SCIENCE AND ART.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXII, Issue 7222, 10 January 1885, Page 4 (Supplement)

SCIENCE AND ART.

At a meeting of the New York Academy of Medicine, Dr. A. L. Ranney recommends the internal use of hot water in the treatment of nervous diseases. The theory of its action is that the nerves of the stomach are directly influenced by the introduction of heat into the empty organ, and that the accessory digestive organs are stimulated by it. The important proposal has been made before the German Medical Diet that the duty • be imposed on midwives of notifying the public authorities of the presence of eye inflammation (conjunctivits) in infants under : their care. It appears that a large proportion of blind people become bo through the ignorance or carelessness of these nurses. Captain Chetwynd, in hiß report to the Boyal Life-boat Society, expresses his opinion that no practical advantage is to be gained by the much-talked of use of oil in calming the troubled waves of the sea. He experimented with various oils, such as colza, linseed, fi«b and seal oil, paraffin, Ac. Be shows that the oily film had a certain influence on moderate breakers, but none whatever on the dangerous seas in which the society's boats ■re called upon to exercise their heroic calling. Another new explosive! This time its component parts are derived from common coaltar.- The product is stated to be a powerful and safe explosive for mining purposes, . or even firearms. It possesses the same density as gunpowder, and is very cheaply manufactured, the elements entering into its composition being saltpetre, chlorate of potash, . and ia stolid hydrocarbon, such as pitch or aaphaltum. The solid ingredients are powdered, and the mass is then treated with a - liquid . hydrocarbon, such as benzine or gasoline. In Prussia electric lighting has been in vogue in the Mechernich mines now for three yeahs. Hence, it was started when expectancy with regard to electricity was at the High water mark. Notwithstanding this, the three years' experience are said to have fully realised'expectation. There iB in the mine an.open working 2000 ft, long, 1000 ft. wide, and over 300 ft deep. In this working 300 men and 20 horses are continually occupied. This was the first part of the mine to be supplied with the electric light, small arc lamps being used. The miners appear to be delighted with the light. Dr. Aron has exhibited, at the meeting of the Berlin Electrical Society, various specimens of vegetable carbon, which were made conductors and rendered almost incombustible by energetio and prolonged heating in a vacuum or in a neutral atmosphere. These properties are so much like those of graphite • that the product may well be called artificial ■ graphite, although it is not crystalline. The experiments show that if, as has been : affirmed* the presence of hydrogen in graphite determines its combustibility, this can be true ; only of combined hydrogen, for carbon which • has been caloined and made incandescent in an atmosphere of hydrogen is no more • combustible than before. Austria has already beaten all other nations '.in the manufacture of flour, as the Hungarian process has demonstrated. . Now, : another ingenious apparatus has been brought out in that country for the drying of flour. It consists of five iron compartments, one above the other, with double partitions between the latter, communicating with each other by pipes. A rotating vertical axis passes through the machine, and gradually lifts the flour, by means of blades, to the highest division. Meanwhile, the different - compartments are heated by steam,' which ; enters at the bottom and cools as it ascends, varying between 35deg. and 70deg. The vapour from the flour is carried off by the pipes. This is quite right: we may as well have onr liquids and solids separate, , i .

, An electric ray was caught at Porthleven, Cornwall, England, recently, and was made "ifae subject of some interesting experiments. .i was a large specimen, weighing about 55 ♦ootids, and in length 3J feet. The caudal In was ten inches across. The capture was effected by means of a drag-end seine. The fish was kept alive by tying a long cord to the tail, allowing it to remain in deep water. Experiments were made to test the strength the galvanic stroke. A gentleman placed lit foot for an instant on the creature's back, mmediately » severe shook was transmitted. Others then experimented, and each received violent shock?. An electric bell was connected and was sounded distinctly, but: did continue long- 4in its mouth two fishes /ere found, a large bass, two feet long, and a -opger, two feet and a*half in length.