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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Clinton News Record, 1942-04-02, Page 6PAGE 6 Farmers Have a Unique w Means of Killing Rats The Pied Piper of Hamelin had nothing on the farmers of Massa- chusetts, for without pomp; ceremony Or one piped note of weird music they lure their rat pests to a watery doom. The ,trick is simple. Although it is traditionally the elephant who never forgets, once a rat finds out where to get a tasty meal he can find his way back time and again and he brings all the family with him including his uncles and his cousins and his aunts. So the rat -killing New England. farmers (maybe they do it out in Kansas and other places, too) just fill up some steel barrels to within one foot of the top with feed. They obligingly put a board up against the side of the barrel to make . it easy for the rats to get a square meal. There's no catch to this—yet. Soon the rats are so used to their handy barrel dinner that they scur- ry right up the plank and nose-dive in without a single look -before -you - leap. This training period takes only a few days and after that the feed is taken out and the" barrel is filled With water, with just a bit of float- ing mash on top as a blind. It -doesn't: take. a Pied Piper to figure out what happens: Rats dash tip to dine and remain to die by drowning. Women Should Use Care In Selecting a Mattress "How good is your mattress?" Women who buy a new coat every other year, a new dress every year, and trade in their autos frequent- ly, will be amazed to hear that the average housewife expects a mat- tress to last 16 years or more! And it's a proved fact that 44 per cent of all homemakers expect to use bed pillows for 25 years or longer! The mattress is another tricky household purchase because one is forced to buy it "sight unseen." However, all that has been said about buying a quality boxspring holds true about buying a quality mattress. If it is a hair, felt or other upholstered type of mattress, the tag affixed to new bedding in many states should tell the buyer consid- erable about it. As for example, that the material is all new. Every thrifty wise shopper knows by this time to ask the salesman to let her see the miniature mattress sample, cut away to expose an inside view of the construction. The salesman can point out the various layers, the stitching, evenness of material, etc., etc. Note the ticking, too, which . should be a woven damask, and not a sleazy covering with merely a printed design which will not wear so well. Giant Has Shoe Trouble Peter Maas, 24 -year-old farm youth Who stretches 7 feet and is pretty !sure he is the tallest man in Iowa, can do the. work of two men. But he wishes somethingcould be done about his shoes. Peter weighs 215 pounds. He wears a size 16 work shoe and a size 15 dress shoe. They usually last him only about a month because they are a special type usually made only for men suffering from gout. Consequently, they aren't heavy enough for farm work and are soon worn out. "I've triedto find an old-time shoemaker who might make heavier shoes but it seems all they do any more is repair shoes, notbuild them," Maas said. Maas is a bachelor with no imme- diate matrimonial prospects. He and his brother, who is only 6 feet 4 inches, and his father operate their 160 -acre farm. 9 Alcohol for Pain Using themselves as their own guinea pigs, Cornell investigators have found that a judicious mixture of alcohol and aspirin is the best painkiller, Dr. Harold Wolff, Cor- nell professor, told the American As- sociation of American Physicians meeting in Atlantic City. First the investigators established the threshold of pain, that is the point at which it becomes' a sense- . tion, and then they imbibed' about an ounce of 95 -grain alcohol. This treatment raised the pain threshold an average of about 45 per cent and the effect lasted two hours. The addition of a five -grain aspirin tablet, Dr. Wolff said, prolonged the pain tolerance to about four hours. A whisky, or alcohol and aspirin combination alternated with mor- phine, Dr. Wolff told his colleagues, is recommended by° the investiga- tors for use in of intractable pain from cancer and other similar conditions. Ersatz Often Better Ersatz has been made a sneer word by propagandists; but the sneers are nbt all. justified. Steel, when first discovered, was ersatz iron, but proved stronger than iron, Iron itself, indeed, was ersatz bronze to some of our remoter' an- cestors. Gasoline engines in their infancy were ersatz steam