SCIENCE NOTES.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 365, 16 April 1910, Page 10

SCIENCE NOTES.

" GALVANIT."

Is your electro-plaied coffee pot showing signs of having been "new too soon?" Does your copper pot require its interior re-tinned? Does a piated dish cover begin to betray its base mental foundation? To these questions the answer in teach case must be "Galvanit it." Professor Sylrann Thompson, who is a scientist of world-wide fame, and a man not easily imposed upon, presided the othw day at a lecture and demonstration at tha Society of Arts, when a wonderful discovery which will enable anvons to re-metal almost anything at Jhom# was explained. The inventor is Mr. Augustus Rosenburg, and the invention is "Galvanit," a granular powder. Tha galvanit powder is sprinkled 'on a moistened sloth and applied in the manner of an ordinary metal polish upon the object to be treated. In a few seconds a film of any pure metal desired ia applied to the surface, and is indistinguishable from electro-plating. No preliminary cleaning is required, nor is the application of heat .necessary. Worn electro-plate can be renovated by a deposit of pura silver, dish covers and inside* of copper utensils may be re-tinned, taps may be re-nickJed and numerous Articles in daily use in the home may re-coated with their respective metals. The process also expedites the facing of teinc or copper process printing blocks with nickel, thus making them serviceable for printing with a useful range of /•eddish inks which usually eat into the metal. The three essential ingredienti of the galvanit powder are:— (1) Th« metal to be deposited, ' whioh can be either in pure or combined form. (2) A salt which is capable of producing aqueous electrolyte when 1 brought into contact with moisture.

f (3) A metal which is electro-posi- # tira with regard to the metal to be deposited.

As a commercial article galvanit will Vbe obtainable for depositing silver, tin, nickel and cadmium, and these preparations will plate any metal surface with the single exception of aluminium. Alu■ininium, however, can be plated when the ingredients of the mixture are in suitable proportions.

SLEEP AND BRAIN. Experiments regarding the brain and the mysteries of sleep recently made by the Michigan University are detailed by Professor Weally, who declares authoritatively that the investigations have destroyed many accepted theories. The accepted theory of sieep has been the lessening of the blood-pressure in the •brain. The experiments showed dircetij opposite conditions. By delicate and most careful measurements the following results were tabulated:—The «iz« or volume of the brain increases when the individual goes to sleep, and decreases when he awakens. On this point it was noted that in some cases the brain became smaller at first, and then increased as the sleep became deeper. Very striking was the evidence that th« 'size of the arterial pulse in the brain increases steadily with the increase in the volume—i.e., that the dilating of the trteries after each beat of the heart is more pronounced. This is particularly true when the subject is propped *p.. As the sleep passes off the brain volume decreases, Hit then the blood pressure increases. These results show that whatever sleep be caused by, it is not a lessening of the blood supply \to the brain, for there is no such lessening.

ANOTHER MEDICAL MARVEL. A remarkable case of a man who nas developed ail appearance of white marble in the skin of hij hands, feet, chest, •Mid face is puzzling the doctors at the Birmingham Hospital for Skin Diseases. Like the "brittle man" at the London Hospital, his case his so far defied the resources of medical science. The man, Morgan Field, a needle pointer, contracted a severe attack of pneumonia four years ago. which incapacitated him for six months. Shortly after his skin became marble white, devoid of expression. The natural lir.es of the skin hare been obliterated, the man is stony cold at the touch, and the skin has the appearance of that of a dead man. The «kin has become so tight around the joints that he is unable to bend them, and he can only partially open his mouth with difficulty. No case of this extraordinary severity has been seen before (it the hospital, which has been established for nearly forty years. The condition is thought to be due to an obstruction in the arteries, veins, or lymph vessels, dependent vpon some disturbance in the vaso-motor nervous centre. At present the man is being treated with a to improving his nutrition tikl increasing the blood circulation, and it is hoped that later on the treatment at the new Birmingham Electric Radium Institute, which is being built in connection with the hospital, will be the means of relieving this poor sufferer from his terrlMe affliction.