Scientific and Useful.

Western Star, Issue 910, 3 January 1885, Page 2 (Supplement)

Scientific and Useful.

A telegraphic and a telephonic message have at last been sent over the same wire at the same time by M. Van Bysselberghe of Belgium. ,1 The present theory of rod sunsets is that the earth is in the meteoric belt, and that the sun’s rays are refracted by meteoric substances at night and morning. It should be said this is, as the other was, what somebody thinks, and not what anybody knows. A German chemist nasi l obtained a new link between the vegetable and animal kingdoms in the shape of an animal gum closely resembling the plant gums in its physical and chemical properties. Erupp, the great gun maker, hus produced a hew kind of powder, called the brown powder, which is very likely to supersede the black powder. It is stronger than the black powder, explodes only in a tightly closed space, burns slowly in the open air, and its smoke is much thinner than that of black powder. There is an invention spoken of which it is thought may abolish the bit. It is called the carrago, or anti horse torture. It is composed of a steel band placed over the front bone of the horse’s nose, and to this appliance the lines are attached. The inventor claims for this substitute for the bit that it gives complete control to the driver over the horse without inflicting the least discomfort or torture on the animal itself. It has been tried wish satisfactory results. MKMBBANB 0F EGO- FOE SKIN GRAFTING. In a case of extensive burn unhealed > after six years. Dr Frank 0. Wilson, of Louisville, Ky., in Medical News, says, “ I made use of three different kinds of skin grafts—namely, from the skin of a young rabbit, from the human skin, and from the inner membrane of a perfectly fresh hen’s egg.’*' Of the three he much preferred the egg membrane as being much more readily obtained, and one egg will supply any number of grafts needed. A CAUTION.,. " , . The Lancet calls attention to the danger of leaving cholera patients for dead whilst they are still alive. Dr Canepa, a physician of Genoa, was attacked, by cholera and passed ropidly into, the algide sjtoge, his duly announced by .the practitioner ip at* tendinOe; The : last offices' werh performed, and his family were awaiting the Undertaker, when the ghastly > figure 1 of Dr Canepa appeared at the door of the room arrayed m burial vesture, complaining, in a feeble voice, of having been left so long without attendance (si* hours). Restoratives were immediately employed, but too late, and the cootor expired, a victim to a too hasty conclusion.

V j FOBOSITX OF WOOD. An unpainted wooden pail showed some of its .staves saturated and others nearly , dry. Experiments With wood of the same character—the encumber wood—showed tnat pieces sawed from the same board differed in their absorptive qualities as one end or the other was set in water, the trials appearing to suggest that when the wood was placed in water as it grew, butt down ward, the water was absorbed more rapidly than when the position was reversed. As a further test two pieces were taken : from the same board, i and both painted on the outside—both faces—but one had the top end also painted, and the other the bottom, or butt end, painted. The one with the Unpointed butt filled and sank, while the other floated. Perhaps differing results would have been obtained with differing woods. The fact of position affecting saturation seems to be recognised in the frequent custom of reversing fence posts from their nature I position and in the driving of piles. l; OBAB FISHING.ri ri - Crab fishing is an amusing but not always exciting sport. You simply row up into! some ’shallow cove oi bayofthe sea-coast, which has a muddy and grassy bottom, oast anchor, tie a good-sised bit of meat on a strong line, lower it to the bottom, and wait for a bite.- Wh on you perceive a tug at your line, pull it up gently until the crab is visible i you must not attempt to lift it out of the water by means of the line, for then the crab will quit its bold and escape, but with one hand: quietly but adroitly get the dip net under it, and with a dexterous sweep land it in the boat. Frequently two or. three crabs are : caught on the .'finest once. Should you chance to go crabbing with a party of ladies, be extremely careful that they do not overturn the basket of lively crabs about your feet, for if this happens, you wifi have your light skiff almost'or. .entirely upset by the ladies jumping up and standing 1 upon the seats, and you will get yoUr fingers pinched, perhaps uutil the blood comes, as you recklessly endeavour. to catch the crabs as they wildly scamper about the bottom of the boat. X have learned this fromexperience.— Scientific American. ' . j HGHTEOUBB XIttUMIWANTS.

The 'experiments on the relative efficiency o£ different luminauts for ffghthoußCiparposes Which are being- carried out by the Trinity Brethren, aided by the observations of the captains of the mail packets, the Peninsular and Oriental liners, pilot vessels 'of different nationalities usibg; the Channel, trading vessels i plying between;, England; and 'foreign ports, and by Beverfdlfwnoh drawers, have in some respects been completed. They supportthe obnolusioris' previously arrived at. * t ; do fer as has been ascertained -at presents there' saams to ba very little difference for all practical purposes between gas and paraffin: oil. The gasdight, if anything, is slightly superior •In fine weather, and the electric light is overwhelmiugly superiortb both the other : lights. The crucial test of the electric, light, however, iwili be in hasy weather, and it is stated that in some experiments which have already taken Jplace when the weather was , rather thick the light did riot hold its own against the. other luminantSi Important tests will take place during the autumn, 1 into which the experiments will be extended, when ha ay weather and a greater. variety in the conditions of the atmosphere may be expected. . Trie BARTH S ROTATION. ... I have often been asked what is the most striking and Convincing proof of the earth's rotatioh. «y answer hae always been—the earth’s revolution. The fact, that the earth revolves round the sun is founded on much stronger evidence than ahy We. have respecting the eazthV rotation, considered separately. If there is one fact in the whole range of science which has been more completely demonstrated than that of any other, it is that of the earth’s revolution. Now, accepting that fact, we are forced to accept with it the earth’s rotation, because it is obviously absurd to suppose that while the earth revolves in ah enormous Orbit around the sun once in every year, the whole lunar system, including the sun himself, revolves round the earth once in every day. Fortunately, however, there are many direct’evidences of the earth’s rotation, which, while not so striking as that founded on her revolution) are yet sufficiently convincing when rightly apprehended, These proofs are First, the diurnal motions of the heavens) secondly, the varying effects of gravity) thirdly, observed peculiarities in the motion oi a tree pendulum) fifthly, experiments with the gyroscope) sixthly, procession and nutation j and lastly, the rotation of the planets,—ifr Pmtofy in Knowledge* ;,