engines. And so on. Looking for a substi- tute for some staple, people have often run into something better than the original. Some plastics, for example, are better for certain purposes than the metals they are replacing. Concen- trated vitamin tablets are at least easier to take than a bushel of spin ach. Galaxies Have Tendency To Form Into Clusters An investigation which led to a new determination of the age of the cosmos was made recently by Dr. Eric Holmberg of the Lund observa- tory in Sweden, who is a guest re- search fellow. at Mt. Wilson, Los. Angeles. He' studied the distribu- tion in space of the 'outside galaxies, the individual' universes like the Milky Way. They are not uniform- ly distributed but seem to form themselves into several streams. Dr. Holmberg undertook to learn how long it would take for the galaxies to get into these configura- tions, starting from a random dis- tribution . through space. Galaxies appear to have a tendency to form into clusters, just as individual stars seem to gather in one area to form a galaxy or cluster. As far as the small assemblages ofclusters were concerned, their distribution was consistent with a theory that an assemblage was be- ing formed or that previous as- semblages were breaking up, but the larger streaming of universes en the .outer bounds of space in- dicated that the formation process was the more likely one, and the calculations were based on this. It was necessary to know that the magnitude of the forces that were operating between galaxies, and this required a determination of the average number of suns— that is, stars—in each galaxy. The figure arrived at by, Dr. Holmberg _ was 100,000,000,000. THE CLINTON NEWS -RECORD THURS., APRIL 2, 1942 n Genera] Squash Borer Difficult Insect to Discourage A year or so ago a writer in one.. of our prominent horticultural jour- nals recommended dipping corncobs in hot tar and, placing the cobs, when cool, around infested plants. A method used by old, experienced gardeners is to place shingles around the plants at night, the idea being that the insects gather under the boards, which can be lifted in the morning when the bugs are, still inactive. It is well to examine the underside of the leaves of infested plants, for on these shaded surfaces we usually find egg clusters. These must be rubbed off immediately. Cabbage worms will, in a short time, be arrivingin great numbers. White, hellebore applied freely over the surface of the leaves is effective in controlling these crawlers. 'Pyre- thrum, tobacco dust or even ordi- nary road dust, sprinkled into 'the plant, usually helps in eradicating these pests. One very large com- mercial grower said that he depend- ed entirely on road dust to keep his cabbage patch free from worms. The squash borer is a difficult in- sect to destroy or even to discour- age, the reason being that the grubs tunnel their way through the stem of the plant, preventing the normal flow of nourishment to the leaves. As, a result of the activities of the squash bug, the leaves gradually wither and die. Smoking Cause of Heart Disease? Answer, Yes, No Is smoking a cause of heart dis- ease? This perennial question ex- ercised a group of eminent doc- tors at the American Medical as- sociation meeting. The Journal of the A.M.A. printed their arguments. The doctors puffed clouds of argu- mentative smoke. Dr.. Frederick Arthur Willius of the Mayo Clinic presented a sta- tistical study comparing the health of several thousand smokers and non- smokers who had visited the clinic. Conclusions: (1) in 569 smokers be- tween the ages of 40 and 59, there was three times as much heart disease as in a similar number of non-smokers; (2) "beyond 60 years of age, no noteworthy differences were observed." Other doctors promptly pitched into these statements. Dr. Francis Daniel Murphy of Milwaukee: "White and Sharber in 1934 stated that the incidence of coronary heart disease is even high- er in non-smokers than in smok- ers . ." Dr. George Rudolph Herrmann of Galveston, Texas: 'We see only the few sick smokers and lose sight of the great number of smokers 'who have no symptoms to cause them to consult us . . . We are likely to be obsessed . . by our meager clin- ical experiences." Derivation of Bible Bible is the English form of the 'Greek biblia and means literally "little books." Nowbiblia itself derives from biblos, the word the Greeks had for the plant out of whose inner bark the Egyptians made what we call their writing paper—papyrus. It was on the papyrus that an- cient books were first written and so it was that