Oct. 1, 1SGG.] 



HAEDWICKE'S S CIENCE- GO S S IP. 



237 



NOTES AND QUERIES. 



Self-tjea.ting Box-iron. — In last month's Notes 

 andQueries I observe that "M." inquires fora simple 

 apparatus " by which an iron may be quickly 

 heated" for drying plants, "independent of the 

 kitchen tire." There is such an apparatus to be 

 obtained from Mr. Kent, 199, High Holborn (price 

 65. 6d.), called the " Self-heating Box-iron," of 

 which it is said : " It may be heated at pleasure in 



Fig. 225. Self-heating Box-iron. 



three minutes without a fire, and will remain hot at 

 a nominal cost for any length of time." Without, 

 any explanation of its object and utility, its very 

 name must convey the idea that it possesses great 

 advantages. This will, perhaps, answer your corre- 

 spondent's purpose. — IF. Q. C. 



Fig. 226. Contrivance for Heating an Iron. 



Ironing Plants. — Enclosed is a drawing of an 

 instrument (fig. 226) made and used by myself for 

 ironing botanical specimens, which will meet the 

 travelling needs of your correspondent " M." The 

 size of the apparatus depends on the size of the iron 

 used, aud the best shape is that indicated on the 

 drawing. The footboard — 1 inch thick, made of 

 seasoned wood — should be rather longer, and 1 inch 

 wider than the iron. Two pieces of iron wire 

 £th inch thick should be beut twice at right angles, 

 so that the ends being firmly inserted into holes 

 I inch deep, near the corners of the board, the iron 

 may be supported 4 inches at least from the board. 

 A small trough, made all in one piece, of thin sheet 



iron, serves to hold some spirit or wood naphtha, — a 

 few trials sufficing to ascertain the quantity requisite 

 to heat the iron to the proper temperature. When 

 travelling, the wires are removed, and, with the 

 iron, laid flat on the board ; the trough (containing 

 a box; of matches) packs under the iron handle. The 

 whole is wrapped up iu a stout piece of canvas, 

 secured by a strap. The canvas, when properly 

 folded, serves as a protection to the hand trom the 

 hot iron. — J. B. Spencer. 



Trichinosis — A Suggestion. — The terrible out- 

 break of the trichinous disease last winter in the 

 towu of Hedersleben, in the Hartz, produced, as is 

 well known, a state of dreadful excitement amongst 

 the inhabitants of that and the neighbouring towns 

 — an excitement which extended to our own shores, 

 and indeed throughout Europe. The deadly nature 

 of the disease gave but too just a cause for the 

 alarm aud anxiety which prevailed. Death, after a 

 few days' illness, seized upon those persons who 

 had unwittingly partaken of the diseased pork ; and 

 a post-mortem disclosed the fact that their bodies 

 swarmed in every part with the parasitical trichinae. 

 The astonishing rapidity also with which these para- 

 sites were capable of propagation was incontestably 

 shown by the experiments of Professor Hertwig, 

 who gave small pieces of trichinous meat to young 

 and healthy pigs, and the effect was astounding. In 

 a few hours these pigs all became ill, one of them 

 died, and upon examination it was found that " not 

 thousands but millions of trichinae were present." 

 The terrible nature of the disease must plead my 

 excuse for venturing to give publicity to the follow- 

 ing suggestion, as perchance affording a subject- 

 matter for consideration to the medical practitioner, 

 in case it may not already have been tried. The 

 proposed remedy is Picric Acid, which, as my read- 

 ers may be aware, is formed by the mixture of car- 

 bolic acid with nitric acid — the carbolic acid being a 

 product of coal oil, obtained by distillation from 

 coal tar. Picric Acid is a beautiful substance, 

 crystallizing in light yellow plates, somewhat re- 

 sembling sliced topazes. It is frequently used by 

 brewers, as it gives the highly-prized bitter flavour 

 to their beer. It has also been tried medicinally as 

 a substitute for quinine, but it is now rarely thus 

 employed— its affinity for animal matter being so 

 great that it imparts a yellow hue to the skin of the 

 patient. This remarkable affinity for animal matter, 

 so powerfully possessed by Picric Acid, has led me 

 to think that it may possibly prove an ameliorative, 

 if not a specific, for the trichinous disease, inasmuch 

 as the trichinae have pre-eminently their seat in the 

 muscular tissue. — H. Wright, Thuxton Rectory, 

 Norfolk. 



"Where does the Kingfisher Boost? — As 

 regards this question, I may state that I had a lire 

 bird of this handsome species brought me some 

 time since by a fisherman, who at the same time 

 told me he caught it by hand, and knew of the 

 roosting-places of several others, viz., under a railway 

 bridge which crosses the bed of the river. Whether 

 this is their usual roosting-place or not I am unable 

 to say.— G. B. C. 



Nest of the Bullfinch. — I am inclined to agree 

 with " W. B." about the materials of which this 

 nest is composed. All that I have met with were 

 of small twigs, fibrous roots, grass, and sometimes 

 a few hairs, getting finer towards the completion of 

 the nests. I never noticed either moss or wool. — 

 H. M., Ipswich. 



