1828.] 
hot soils. A plan similar to this is actually 
adopted in China, but instead of fish (in this 
country sprats) night-soil is used with the 
lime ; the whole mass being made into cakes 
like bricks, is afterwards dried in the sun, 
and sent into the inland provinces for the 
use of the farmers. So universal is this 
practice 2t Pekin, that these cakes are said 
to form no inconsiderable portion of the 
circulating medium of that great city.— 
Quarierly Journal of Science. 
Damascus Steel.—From the observation 
of travellers, that the manufacture of Da- 
mascus blades was carried on only during 
the time when north winds occurred, a Rus- 
sian philosopher, M. Anozoff, made experi- 
ments on the hardening of steel instruments, 
by putting them, when heated, into a power- 
ful current of air, instead of quenching them 
in water. From the experiments already 
made, he expects ultimate success. He 
finds that for very sharp-edged instruments 
this method is much better than the ordinary 
one ; that the colder the air, and the more 
rapid its stream, the greater is the effect, 
which last varies with the thickness of the 
mass to be hardened. The method suc- 
ceeds well with case-hardened goods. 
Growth of Hair.—From the following 
circumstance, recorded in a medical journal, 
it would appear that a most redoubtable 
rival to the far-famed Macassar oil has been 
discovered in Germany. A man, between 
twenty and thirty years of age, of a strong 
and healthy constitution, having a short 
| curly, and coarse hair, of a dark brown 
colour, found himself becoming bald. Nu- 
__- merous and large bald spots appeared on the 
head, and gradually increased until it be- 
came perfctly bare; and as the eyelashes fell 
out, the man had quite a singular and dis- 
agreeable appearance. When the head was 
cloyely examined, a short white and scatter- 
Saaleicern; very similar to a slight degree of 
-mouldiness, was perceptible. At first it was 
_hoped that the hair would grow again; but 
the sequel proved the contrary. After two 
years, Dr. Radimacher advised him to pour 
_ French brandy upon sulphate of copper, and 
_ when it had remained a few days, to wash 
_ the bald parts once a-day with the solution. 
In eight days the hair had begun to grow, 
and in four months it equalled the original 
_ growth in quantity, but was of a lighter co- 
_ lour, crisp, dry, and stiff, and had not anatural 
A spot still remained bald on 
ie back of the head. The eye-brows and 
grew again, like the rest of the hair. 
_ year after this the man shed his hair 
in, but the eye-brows and lashes remain- 
ed. . Radimacher wished him now to 
wait awhile, to ascertain whether the hair 
would or would not grow again spontane- 
sly; but the patient would not, and had 
urse to the solution, which produced 
er growth of bland or light hair ; and 
¢ spot which had continued bald, notwith- 
nding the solution, became covered in 
mmon with the other -parts of the head. 
Varieties. 
427 
This growth had a much more natural ap- 
pearance than the former one. 
Temperature of the Planetary Space.— 
According to M. Fourier, the temperature 
of the space occupied by our planetary system 
is very nearly forty octogesimal degrees, or 
ninety degrees of Fahrenheit’s scale, colder 
than the temperature of freezing ice. 
Natural Phenomenon.—A substance was 
recently presented to the French Academy 
of Sciences, which had been forwarded to 
the government, as having fallen from the 
sky in Persia, at the commencement of this 
year. This species of celestial manna was 
found in such great quantities, that the 
earth for a considerable distance was en- 
tirely covered with it. In some places it 
was five or six inckes in depth. The cat- 
tle, and particularly the sheep, eagerly fed 
upon this singular production, which was 
also converted into bread for the support of 
the inhabitants. Such was the information 
which a Russian general, who had witnessed 
the phenomenon, communicated to the 
French consul in Persia. Upon examina- 
tion, this substance was found to be a sort 
of lichen, already described by botanists. 
These mosses, which appear to be found in 
very great abundance, must have been car- 
ried by the wind to the places where their 
sudden appearance was remarked. A simi- 
lar phenomenon was noticed in the same 
regions of Persia in the year 1824. 
Rectification of Spirits.—A patent has 
been recently obtained for an improved pro- 
cess of rectifying spirits, which deserves to 
be noticed. The material proposed to be 
employed is charcoal, which is to be re- 
charred immediately before using, and 
ground or bruised to a fine powder. This 
pulverised charcoal is to be introduced into 
the still in the proportion of about one gal- 
lon of the charcoal to four gallons of spirits. 
The application of fresh charred wood or 
charcoal to the spirits, in this way, will, it is 
said, totally destroy the empyreumatie fla- 
vour which the spirit may have contracted 
in the process of distillation. It is further 
proposed, in order to get rid of the essen- 
-tial oil in spirits, to mix water with it, and 
then to introduce the fresh charred charcoal 
-in the way described, which will perfectly 
purify it, and leave the spirit without any 
unpleasant flavour. Spirits rectified in this 
way will be found particularly desirable for 
preparing and mixing with cordials. 
Paper for Draughtsmen.—Reduce to a 
powder, and dissolve quickly in a glazed 
earthen vessel containing cold water, some 
gum-tragacanth, having been well worked 
_with a wooden spatula, to free it from lumps. 
There must be a sufficient quantity of water 
to give this diluted gum the consistence of 
jelly.. Paper, and some sorts of stuffs, upon 
which this composition is smoothly applied 
with a pencil or a brush, and dried before a 
gentle fire, will receive either water or oil 
colours. In using water colours, they must 
be mixed with a solution of the aboye gum, 
312 
