Am.  Jour.  Pharm.  ) 
June  1, 1871.  J 
Varieties. 
277 
that  sharks  need  not  be  noticed  when  a  bather  may  have  deadly  water-snakes 
swimming  after  him. — Pharm.  Journ.,  Lond.,  April  1,  1871,  from  Nature. 
Test  for  Silver-Plating. — In  the  January  number  o[  Polytechnisches  Journal 
von  Dingier  is  a  simple  process  by  Professor  BoBttger  for  testing  the  genuine- 
ness of  silver-plating  on  metals,  which  may  be  of  value  to  many.  The  metallic 
surface  is  carefully  cleaned,  and  a  drop  of  a  cold  saturated  solution  of  bichro- 
mate of  potash  in  nitric  acid  is  placed  upon  it,  and  immediately  washed  oflF  with 
cold  water.  If  the  surface  is  silver,  a  blood-red  spot  of  chromate  of  silver  is 
formed,  whereas  on  German  silver  or  Britannia  metal  the  stain  is  brown  or 
black. — Pharm.  Journ.,  Lond.,  April  1,  1871,  from  Athenaeum. 
Vulcanized  Rubber  Sponge. — A  more  or  less  cellular  mass  has  been,  for  some 
time  past,  produced  from  rubber,  which  presents  the  combined  compactness 
and  elasticity  required  of  a  bath-sponge  in  such  a  degree  that  it  will  very  likely 
find  an  extensive  application  for  many  purposes  for  which  the  natural  sponge 
alone  has  hitherto  been  used.  All  that  can  be  learned  about  the  process, 
which  as  yet  has  been  kept  a  secret,  is,  that  the  rubber  is  repeatedly  vulcanized, 
taken  up  by  a  solvent,  and  poured  into  moulds.  The  color  of  this  sponge  is 
generally  dark  gray,  but  brown  ones  are  also  found.  Large  quantities  are  sold 
to  livery-stables,  where  they  are  used  to  clean  horses,  in  place  of  the  ordinary 
combs.  The  handle  consists  of  hard  rubber.  It  is  stated  that  they  take  the 
dust  more  completely  away,  that  no  hairs  are  detached  by  them,  and  that  they 
give  to  the  hair  a  finer  lustre.  Sponges  are  also  fabricated  for  cleaning  cloth, 
hats,  ribbons,  gloves,  mirrors,  windows,  etc.  These  sponges  are  preferable  to 
the  ordinary  ones,  being  free  from  sand,  and  capable,  by  reason  of  their  greater 
elasticity,  of  adapting  themselves  to  every  surface. —  Technologist,  May,  1871. 
New  Bleaching  Liquid. — A  new  substance  for  bleaching  wool  and  silk  accord- 
ing to  a  French  patent  of  Frezon — a  solution  of  common  salt  and  oxalic  acid — 
very  efiiciently  replaces  the  old  process  of  sulphuring.  This  mixture  answers 
well  for  silk  in  all  states,  and  also  for  raw,  spun,  or  woven  wool.  It  is  composed 
of  4  lbs.  oxalic  acid,  4  lbs.  common  salt,  and  200  quarts  of  water.  The  goods 
are  placed  therein  for  one  hour,  and  then  washed  in  the  river. —  Technologist, 
May,  1871,  from  Musterzeitung faer  Faerberei,  1870,  No.  13. 
Sandal-  Wood. — This  valuable  wood  was  formerly  obtained  by  the  East  India 
Company  in  large  quantities  from  the  Fejee  Islands.  As  many  as  seven  large 
Indiamen  have  been  known  to  be  lying  at  anchor  in  one  of  the  bays  at  once, 
waiting  for  cargoes  of  the  precious  wood.  The  trees  have  been  felled  with  such 
reckless  improvidence,  that,  on  the  shores  of  this  same  bay,  a  solitary  sapling, 
planted  by  a  missionary,  is  now  the  only  living  sandal-tree  for  many  miles 
around. —  Technologist,  May,  1871. 
Salt  in  Kentucky. — The  manufacture  of  salt  on  quite  an  extensive  scale  has 
been  commenced  at  Brandenburg,  Meade  County,  Ky.  Five  or  six  salt-wells 
near  that  place  have  been  running  for  several  years,  but  until  recently  they 
