SCIENCE, MECHANICAL INVENTIONS, ETC.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLII, Issue 12931, 29 July 1905, Page 4 (Supplement)

SCIENCE, MECHANICAL INVENTIONS, ETC.

' PROTECTIVE FOR SURGEONS." _ A RUBBER film glove, the feature of which is its antiseptic qualities, has been devined for surgeons. The idea consists of immersing the hands in .1 weak solution of guttapercha in benzine or acetone, or applying the solution to the skin of the patient. The purpose of the film is to seal tae surfaces of either the hand or skin with an insoluble, impervious, and practically, imperceptible pellicle, winch --will not allow the secretions of the skin to escape, and will not admit blood, pus, or secretions into the crevices of the skin, Such a protective measure for surgeons is preferable to working with rubber gloves, inasmuch as the sense of touch or pliability of the skin is not. impaired in- any way.

photography in colours. M Lippmann has submitted to the French' Academy of Sciences some new proofs which lie lias obtained by quite .1 simple process. The proofs men gUw, and"are positive by reflection and nCWtIV by transparency, each colour being ies l< " 1 by its complementary colour. M. i; lH ] maim photographed thus several ™l°ui?d. fipectrums, and- the results obtained are very satisfactory in this, sense that the colours are reproduced villi all their, in. tensity, M with great exactness * •MR. For bis experiments the scientist used plates prepared by himself, the sen aitive surface of which is made cltlie ,':. ot -elatine or of bichromated albumen, This surface, not being very sensitive,- Necessitates a. considerable time in. the exposure.If M. Lippmann succeeds w ob-aiumi, .ie4Ued colours by transparency ; ; - w; t have fulfilled one of tne desiderata <>t colour photography; which consists milling off a negative a number of posilne. proofs. ■

