Scientific and Useful.

Clutha Leader, Volume III, Issue 139, 9 March 1877, Page 7

Scientific and Useful.

Tbe new process of toughening glass has been greatly improved,' and uibreakable lamp chimneys, tumblers, ■tc., of glass are now offered in commeroia 1 quantities.

An American paper states that a joint stock company has recently been formed in Detroit, for the purpose of tanning leather in one hour. The process is stated to be a chemical one, performed by the action, of, certain : inexpensivs materials, the compounding of which in the, fight proportions is a secret. It is claimed that robes tanned with the hair on are as soft as the 'finest avoo! ; hides of the deer, horse, dog, (fee, are smooth and soft, Avhile calf and kid show the texture and grain Avhich good shoemakers most admire. No bark is required, except a little to give the proper colour to leather. It is asserted that the company are turning out from 2000 to 3000 hides per month. Hoav the article is wearing we haye not been able to ascertain, but shall watch the result with interest.

A man named Hurst, who has spent a considerable portion of his life among the wilds of Queensland, is believed to have discovered an effectual specific for snake-bite. Experiments with his antidote have recently been made in the Melbourne Gaol, under competent medical supervision- and the result so far has been satisfactory. The antidote was applied to a dog into which snake poison had previously been injected, and the aniaial immediately recovered. It was then mixed with the snake virus and injected into. another dog without producing any bad effect. In a third case, in which it was applied immediately after the snake poison, the dog died. - From this it is thought that the specific should only be used after the poison has had time to act on the blood. Its effect seems to be that of one poison effectually counteracting or neutralising another.

Ventilation oi? Wells. — Dr Black offers the. following suggestions. Let down a bucketful of water and empty it on its reading the surface of the water. Gn pulling up the bucket, you will draw up a bucketful of carbonic acid or foul air ; and this may be repeated twenty or thirty times, or more, until it is found by the ordinary practical test that an ignited candle is not extinguished until it reaches the water. When this end is attained, descent into the well is safe — but not previously. Gr the bucket might be lowered empty, and then filled with water from the well and immediately emptied, when it will be filled with carbonic acid, which may be raised, bucket afrer bucket, as before. Another correspondent writes : " Twice in my life time I have had occasion to have wells oa my premises cleared out, and in fifeen minufes this was done at each well by throwing down large sheets of paper in full blaze of fire. The foul air rushes out ih a perfect volume of wind in a quarter of an hour. I went down a well of from thirty to fifty feet deep, after tr mg the usual candle."

Crossed Chequks. — The last Act of the session Avas to amend the law relating to " crossed cheques ." Tt is now in operation, repealing two former Acts, and declaring the law on the subject. There are general and special crossings. A "general crossing" means where a cheque bears across its face an addition of the words " and company,", or an abbreviation thereof)' between two parallel transverse lines, or two parallel transverse lines simply, and with or without the words ."■ Not. negotiable," A " special crossing" is Avhere the name of a banker is put. The public are now informed "that -where a cheque is uncrossed a lawful holder ma y cross it

generally or specially. Where a cheque is crossed generally, a lawful holder niay cross it specially. Where a cheque is crossed generally or specially, a lawful holder may add the words ' Not negotiable.' Where a cheque is crossed specially, the banker to whom it is crossed may again cross it to another banker, bis agent, for collection.'' A crossing authorised by this Act is to be deemed a material part of "die cheque, and it is not lawful for any person to obliterate, or, except as authorised by the Act, to add to or alter tha crossing.

Successful Treatment of Scahlet Fever, — It is Worthy of mention (says the Geelong Advertiser) that, although there have been twenty-six severe attacks of scarlet fever in the industrial schools during the past, few months, not a fatal case has occurred. The treatment persued by Dr Muckin has been very simple. The bodies of the patients has been well rubbed over with lard, emetics administered, castor oil in c ses where diarrhoea supervened, very little salts;, and a fair quantity of senna Avhere it has not. Regular diet is doubtless one of the causes of this immunity, from death. ' This has so strengthened the constitutions of the invalids previous to being struck down by the epidemic as fo enable them .to withstand its attacks. -Dr Mackin, however, attributes much of the success of his treatment to the Avant of emotion on the part of the children ; unlike many. reared at "borne there 'is an absence of excitement about them when taken- ill that is 'particularly noticeable. To use the doctor's own words, " When taken ill they lie like Jogs of wood, patiently take their medicine, and never get into a state of excitement ;" this, in all probability, assists the medical treatment,