The bodies of animals killed by electricity, rapidly undergo putrefaction, and the action of electricity upon the flesh of animals is also found to accelerate this process in a remarkable degree. The same effect has been observed in the bodies of persons destroyed by lightning. It is also a well-established fact, that the blood does not coagulate after death from this cause.
Transplanting Shrubs in full Growth.
Dig a narrow trench round the plant, leaving its roots in the middle in an isolated ball of earth; fill the trench with plaster of Paris, which will become hard in a few minutes, and form a case to the ball and plant, which may be lifted and removed any where at pleasure.—French Paper.
Freezing Mixture.
A cheap and powerful freezing mixture may be made by pulverizing Glauber's salts finely, and placing it level at the bottom of a glass vessel. Equal parts of sal ammoniac and nitre are then to be finely powdered, and mixed together, and subsequently added to the Glauber's salts, stirring the powders well together; after which adding water sufficient to dissolve the salts, a degree of cold will be produced, frequently below Zero of Fahrenheit. But Mr. Walker states, that nitrate of ammonia, phosphate of soda, and diluted nitric acid, will on the instant produce a reduction of temperature amounting to 80 degrees. It is desirable to reduce the temperature of the substances previously, if convenient, by placing the vessels in water, with nitre powder thrown in occasionally.
Microscopic Examination of the Blood.
By the aid of Tulley's achromatic microscope, and under highly magnifying powers, it has recently been discovered that the globules of the blood congeal into flat circular bodies, and arrange themselves in rows, one body being placed partly underneath another, and in like manner as a pile of similar coins, when thrown gently down, would be found to arrange themselves. This curious effect has been attributed to the vitality yet remaining in the blood, during the act of congealing. At any rate it is a most singular fact, for although we might naturally conceive that the flattened circular plates would place themselves in juxtaposition, yet we never could have supposed that they would have partly slipped underneath each other. In order to make this very curious experiment, it is necessary that the blood, as freshly drawn, be slightly and thinly smeared over the surface of a slip of crown, or window glass, and be covered with a very thin slip of Bohemian plate glass; and thus some slight inequalities in the thickness of the layer of blood between them will be produced, and which are necessary to succeed in producing the very curious appearances abovementioned.—Gilt's Repository.
To make the Liqueur Curaçoa.
Put into a large bottle, nearly filled with alcohol, at thirty-four degrees of Baumé (or thirty-six) the peels of six fine Portugal oranges, which are smooth skinned, and let them infuse for fifteen days. At the end of this time, put into a large stone or glass vessel, 11 ounces of brandy at eighteen degrees, 4-1/2 ounces of white sugar, and 4-1/2 ounces of river water. When the sugar is dissolved, add a sufficient quantity of the above infusion of orange peels, to give it a predominant flavour; and aromatise with 3 grammes of fine cinnamon, and as much mace, both well bruised. Lastly, throw into the liqueur 31 grammes (1 ounce) of Brazil wood, in powder. Leave the whole in infusion ten days, being stirred three or four times a day. At the end of this time taste the liqueur; and if it be too strong and sweet, add more water to it; if too weak, add alcohol, at 30 degrees; and if it be not sweet enough, put syrup to it. Give it colour with caramel when you would tinge it.—From the French.
Subterraneous Growth of Potatoes.