biblos came to mean not only papyrus but book—any book—as well. Not quite two centuries after Christ, Christianity had made such headway that the compliation of the Old and New Testaments had come to be esteemed as the book or Bib- lia,.the Greek word which the Latins took over bodily and used asa sin- gularcolective noun, and from which directly we have the English word Bible. WHAT YOUR WAR• SAVINGS ' " STAMPS CAN ACCOMPLISH $5 will let"a soldier fight far you with 100 rounds of rifle amnnunitwn.. $10 will, stop a tank with one round of 18 or 25 -pounder shells. $20 •buys a cannonade of four 3.7 - `inch anti-aircraft shells. T75 will provide a 500-1b. bomb to drop over Berlin or Berchtesgaden. He Knows Road Anyway William C. Foster of Findlay, Ohl.,; traveled more than the distance around the globe to obtain his de- gree of bachelor of law. The son of Attorney Marion G. Foster, he passed the Ohio state bar examination recently. ' For three years, young Foster commuted between Findlay and Ada where Ohio Northern university is located. He estimated he covered some 27,000 miles through all kinds of weather without being late for class at any time. In fact, Foster said he knew just how many houses are located along the Dixie highway and route 69 be- tween the Findlay corporation limits and the Ada, border, so familiar he was with the route he traveled. "There are 40 on the light'. side and 25 on the left side," he recalled. Consume Billion Pounds Onions Anyone could earn the lasting gratitude of an Englishwoman to- day by giving her—of all things—a 'box of onions. She will appreciate our most humble vegetable snore than candy. The onion shortage in England has been acute for months, and at a recent charity party •in London, a basket containing a dozen large onions, tied with a bright rib- bon, was auctioned off for $20. ' Europeans are not the first to be- wail their onion -less plight. The Is- raelites, wandering in the wilder- ness, complained bitterly to Moses because they had none. Americans consume well over a billion pounds a year, worth $17,000,000 to growers, not counting the ,onion's first cousins—garlic, leeks, shallots- and chives. It The eggs and freshly hatched lar- vae can be destroyed -by applica- tions of nicotine sprays. Of course, one application will have little ef- fect on the bugs, but constant spray- ing, especially when applied with a forceful syringe, will have the de- sired effect. Pyrethrum; which is non-poisonous, may also be used to destroy the eggs and freshly hatched larvae of these destructive pests. New Caledonia Gains White and Black Pepper • Comes From Same Vine Most of the pepper which appears on our tables comes from the Ori- ent. The United States and Canada import about 27,000 tons of pepper each year. This is an average of six ounces a year for each person. There are several kinds of pepper, but black pepper is by far the most common: It is obtained from the fruit of a vine which grows in Java, Sumatra, and other islands of the East Indies, also in the Philippines and, to some extent, in the West Indies. The pepper plant climbs a tree like ivy. In places where people make a living by raising it, they set up poles on which it can climb, or plant trees for the same purpose. The vine gets along well in the shade.. Small green berries grow in clus- ters on the pepper vine. They are about the size of peas. While they still are green, they are picked and are dried in the sunshine, or over a slow fire. As they dry, they turn � black. Later they are ground into , a powder. So-called white pepper is obtained from vines of the same kind. The berries are not picked while green; they are left on the plant until they are ripe, and have a deep red color. Then they are washed and dried. The soft parts of the berries are re- moved, and the seeds are ground into white pepper. - Pepper was used in Europe during ancient times. It was very costly, since it had to be brought from the Orient. Kings and princes of' the Middle ages were much pleased when anyone gave them such a fine present as five or six pounds of pepper! Strategic Importance Until German panzer units smashed France last year, New Cal- edonia was merely s, French island 700 miles off the northeast coast of Australia, 248 miles long by 30 miles wide, populated by some 60,000 peo- ple, mostly Negroes. But the fall of France gave New Caledonia a strategic importance. It is rich in vital war minerals—nickel, chrome and iron. Japan is eyeing the island, well aware of its prox- imity to Australia—only five hours flying time. Therehave