'* NEW INCANDESCENT LAMP. . . 1 .'A iieNv incandescent lamp, with • a _zn--conium filament', is announced from Ge - manv. Professor Wedding recently presented a lamp of this kind to the E.eetao-techni- . cal Society of Cologne. The Scientific Amei - can describes how the filament is obtained.. JOT** one pound of zirconium wi furnish 50,000 filaments. Under . regular Sin- "the zirconium filament, consumes I current of two watts per ■. candle-povei which' is less .than for the usual, carbon IdaIS The zirconium to* ll " 1^ present to rim with a-current ol of ,\QIU>, . "toe-of them can be . placed in - series..across i.:ie "| Ui^°"^ a ' circuit. , Another type uses 44 volU.and five lamps- are, connected upon .a fO n • < circuit, " Experiments which Luc, ■ made'with the lamp show .that , it lutb - life of 700, to 1000 hours. ; ; '■ . PEER, FARMER, AND SCIENTIST. Tall bi'e-boned, somewhat gaunt, with " .:coSess" face and sandy hair, Lor ' S' whose eldest son is just engaged to Lady ; Mary Clements, looks like an L. sexfarmer, which role he plays with Ihisi, ness-like seriousness what time ie puzzling " over new theories of atmos liei c variations. No one would tin.kthaUto individual who runs the .'shops in London is the same man that dis ■ covered argon. Yet such is thexase. ;o• ■ Raylei"h's announcement to the IU AV ; Association in 1894 of a new gas in he : air- was received with polite mcreduUy, :■ " maintained till his demonstrations of ; fact to the Royal Society in the followin o | i year won him, perhaps, the most , remarkable ovation a scientist lias had 111 model 1 times. . Lord Eayleigh - is,: of course, the , -•>--.*- Prime Minister's brother-in-law, and the i ' pastures* round : Terling House, the-todj.; place in Essex, are grazed by 11101 than a thousand cows. :. '- '' THE UPPER ATMOSPHERE. , With the disappearance of : mountain observatories, requiring residence in^ mcouvciv ■ ' "lent and even dangerous places, the nseal .. .balloons and similarapparatus fo the in i ' vestigation of .the upper strata of the at. / r ' . mosnhere is likely to become -more and more pSLi. In addition to other evident : * conveniences the records obtained by means ' of kites are less likely to be. vitiated-by .the : IcS of obstructions to the passage 0 ■ air, such as a mountain presents. A scheme is on root to found an observatory 011 Lake :■ Constance, specially devoted to inqug, into the condition of the uppei aminos phere.: which will be explored .by . means M; " kites,' carrying self-registering instruments,: raised ,to. great heights, and dependent of : ■ weather conditions, snipe on the,, i'q) ■ , expanse- of water, a: highspeed motor: Mt. : > - will ensure sufficient ascent at any time. One-of the most interesting results that •has been established, by. .means of simul- ■ taneous' kite ascents, is the . existence ,of a warm current, of w ll almost constantly between 1500 and 30 , ,; feet above the surface. : y : ■: 1 ' ' ' • MAN OF THE FUTURE. ' What the coming race is likely to be is : a subject upon which sonie Lke to speculate. Professor "J. W. : McGees re ' ■ ma L in the subject : of, the, future, are interesting.' "In the first will 'be white," he - says-, His average height and weight will be decidedly greatei. ; His.-.head will be larger, absolutely an re- " latively. His hands and - brants will be. -v ■ better co-ordinated,, and; therefoie,_ he will be a - better mechanism. His visional ■ be stronger, his sense of smell more acute and bis hearing and sense .of taste moie delicate. . On the .whole, - the man of the ' future will be stronger in relation-to^.staj ture and weight. Fish will be relative . ' more important as food. Oceans and lakes will be the main source of food supply'. Lands will be almost . entirely occupied lor. dwelling - and for horticultural and, intensive agriculture—that .is to say,_ agriculture . ' which is more intense in a given-space. r :.; Need of clothing will diminish. Control ol " temperature will be, met by other than : our v. present' retail methods. here will, be 110 ; serious exposure to cold.. . ( ; ADRENALIN. ; ' , . -It is said that Dr. Daldu has discovered how to prepare adrenalin from coal tai. Adrenalin is the active principle : of. the suprarenal glands whose-,isolation has made bloodless surgery possible. Dr. - Joki.clii Takamine, the Japanese chemist,, originally V, showed, the • world how to make adrenalin. : ; Over the . kidneys of men and animals are HV two . little glands, ' shaped like a cocked hat- and, in man, about as big as marbles. , Their function was long a mystery to . Physiologists. Even now it is not thoroughly understood. It has long been known, how.,.ever, that they had some effect on the en-dilation of the blood, and that their secretion is a powerful astringent. Physio- ; ; logists and chemists began ' experimenting : . with this secretion, In 1893 two European investigators discovered that it had a strong "effect in driving away blood from. living - surfaces to which it was applied. In its fresh state it was not of practical use. What science wanted was its active principle. Chemists worked at it for years, and finally, in 1901, Dr. Takamine succeed-. ed. ; It turned out to be one of the important discoveries in surgical chemistry. In the first place, adrenalin drives away the blood from any living tissue to which it. is applied. This makes it specially useful in delicate surgery, especially of the nose and throat. Formerly an operation -in - the nasal passages, for example, .was followed by a rush, of blood which hid his. work from the operator. Now the surface '. is treated with adrenalin, and it can be cut like' fresh meat; Adrenalin is used by oculists in relieving congestion of the,eye.Moreover, it is the most powerful heart stimulant known. Surgeons inject it into patients dying from-the shock of opera- '. tions. >It drives the blood ahead. it; giving the heart a quick squeeze, Which , will,sometimes start the engine going after it Las practically stopped. It is rather-a costly-drug, however, since the process ot manufacture from the glands of sheep is • (according to a New York science papei) long and delicate. A cheap mechanical process of manufacture would greatly extend its use. • .. , r • :■ • ' : ' . ;