g
Inventions and Appliances
Health and Sanitation
home and farm magazine recttton
NEW HOTEL APPLIANCE.
IN the eenter of the lobby of a hotel
newly constructed at Woreester,
. Masa, s large electrically illumi
nated clock is embedded in the floor.
The clock is covered with a plate-glass
faee one inch thick and two feet in
diaractor. The numerals and minute
marks are etched in by sand-blasting
on the under side of the glass, which is
held in placo by strong bronze rings.
The face of the clock is lighted by elec
tric lamps, and in the evenings its
luminous countenance forms the most
striking feature in Ihe hotel.
The clock is a self-winder. Its hands
are driven by a Bpring-operated and bal-ance-wheel-controUed
train set in a re
cess in tho floor. This recess is formed
by a metal box 10 inches deep, which
is painted white inside. Eight inches
below each numeral on the glass face
is a ten-watt tungsten lamp placed
horizontally. The white finish of the
containing box reflects the light from
the twelve lamps evenly through the
dial.
A small motor operated by tbfee dry
cells at intervals of five minutes winds
the spring of the clock. These cells, it
is estimated, vail suffice for the work
ing of tho clock for one year before a
new battory must be installed. Thus,
costs of maintenance are little, while
the satisfaction which tho timepiece
brings to tho idle lobby lounger who
may watch the minutes flying at his
feet is large.
DIAMOND CAEGOES CARRIED BT
AEROPLANES.
THE use of aeroplanes for bringing
diamonds from the mines to the
coast is one of the features in the
big developments in aviation now be
ing planned for German Southwest
Africa. This country is a difficult and
dangerous one to traverse by land, not
only on account of the jungles and other
natural obstacles, but because of the
robber bands with which it is infested.
It is now necessary to Fend troops to
guard each shipment of diamonds, and
the aeroplanes, which will curry mail
as well as diamonds, will be a saving
both in time and money. In addition
to this service tho German government
is arranging to establish an aeroplane
service for scout work and other mili
tary duty in the interior, and with this
in view, aeroplanes are being shipped
to Africa and soldiers are being trained
in tho art of flying. An important part
of tho airmen's work will be the carry
ing of doctors about tho colony, and
with this mean's of transportation it
will be possible for doctors to reach,
within a few hours, remote villages
that it now takes several days to reach.
INVENTIONS DEMONSTRATED BY
MOTION PICTURES.
MOVIING FICTURE films havo re
cently been applied to tho demon
stration before tho patent courts
of the operation of complicated ma
chinery. From the fact that few jurors
aro mechanically trained men, the in
tricate relation of moving parts in an
invention is exceedingly difficult for
them to grasp, especially when only blue
prints or drawings are submitted. But
when the machine is seen in operation,
or a film depicting such operation is
shown, many obscure points aro cleared
up. Not long since, a motion-picture
film of an automatic shoe machine was
exhibited before a court, tho process of
manufacture from first to last being
fully covered, and an especially valu
able point mado that, where in a fac
tory the rapidity of operation was a
bar to a clear understanding of the
process, in the film the camera could be
slowed down at such places, and the pro
cess studied at leisure. Then again the
film, while clearly showing the metltod,
was free from the distraction of the
factory noise.
PECULIAR ACCIDENT FROM COM
MON CHEMICAL.
RECENTLY a serious fire was start
ed in a coat pocket of a man who
carelessly placed two chlorate-of-potash
tablets in tho pocket with a box
of safety matches. Brushing against
the side of the door, he pressed the
tablets against the coating on tho out
side of the match box, with the result
that an intense fire was started in his
coat pocket, and ho was severely
burned. Bed phosphorus is used in the
mannfaeture of safety matches and is
placed on the box, instead of on the
head of the match. The head of a
safety match contains chlorate of
potash, which, containing much oxygen,
flares up strongly when rubbed against
the phosphorus on the side of the box.
Thus tho careless practice of carrying
chlorate-of -potash tablets, commonly
supposed to bo entirely harmless, in the
same pocket with a "safety" box, may
result in serious injury.
A LIVE MINNOW IN A GLASS
TUBE FOB BAIT.
OF INTEREST to fishermen is a
novel contrivance recently patent
ed for using a single live minnow
for an entire day's fishing for muskel
lunge or bass. A strong, clear glass
tube is equipped with metallic rings,
to which are attached clusters of hooks,
and a loop wire. A live minnow is
placed within the tube, which is filled
with water, and the fishline is attached
to the wire loop. Upon casting the min
now into the water, the tube magni
fies the minnow and attracts tho large
fish. Fresh water is constantly ad
mitted into the tube, and the minnow
is not injured, mutilated nor hurt in
any way, no matter how many times it
is cast. Tho glass tube, filled with
water, is invisible the moment it is sub
merged. HOT-WEATHER ICE AFFORDS
SKATING IN SUMMER.