been reports. of Jap- anese military and commercial in- filtration. New Caledonia would make a splendid naval base and With Vichy apparently controlled by the Axis, anything can happen. There are mountain ranges encir- cling the capital of Noumea, Here hibiscus, crotons, poincianas, lan- tangs, and guava bushes grow in abundance. Noumea is also the site of the nickel works of New Caledonia. The citizens are anti-Petain, pro - De Gaulle. They wanted to send an expeditionary force of 500 to fight the Germans in France, but the British command prevailed upon them to keep the men at home for island defense. Keep -Em -Happy Club. Soldiers in Camp Roberts are grateful to . their girl friends for forming the Keep 'Em Happy club, but they are a little miffed at the egotistical set of rules set forth. When joining the club a girl agrees to the following: 1. To refrain from mentioning my dates with other men when I write to a soldier. 2. To be honest with a soldier in camp and not lead him to believe I am being true to him when I am not. 3. If my feelings toward' a soldier change, I will not cause him mental anguish by simply stopping my let- ters to him, but will let him know, as quickly as possible, that there is someone else. 4. I will remember at all times that the soldier is serving his coun- try and should be entitled to the ut- most consideration when other men compete with him for my at- tentions. Stove on Proper Level You can raise your cooking stove to the proper height for working by setting the legs on neat blocks of wood. Another method which some women find even better is to build a platform for the stove. Do you know how to find out what is the most convenient working height for yourself at stove, ironing board and sink? There are two methods. For the first one, stand up straight and hang the arms straight down; the palms of the hands should rest flat upon the working surface. If not, the equipment should be raised until this requirement is met. The other method is to stand straight, bend the elbow, allowing a slight slant of the arm downward. Important Dietary Needs Are Found in. Vegetables. Vegetables contain a fair share of the nine most important dietary essentials listed in the National Re- search council chart issued in con- nection with the National Nutrition Conference for Defense called by President Roosevelt in Washington. Milk and meat, particularly' liver and kidney, supply the rest of them. Many other foods also contain one or more of the vitamins and min- erals—fruits, eggs, whole grain cereals and vitamin fortified bread, to name a Lew. Take•vitamin A, which the Nation- al Research council committee de- termined should be taken by an adult at the rate of 5,000 units a day, and by children at from 1,500 to 6,000 units, depending on age. Vitamin A is needed for good vision in dim light (it prevents night blindness) and is necessary to protect the mu- cous membrane lining the throat, nasal passages and other parts of the body. The richest vegetable source listed in various vitamin as- say tables 3s kale. One cup of leaves, uncooked, has 37,000 units of vitamin A, according to a table published by one research authority. Another authority gives 36,260 units in a half cup of the cooked greens— or eneugh for the day's require- ment of six people. Old-fashioned dandelion greens, which you can reap without sowing, as any suburbanite can testify, ranks No, 2 as a vitamin A source, with 35,000 units. in a half cup of cooked greens. , Swiss chard ranks next at 24,080 in a half cup cooked or 24,000 in 11/2 cups raw. Mountain Town Sliding Canon City, Colo., is slipping. That is not a reflection on its character, but an actual fact. This mountain town is sliding gradually to the south and east—directly toward the. Arkansas river. • At least that is the finding of Water Commissioner Fred Brackner and of Acting Manager Smith Bedell of the Canon Gas company. There is no need for this genera- tion—or even ,'this generation's grandchildren—to worry. They'll be long dead before any great con- cern need be shown, Bedell and Brackney said. • - Found in Bible Two hundred men once went to a dance to get themselves wives, and did so. A man added 15 years to his life by prayer. Another man was condemned to death for saying his prayers. An army lost more than 99 per cent of its strength one day, gained a great victory the next day. One man caused the defeat of the whole army of which he was apart. The trees in the Garden of Eden envied a king. A great sermon was preached from a staircase, An eagle planted a tree. Forty-two