6408. Varnish to Imitate Ground Glass

6408.     Varnish to Imitate Ground Glass. Dissolve 90 grains sandarac and 20 grains mastic in 2 ounces washed methylated ether, and add, in small quantities, sufficient benzine to make it dry with a suitable grain, too little making the varnish too transparent, and excess making it crapy. The quantity of benzine required depends upon its quality, from 1/2 ounce to 11/2 ounces or even more; but the best results are got with a medium quality. It is important to use pure washed ether, free from spirit.

6409. Xylol, the New Remedy for Small-Pox

6409.     Xylol, the New Remedy for Small-Pox. Xylol, xylene, or ethyl-benzine, as it has been respectively called, is one of the hydrocarbons formed from coal-tar naphtha. It was first procured by Hugo Müller, but its nitro-compound had previously been discovered by Warren De la Rue, in 1856. Coal-tar naphtha is submitted to fractional distillation until the part which boils at 141° is separated ; this is submitted to the action of fuming sulphuric acid, which dissolves the xylol and leaves the other hydrocarbons. The xylol is then separated by distillation from this mixture. Xylol is said to have been used by Dr. Zuelzer, the Senior Physician at the Charité Hospital at Berlin, with great success in cases of small-pox. The theory of its action would appear to be that xylol is taken up by the blood, and acts as a disinfectant. Its boiling point is variously stated at 139° to 140°. The specimens examined by the writer generally commenced to boil at about 135°. The specific gravity was .866. It is said that the purity of xylol is of importance, but there is no very ready method for testing its purity. It should be soluble in fuming sulphuric acid, but it is not soluble in the ordinary sulphuric acid of the Pharmacopoeia. It has a faint odor something like benzole, and an aromatic taste. The doses are 3 to 5 drops for children ; 10 to 15 drops for adults, every hour to every 3 hours. It is quite harmless in reasonable doses. In Berlin it is given in capsules. As it is very insoluble, the best method of giving it would be in an emulsion of almonds. (Tichborne.)

6410. To Examine Wells or Chimneys

6410.    To Examine Wells or Chimneys. In case the bottom of a well needs examining, hold a mirror in such a position as to reflect the sun's rays in the water, so that anything floating on the surface can then be plainly seen. If the contents of the well are not turbid, the smallest object on the bottom can also be distinguished. In this way objects dropped in wells of 60 feet in depth, and which contained more than 20 feet of watei, have been traced and recovered. "When the objects are small, or a minute examination of the bottom is required, an opera-glass may be used. If the top of the well is not exposed to sunlight, a mirror may be placed outside, even at a great distance, to reflect the light over its top, where a second mirror may reflect it downward. Letting a lamp, candle, or lantern down gives by no means as successful a result, as the light is very weak compared with sunlight, and its glare, even when the eyes are shaded from its direct rays, prevents distinct vision. The method of employing two mirrors, one outside reflecting the solar rays in a room, and a second small mirror in its path to reflect these rays into a dark cavity, is employed by physicians, for the examination of cavities of the body; for instance, to explore the tympanum in the human ear, the throat, etc. To examine a straight chimney a piece of looking-glass is to be held, inclined at an angle of 45°, in the hole in the chimney wall, into which the stove-pipe is to go, or in the open fireplace. If the observer can see the light of the sky, he will also see the whole interior of the chimney, and any obstruction in the same. As most chimneys are straight, the top will be clearly visible.