NOTES ON SCIENCE MECHANICAL INVENTIONS, ETC

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXVII, Issue 8156, 18 January 1890, Page 4 (Supplement)

NOTES ON SCIENCE MECHANICAL INVENTIONS, ETC

TYPE-SETTING MACHINE. Among the many labour-saving devices invented during the past year the Printing Times mentions a new and simple type-set-ting machine, patented recently by Colonel G. D v Rogers, of Minneapolis. Unlike the other type-setting machines on the market, the one patented by Colonel Rogers does not require any special casting of the types to be used with it. An ordinary font of type, from brilliant to pica, can be used. The machine is simple in construction, and takes up little more room than an ordinary type-writer. Around the revolving disc the different characters of the alphabet are arranged in " stacks," or one above the other. The keyboard by which the thing is worked looks very much like the keyboard of a type-writer. When the key is pressed the letter controlled by it is slid by an ingenious contrivance into a " stick " in the centre of the revolving disc. When the stick is filled the pressure of another key slides it along a galley and the work goes on. The machine is said to be capable of very fast manipulation, the limit depending entirely on the skill of the operator. The cost of constructing one of these machines is about 100 dollars. THE ERECTNESS OP MAN AS COMPARED WITH APES. Professor Cunningham, in speaking recently before the British Association on "The Proportion of Bone to Cartilago in the Lumbar Section of the Vertebral Column in the Apes and in Different Races of Men," said he desired to point out somo modifications which showed the result of the erect posture of man, and in looking at the vertical column, because it was in it that he especially looked for these modifications, there was no part in which they would expect to find such modifications more marked than in the lumbar region—the region of the loins, because it was upon this a great part of the weight of the limbs and trunk fell. If they examined the bodies of the lumbar vertebras (which supported the weight of the trunk in man) in a number of animals, they found that in quadrupeds these bodies were long, narrow, and rod-like, placed one in front of the other, whereas in man they found that the bodies were short, broad, and disc-like, so as to widen the pillar of support. But tho point of interest in this was that tho gradations between those rod-like vertebrae and the disc-like body of vertebra? could be traced step by step as they passed up through tho apes. After considering these facts, he began to think it possible that similar distinctions might be denoted in some of tho lower races. PROCESS OP REMOVING VERMIN OR SCALES VKOM PLANTS. A novel process, by Edwin P. Fowler, of National city, California, consists in dislodging tho vermin by means of a sand blast. The object of the invention is to remove and eventually destroy vermin | which are liable to cause injury to vines or other plants of a similar nature, and also to remove growthssuch as those known by the term " scale" —which appear in the form of white protuberances formed of fibrous cotton-like matter and containing vermin, and which destroy yearly entire groves of lemon and orangu trees in Florida, South California, and other tropical States. In carrying out the invention, a fan blower of any suitable construction, or any other apparatus capable of creating an artificial current of air, is employed. The artificial current of air thus created is directed against the tree or other plant, and in its transit from the fan blower to the plant the current of air is charged with sand. Of course the force of the artificial air current must bo carefully gauged, so that the sand which is projected by the same against tiie trees or plants will not destroy the plants together with the vermin or scale, and the sand must bo sifted, so that no coarse particles or stones remain mixed with it. If the force of tho air current is properly limited, according to the nature of the plants under treatment, the scale or vermin can bo removed without injuring tho trees or plants. In some cases it is desirablo that the artificial current of air shall bo heated, anil for this purpose there is combined with the fan blower or other apparatus a suitable heater. It may also be desirable in certain contingencies that the sand which is used for charging the artificial air current shall bo hot, and for the purpose of heating the sand before introducing it into tho air current, any suitable heating apparatus may bo used. A TKIDMPH OK StIKOERY. A remarkable instance of surgical progress which occurred in the practice of Professor Von Borgmann, of Berlin, the other day is mentioned by tho London correspondent of the Manchester Guardian. The Professor had two patients who were simultaneously brought to him for operations, one requiring amputation of the thigh at the hip-joint, the other needing a portion of the humerus removed on account of tho bone being extensively diseased. The first operation to be done was the amputation, and immediately afterwards the surgeon proceeded to excise the diseased portion of Hie humerus. The result of this latter procedure was necessarily to make a gap in the bono ; but a piece of the thigh-bone was taken from the limb which had just been amputated and fixed in the gap, by which the continuity of the humerus was completely restored. Perfect union took place, and the patient recovered with a useful arm. MISCELLANEOUS. At tho Paris Exhibition tho firm of Holtzer showed a shell which pierced a steel plate 10 inches thick and landed entire without a Haw 800 yards, or nearly half a mile, distant from tho target. Only the point of the shell was slightly distorted. A contract lias been signed between the I Commune of Rome and the Anglo-Roman Gas Society for the illumination of Rome and the suburbs by electric light. One hundred and sixty-seven electric lights will take the place of 706 gaslights, at an increased expense of nearly 20,000 francs annually. Tho motive power will be derived from tho waterfalls at Tivoli, and the station for tho distribution of the power will bo near Porta Pia. A Scottish naturalist has been testing the speed of fishes. The dolphin swims at a rate of at least 20 miles an hour. Tho Spanish mackerel is one of the swiftest of swimmers among tho food-fishes, and its rato is even greater than that of the dolphin. But the predatory fishes, such as the dogfish and sharks, aro the fastest swimmers of all. The French aro still engaged (as they always will be) in the study of scientific warfaro. The latest inveutiomwhich is to bo as revolutionary as the miCratUouse was expected to be, is tho Smbstinution of a cartridge-caso for small-arma-ror tho brass shell now in vogue. This new cartridgecase, it is said, is consumed at tho moment of dischargo, and therefore disappears, so that no extracting is required. But will it jjotrtend to increase the heating of tho *SiOce ? ) !