thousand men lost their lives because they mispronounced a word. A prophet's life was saved by a colored man. Two men killed 20 in a fair fight. A man isdescribedas fleeing from a -bear and meeting a lion. A man committed suicide in order to kill his enemies. All of these and many other curi- ous and interesting things are to be found in the Bible.; • Can Cure Own Ills Every man can be his own medi- cine- chest, in the opinion of . Dr. Charles H. Wood, who addressed the National .Chiropractic .convention at the Los Angeles college of chiroprac- tic recently. "The secretions of many diseases," he explained, "have within them the essentials to bring about cures. Animals, by lick 'ng their wounds, reintroduce into their bodies the germs which set up 'antibodies' as immunizing agents. In somewhat similar fashion man can make use of the secretions of many external afflictions and some internal .disorders by mixing them with distilled water and painting them on a briskly rubbed spot on the back to act as something akin to vaccination:" Sleeping on Train Pullman berths are made up so that the passenger's head points toward the front of the car. 'There is no advantage from this 'except that the head will not be bumped against the hard steel partition if there is a sudden start of, the train, The direction,ofthe head has noth ee or clreu a ion ing to do with sleep I t' .., Existence of Personal Jinx Shown With Cards Existence of a personal jinx -the bad luck which seems to haunt some people — is testified to in scientific experiments at Duke uni- versity., This jinx .has definitely shown its curious traits in experiments in shuffling and dealing cards. Play- ers in this scientific game, before a shuffle, try to predict how the cards will lie after the shuffle. This should be pure luck, unless humans „have some ability to fore- see future events — and chance events at that. By pure chance their scores of good and false guesses should average 50-50. But they are not 50-50. In nine years of exacting study, the card - callers give some evidence in favor of prophecy being real. They fall into three classes: One, those who do significantly better than chance; two, those who aver- age chance; and three, a certain class which seldom or never is able to average as much as pure chance. Their scores are always too low. In this third class appears the evidence for a jinx. Dr. J. B. Rhine, who conducts the experiments, does not call the peculiar failure a jinx. He has no name for it yet. How- ever, its odd results run parallel to what most persons call the jinx. As such, it adds one more explanation of the plight of those who always are behind the eight ball. The first clue to this jinx appeared during Dr. Rhine's well-known studies of mind-reading and second - sight or clairvoyance, which are known under the general nameof extra sensory perception. In this work the cards were al- ready dealt. The player never saw them, but either tried to read the mind of another person who looked at them, or to call their order by clairvoyance before anyone looked. The decks. were 25 cards each, with five suits. Five correct on the average was pure chance. A few persons went way beyond the pos- sibility of chance. One called an average of 17 right in about 50 consecutive decks. Directions for Washing, Wiping Painted Surface When you are going to open a partly used can of paint, that has been stored, handle it carefully so the film will not be broken and mixed with the paint. Remove the lid and use a putty knife to cut around the edge. Very often the film thus cut can be removed in one piece. When it is accidentally broken and mixed with the paint, strain the paint before attempting to use it again. Painted surfaces can be washed with a mild soap and lukewarm wa- ter. A pure linseed oil soap, in a paste form, is a good one because it contains no abrasives. A solution of one tablespoon of trisodium phos- phate to three quarts of lukewarm water is also a good cleaner. Apply it with a cloth and rinse well with another cloth dipped in clear water. Wipe the surface dry. Trisodium phosphate, used in the proportion of eight ounces, one standard cup, to two quarts of wa- ter,' will remove paint. Spattered paint on bricks and stone surfaces can be removed with this solution. Small spots of paint on window glass are easily removed when wet by wiping with a cloth. After they are dry scrape with a razor blade. Soften stubborn spots with turpen- tine and then remove with a razor blade. Peru Thanks Bird for 4. Present -Day Prosperity Peru lies on the west