodies is incredible. We are reputed to have 15,000,000 cells in our blood,, and 2,000,000,000 in our brains—more than 1,000,000,000,000 in all. There arc muscle cells and nerve celts —50 (different kinds, and all alive! Bub some ports of our bodies asc not alive, such as the watery liquid which is the home of our blood cells.