Rensselaer Journal, Volume 11, Number 24, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 21 November 1901 — NOTES ON SCIENCE. [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

NOTES ON SCIENCE.

CURRENT NOTES OF DISCOVERY AND INVENTION. : Some Causes of Catarrh —A Shoe Sapporting Bracket for Use While Polishing—Ancient Chinese Fire Clocks — How the Eye Sees In Reading. SOME CAUSKS FOR CATARRH. By the rather indefinite term “catarrh” we mean to include certain common inflammations of the nose, throat and ear. The portion of the regions affected Is, in each case, the mucous membrane lining them. This protective covering of the interior of these structures is not only of the same in each, but it is also, by means of various connecting orifices, continuous. , This close union c?r connection results in a common association of disease affecting these various parts. It is a frequent experience for individuals to suffer with a cartarrh of the nose or throat in varying degree of severity for months or years, \yhen suddenly or gradually, a similar disease of the ears may be added, resulting in impairment of the hearing, tinnitus, or ringing in the ears, and less commonly pain in the same region. It may be said that the majority of cases of impairment of hearing developing after youth are due to the aggravated extension of a long-standing throat or nose trouble, which has gradually involved the ear by reason of the unfavorable effect upon the latter of the diseased condition in the adjacent structures, or by direct extension of the disease of the ear along the Eustachian tube —the tube-like orifice connecting the ear with the throat and nose. As to preventing the occurrence of this much-to-be-dreaded result, it is plain that this must,Tor the most part, consist in preventing aggravations of an already existing catarrh in the nose or throat. 1 «- Actual obstruction in either of these organs is only amenable to the surgical skill of the physician. On the other hand, much can be done by the individual himself when the catarrhal condition has not arrived at the stage of obstruction, and likewise to prevent recurrence of the attacks when the normal method of nasal breathing has been re-establisned.

Oil. ENGINES IN PALESTINE.

To what extent the utilitarian spirit is growing in what one is disposed to consider as the dream lands of the Far East is shown by the recently made statement that oil engines are now used in numbers in Palestine for pumping water from wells. The first attempt at introducing the engines there for that purpose is said to have been made about three years ago by a German firm, the engines being small ones of three or four horse power. At first lo one would try them, but finally the agent of the firm in question volunteered in one case to set dp an engine free of expense by way of ■experiment, and this little installation worked so well luat it quickly led to the placing of several orders for more. Since then about sixty oil engines have been set up in different places, practically all the plantation work, about two-thirds of the engines having come from Germany and the others from British makers, the British engines, it is said, growing in favor on account of their greater simplicity cf construction. This is an important point when it is considered that the engines are put in charge of native laborers during most of the time they are worked.

SIIOK SUPPORTING IIRACKET.

It is flext to impossible to hold a shoe in the hand and polish it properly, and it is about as impossible for some people to shine their shoes on their feet. So Henry L. Gardner of Massachusetts, has designed the shoesupporting bracket, which we show in tne picture, with the idea of affording a rigid holder which will allow the proper amount of force to be applied to the leather while the shoe is supported in a convenient pcsition. The

holder consists of a bracket for attachment to the wall at ihe right height, from which extends an arm ending in a triangular-shaped head to enter the toe of the shoe. To aid in fixing the shoe firmly on the arm a lever is pivoted in position to force the heel of the shoe backward, and a tongue resting in notches on the upper side of the arm holds the lever solidly against the inside of the heel. The s’bt in the bracket is slightly tapering at the sides to correspond with the end of the arm, allowing the latter to be lifted out when not In use. To place the Bhoe in position the brace is laid parallel to the arm and the shoe 'slipped ovfer the head, when a pull on the brace drives the head into the toe afid holds the shoe stationary for the •wqr£ of blacking. ANCIENT CHINESE PI RE CLOCKS. From a very early date fire was used srsstfKswss dwr by rasping and pounding it, and

thus obtained a sort of pulp of which they afterwards made cords and roda of various forms. For the use of rich persons, they employed woods of rarer species. These rods reached, when made of the more ordinary kinds of wood, two and three yards, and were about as thick as a goose quill. They were burned in front of the temples, and were used for carrying fire from one place to another. Such rods were often stuck into metallic vessels filled with ashes, the vertical position permitting an estimation of their combustion with the eye. Since these rods give no light in burning, they were only used for giving the hour in the house, which they at the same time perfumed. When the rods or cords had a certain length, they were twisted so as to form a spiral or conical figure, which widened out at every revolution and reached

two or three palms in diametpr. Their combustion then lasted several days, and sometimes even a month or more. They were suspended by the center and were ignited at the lower extremity. The fire then ascended slowly and insensibly in following all the spirals. Five marks made upon these spirals served to indicate the five parts of the night. This method of measuring time was, it is said, so exact that no error oUany moment was detected. It is curious, says "La Nature,” to compare this Chinese device with that employed in Europe in the middle ages. The duration pf lighted candles or tapers also served them to mark the time of night. These candles were graduated just as the Chinese graduated their rods or cords. The Chinese rods and cords spoken of above, while given the time, also served as alarms. When a Chinese wished to rise at night at a given hour, he suspended a small weight of metal very exactly at the place in the rod or cord which the fire was to reach at the hour specified. The moment,having arrived, the weight fell into a copper basin, and the noise of its fall was loud enough to awaken the sleeper. This method was as simple as it was economical, for a rod or a cord, the combustion of which lasted a day and night, cost but three farthings.

HOW THE EYE SEEff IN READING. By dose study of familiar things, surprising facts about them often come to light. Professor Dodge, of Wesleyan University, by a number of careful experiments, has made a strange discovery. He declares that to see, the eye must be motionless. Now that he has told us, it is easy to understand that this must be true. You cannot tr.ke pictures with a moving camera, and the eye is only a perpetual camera with self-renewing plates. The eye must stop motion while it takes a picture. In reading, therefore, the eye does not move along the lines regularly. It takes an impression, moves to a new position, takes another still view, then moves again. Thus the words are taken by groups. Perhaps, following Professor Dodge’s lead, some other clever experimenter will now tell us just how wide the lines of print should be for the easiest reading. Every one knows that very long or very short lines are tiring, so there must be a right length. When the proper medium is found, the chances are that we shall learn that the "old masters” of the printing art had chosen the best widtn for their pages. MAKING WATER BUILD DAMS. Many readers who do not follow the literature of engineering will be interested in the statement that one of the methods employed by American engineers in forming reservoir dams is to call in the services of a powerful jet of water, as in hydraulic mining. By directing such a jet against the upper slopes of a valley, the sand, soil and gravel scoured from the hillsides csn be carried by the force ot the stream to the site of the dam in the lower part of the valley. By suitable management the water not only conveys the materials, but consolidates them in position, dropping the larger stones at the sides and carrying the finer material to the center of the dam. PUTTING OUT FIRE IN SHIPS. A new method of extinguishing fires on board ship has recently been tested at Bremen. It consists In fitting pipes in every compartment of the vessel, communicating with the deck,, and acting as safety-valves through which smoke may ascend in case of fire, thus giving warning of danger, and making it possible to watch the progress of a fire in the hold without removing the hatches. The chief feature of the system 1b the use of carbonic acid gas, to be pumped through the pipes Into the hold until the fire is extinguished. Provision is made for introducing the gas under pressure among the cargo, so that it will penetrate tightly stowed cotton hales. London has adopted the American expression “goo-goo eyes,” but pronounces it “goo-gie eyes." Love is blind. That is why so many women marry men to reform them.— Chicago News.

DEVICE TO HOLD SHOES.

CHINESE FIRE CLOCK.