Jt GERMAN patent has been issued
J"l to a scientist of Berlin for a spe
cial salt composition which be
haves like ice under skates, sleighs and
skis. Demonstrated on a rink in Ber
lin, scarcely anyone of the numerous
visitors who ventured upon the smooth
surface was awaro of the fact that it
was salt and not ice upon which he was
enjoying himself. The composition of
the salt is at present a trade secret, but
thc"preparation is not affected by ordi
nary temperatures, and is melted and
poured into blocks, which are combined
so that any size smooth surface may
be obtnined. Under the action of skate
blades, the composition acts like ice,
and the feathery powder worn from
the surface is swept off like snow, and
can be used over and over again by
melting it.
BRIDGE IN HALVES.
UILDING a bridgo in halves, in
stead of in one operation, was the
method employed in constructing
the four track railway viaduct across
Gwynn s Falls, Baltimore. This scheme
was employed in order that thero might
be no interruption to traffic across the
street.
Tho first half of tho new bridge was
built alongside of an old structure, the
latter carrying the trains while the new
work was going on. When tho first
hnlf had been completed the old bridge
was demolished, and, while the second
half of the new structure was being
enctcd trains were running over the
other half. Tho viaduct is 580 feet
long and 6S feet wide. It is built en
tirely of concrete and has main arch
spans of 115 feet.
TRAPPING MOSQUITOES.
MOSQUITOES that light on the eeil
Itl ing may be easily destroyed with
an instrument consisting of a
cover, such as used on jelly glasses,
nailed to the end of an old broom
handle. A little kerosene oil is placed
in the cover and tho device is passed
closely beneath the location of the mos
quitoes. They will be overcome by the
fumes and drop into the fluid as soon
as it comes under them.
MIRRORS ON CARS.
In Berlin, Oormany, mirrors have
been attached to the sides of cars at tho
hoight of a passenger's head when
standing on the lower step. It is hoped
by this means to reduce the number of
accidents to passengers through being
run down by on-coining traffic
THE DAILY BATH.
THERE is a no more efficient agency
for health than a daily bath. It
may be hot or cold as circumstances
seem to warrant The Japanese are
sticklers for the hot bath, so hot that
a person will almost seem to be boiled,
and they . are a healthy people. Snch
a bath is usually taken at night. The
English people and others are more ad
dicted to the cold bath taken in the
morning and they are a healthy people,
The methods of taking a cold bath
would naturally differ according to the
sensitiveness of the person. While one
may jump into a river or a bathing
tank and take a long swim and feel
refreshed by it, another cannot stand
it, but would require that the water be
warmed sufficiently to prevent any
chill.
During the warm weather of sum
mcr if a person can take a cold bath
in the morning he will undoubtedly
find it a tonic. If to get into the bath
tub seems too severe, a sponge bath
can be substituted, or it can bo taken
with a wet towel, the body being thor
oughly sponged and immediately wiped
dry and vigorously so as to promote the
circulation of blood in the skin. Such
a bath excites the internal organs to a
reaction against the cold, therefore m
creasing their activity and causing
them to throw off any effete matter
within their jurisdiction. Thus the
lungs will give off an increased amount
of carbonic acid gas and the kidneys an
increased amount of urea.
The warm bath is particularly service
able at night time after a hard day's
work, for it promotes the removal from
the tissues of the waste products that
have accumulated during the period of
activity whose presence in the muscles
is the cause of the feeling of weari
ness. Fifteen or twenty minutes in a
hot bath will remove the ache from
the muscles and substitute a feeling of
quietness conducive to sleep. : If very
hot it excites the heart and causes a
more copious flow of blood through it,
and it should, therefore, be followed by
a spray or douche of tepid water to
reduce that condition, nor should it ex
ceed twenty minutes because of the
weakening efect it would have by over
stimulating the heart and the blood
vessels and brain.
JUSTIFIABLE SLAUGHTER.
IF THERE arc any rats around yonr
house, kill them. If your fields are
overrun with squirrels( kill them.
No one need hesitate over such cold
blooded treatment. These animals are
not necessary for health, although the
rat is a scavenger. It is better to keep
the dirt and filth cleaned np about the
place than to permits rats to do it.
