Scientific.

Waikato Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2212, 11 September 1886, Page 2 (Supplement)

Scientific.

Aspaua«ink Solution for Elhotkotypixg. — Dr. George, F.R.S., the well-known authority on electro dospoition, has, Engineering says, discovered that an aqueous solution of asparagme is a good medium for plectrolyptic baths. The solution he used was not quite saturated, and consisted of about '88 gram of crystals of aspatagine dissolved in 18 cubic centimetres of disstilled water. It was feebly acid to the te3t paper, and | was employed at a temperature of about 70 degrees Cent. Some of the liquid was more or less saturated with different mettlaic oxide*, and the resulting; baths electrolyzed by currents from one to six cells of zinc and plantinum in dilute sulphuric acid. Good deposits ot cadmium were thus obtained ; '23 gram of hydrate oxide of cadmium dissolved in 20 cubic centimetres of the solution, using an anode of cadmium and a cathode of copper. Zinc was deposited from -'28 grain of zinc oxide in 2.3 cubic eentinie.tres of the solution. Magnesium in a film was also deposited from calcined magnesia with magnesium and* copper electrodes ; copper was obtained from eupric oxide with copper and platinum electrodes ; mercury from red inercurous oxide with platinum electrodes ; and silver from oxide of silver with a silver anode and platinum cathode In the latter casr, the deposit was good, the bath consisting of '32 gram of silver oxide in 29 cubic centimetres of asparagine solution. Pure Hydrogen".— Two French chemists, Messrs Hrmbeit and Henry, are *tated to have discovered a process for producing pure hydrogen at a cheap rate. In the first stage a stieam of vapour is decomposed over incandescent coke, hydrogen and carbon mocoxydc being evolved. A fresh quantity of vapour is brought iii contact with the carbon monoxyde, and the mixture is heated to the temperature of dissociation. A fur thcr production of hydiogon then takes place, and tlio carbou monoxyde is changed into carbon dioxydc, which it is easy to obsorb in lime water. It appears that, by the above method, 100 kilogrammes of coke yield 3200 cubic metres of hydrogen. The cost of the gas is said not to exceed a centime and a hilf per cubic metre, or about 30 cubic feet.— British Medical Journal. A Novel Ivvcntiow— An inventor, Mr R Marchant, has, says Truth, at last perfected an engine in which the steam is returned to the boiler, and, so to say, used over and over again. The Sd\ ing m coal thus to be effected is calculated at 80 per cent. Besides saving coal, however, this invention will upset a pet theory ot the engineering fraternity, who have always considered this problem as im possible as perpetual motion. A remarkable discharge of brine has been diseoveied in a ineadou at Marton, near Northwieh, England The brine shoots up about six feet, and fljvvs u ith grr at fon c