Panclastic: A New Explosive.

Waikato Times, Volume XXII, Issue 1800, 19 January 1884, Page 2 (Supplement)

Panclastic : A New Explosive.

Panci/AStic (break-all) is the cla&sical name given by E. Turpin, of Paris, to a new explosive that consists of carbon disulphide 'ttnd hyponitric acid, the latter made by heating acetate of lead. The mixture can bo exploded by fulminate of mercury or gunpowder. It will not explode by percussions alone, nor when heated to 200 degs. C. (392 degs. Fahr.). The most powerful effects are obtained from equal parts of each. The mixture burns, when not confined, a brilliant white light, and can be used for illumination (selenophanite, or moonshine). For this use it is better to keep the liquids seperate and feed them through capillary tubes to a dish that serves as a burner and which must be properly cooled. The illuminating power of the mixture is still further increased by dissolving some phosphorus in the disulphide (hcliophanitc, or sunshine. The new explosive is used to fill shells and torpedoes. IJeports concerning experiments made with it at Cherbourg indicate that its fearful force far exceeds that of dynamite. Hitherto most people have desisted from the use of liquid explosives on account of the difficulty of transporting and handling them, and it does not seem probable that the liquid

" panclastic," which is evidently a very dangerous liquid, is destined to compete successfully with, nitroglycerine explosives. — PoJytechnisches NotvMatt. [Although not so stated, it ia probable that the- light produced can be used, for photography, like the Sell lamp, in which nitric oxide and carbon disulphide were used. It is not safe enough for general uae. — Ed.] A Gekman doctor recommends bread made with sea water as a wonderful remedy against scrofula and disorders resulting from insufficient nomishnicnt. Sea water ought to stand twelve hours before being used for making dough, in order to free it from impurities. Bread made with it has no unpleasant taste. " Di:vd drtjnk" is described by savants of the Paris Biological Society to be a condition in which there is a propoition of one pait of alcohol to lso paits of blood in the circulation. Should the propoition ever come to be one paxt of alcohol to 100 o£ blood, death would ensue. Tins might happen, and in fact has happened repeatedly, where a very (argo quantity of alcoholic liquor is swallowed ut one time and quickly. In ordinary drinking consciousness is lost, and with it the power to drink moie, befoie the pioportion of alcohol in the chculation becomes fatal.

If we cannot carry water in a sieve, bcience has told us how wq may hod it in such a vessel. There are numerous ways in which this curious experiment may be performed. One of the simplest is tha following: If the open mouth of a glass bell-jar, of any diameter fiom ten to twenty inches, be closed by moans of a piece of coaise muslin and then depressed into a vessel of water, the water may bo chawn up into the bell-jar, by aspiiation tluough a tu'o3 attached to an orifice at the top. On being raised out of the water the jar will be found to retain its contents, the muslin meshes peiloiming the functions o(. capillary tubes. At each of the meshes there is a well-marked meniscus. A Bunsen burner may now be lighted and placed boneath the water, the temperature of which may b'j raised even to boiling without any of its contents escaping through the meshc. It will foil, however, if the boiling is too violent.