Roth rats and squirrels, under proper
conditions, are disease breeders. The
appearance of the plague in New Or
leans has been traced to the fleas that
infest the rats. The same result fol
lowed the investigations of "the appear
ance of the plague in San Francisco
somo years ago. The great plague in
London iu IGOj was produced in the
same way, and when the great London
fire occurred in IfifiO plague disappeared
and no cases occurred in the city until
1900, ' as the fire burned up all the
rats in the infected part of the city.
After the appearance of plague in San
Francisco quite extensive investigation
of the squirrels in the surrounding coun
try revealed that they were infested
with the same kind of plague fleas that
were found on the rats, and a cam
paign was inaugurated for their exter
mination.' As it is no use to try to ex
terminate the fleas, those nimble car
riers of disease, it is better and easier
to make a campaign against the rats
and squirrels. They have no friends to
mourn their departure, nor is there any
argument for their retention. Put these
two animalB on your list with the mos
quitoes and flics for extermination.
It is undoubtedly true that in the in
terior of the country them is little
danger ftom plague. It is generally
found in eoast cities, which probably
obtain it by the importation of rats
from other countries where the disease
prevails, such as Egypt, Africa and
Asia, where it has been known from
as early as the second eentury before
Christ. Tho fatal character of the dis
ease is proved by the fact that about
one ont of three of those afflicted by
it die. It makes its appearance about
five days after infection, and strong
men go down before it as rapidly as
do those of delicate health. Death or
recovery also occurs in from four to
five days. This virulence prevents peo
pie infected with the disease from
carrying it any distance.
SLEEP AND HEALTH.
YOU cannot burn the candle at both
ends and have it. You cannot go
without sleep and exhaust the
body every day with work and remain
healthy. The phenomenon of sleep is a'
vital necessity, as it has been demon
strated that animals die more quickly
if deprived of sleep than they do if
deprived of food. People, however, vary
much in top amount of sleep they re
quire for an apparent recuperation from
previous exhaustive exertion. Edison
gets along with about four hours of
sleep, and works practically all the rest
of his day with no apparent diminu
tion of energy. Other people, using far
less energy in their daily work, require
eight hours sleep in order to feel re
cuperated. Every person must, there
fore, becomo a rule unto himself and se
cure the sleep necessary for his daily
toil.
The canse of sleeplessness is evident
ly a nervous one, and hygienic measures
are believed to furnish the best cure,
although there are instances where
hypnotic treatment has been necessary.
The use of drugs is simply the estab
lishment of a habit. They may put yon
to sleep tonight, but you need them to
morrow night, and the system soon de
mands them. Every means outside of
the use of drugs should, therefore, be
taken to woo sleep, and drags taken
only when it seems necessary for the
actual preservation- of the health in
order to compel the nerves to let down.
Besides the formation of habit the use
of drugs has an injurious effect upon
the system. Some are difficult to digest,
while others produce kidney trouble ana.
others have a Had eftect on the heart
and breathing, and may be dangerous
to consumptives and people with weak
hearts.
FOOD VALUE OF NUTS.
HUTS are a most important food for
those who discard meat from the
dietary. Vegetarians may manage,
but fruitarians cannot get along with
out nuts. They are a highly concen
trated food, rich in oil, and should
therefore be taken with great modera
tion, especially in hot weather. In fact,
they are essentially a cold-weather
food, being stored up by the nut-eating
animals for use in the winter months.
Where, as is often the ease -among
civilized people, the teeth are defective
the nuts should be ground in a hand
mill, or made into a cream, or butter.
Ground nuts with fruit, or salad plants,
as lettuce or watercress, or "cold
slaw, ' ' make a complete and thorough-.
ly nourishing dietary, when properly
masticatfd. On an average, one pound
of nuts is equal in nourishment to two
and a half pounds of beefsteak.
J
INDIGESTION.
ONLY when hunger is present are
there juices in the stomach ready
to dispose of food that is eaten.
Otherwise, the food lies there mixed
with mucus, then slowly rots and fer
ments, causing the formation of gas,
that presses with great foree in all
directions, and sometimes makes a man
think he is going to die of heart dis
ease. Meantime, however, the ingestion
of this food into the stomach, giving
that overworked organ increased labor,
has for a short time caused a feeling
of false nervous energy that if mis
taken for renewed strength. .
THE ROAD TO HEALTH.
WHEN under perfect conditions of
right living, the road to health is
not level. It has its up and downs.
depending largely on atmospheric and
temperamental conditions. Like a moun
tain path, the ascent is not uniformly
steady, although there is always a
gradual gam or loss. Again, the vitality
is always higher in the morning, de
clining as the sun sinks, and the blood
becomes surcharged with fatigue stuffs.
"All odors and hero" is the Inflexible
nile nf charcoal. If the charcoal it made red
hot and thin cooled jeiora uiing its virtues
aro increased.