coast of South America, but a large part of southern Peru actually is east of New York. Of all the South American coun- tries Peru is by far tlie richest his- torically. Its Inca empire was one of the greatest civilizations devel- oped by a primitive people. Lima, oldest city on the conti- nent, is Peru's capital—and it is the most Spanish of South -American cities, Copper, oil and silver swell Peru's riches. But one of her greatest sources of income is the gift of a bird. The barren guano islands off the coast, which have been the home of millions of sea birds since• the days of. the Incas, supply tons upon tons of super -fertilizer. Want to try a train ride three miles above the sea? Then buy a ticket on the Peruvian Central railway, the highest standard-gauge railroad in the world, which crosses the wild Andes at altitudes of 15,000 and 16,- 000 feet. And if you find yourself get- ting short of breath, attendants will supply you with oxygen. Ask your wife if she can name the world's rarest fleece. It's vicuna, from a rare, strange animal found only in Peru and Bolivia. He looks like a beautiful fawn and lives two or three miles up in the Peruvian mountains, where ahnost no other mammal can survive. His beautiful golden -chestnut fleece brings fabu- lous prices—and to make sufficient. cloth for a single overcoat (price around $900) the hair of about 60 vicunas is needed. On a monumentbeside the con- crete highway from Lima to Callao stands an automobile that was smashed to smithereens in an acci- dent. Inscribed on the base is a reminder to speeding motorists: "Despacio se va lejos." Which means: "Go slow and you will trav- el far. Dried Vegetables Dried vegetables will soon be a part of every army cook's larder, if experiments carried out by the fruit products .division of the Uni- versity of California college of agri- culture are any indication. The division began investigating. methods of dehydrating vegetables for army use more than a year ago at the suggestion of the quartermas- ter corps. Dr. W. V. Cruess, head of the division, reported that the methods developed have been very successful in drying the vegetables and still retaining their color, flavor and cooking quality.. The secret of success, said Dr. Cruess, was found to lie in thorough- ly scalding ` the raw 'vegetables in - steam to precook them and'destroy enzymes responsible for undesirable changes in flavor, color, odor and texture. Very thorough drying was found to be essential. Medic Tackles A.B.C. Dr, W. E. Dale, Louisville, Ky., is about to break a precedent and take one of his own pills: The 75 -year-old bachelor doctor, who recently observed his fiftieth anniversary of his graduation from the University of Louisville medical department, hasn't taken a drop of medicine for 45 years although he's given bucketfuls to others. "Diet, fresh air and exercise are the three golden rules to health," says he. He admires vitamins and now is toying with the idea of ending his 45 -year no -medicine record by in- dulging in a bottle of A. B. D. C. s. Something New Draperies ornamented with real flowers, instead of floral designs, have been introduced by a New York interior decorator. Pockets in lower folds of the curtains conceal test tubes filled with water, into which cut blooms may be slipped. The result is a gay fringe of bright blossoms. New Function of Heart Cited by Sleep Motility A hitherto unknown property of the human heart—its ability to antic- ipate body movements of a sleep- ing person by as much as six min- utes—was reported at the Univer- sity of Virginia. Minter M. Jackson, graduate psy- chology associate, made the discov- ery accidentally while measuring the movements of sleepers during a normal night's sleep. • On an electrical apparatus, Jack- son measured the sleep motility of a number of persons and found that normal individuals take a consider- able amount of "exercise" while resting. The group averaged 65 movements. In studying the graphs on which heartbeats also were recorded, he found that the heartbeat not only increased with the exertion but in- wardly anticipated it. For example, the tape told of a sleeper whose heart rate began in- creasing from 63 a minute to about 66 within 52 minutes. In the final half -minute before the sleeper moved the rise was precipitated to 88.8 just at the time of the move- ment. Ingenious Device for le Detecting Heart Diseases Dr. Isaac Starr of the University! of Pennsylvania recently told the National Academy of Sciences, meeting in Philadelphia, about an ingenious ' device: A balancing table, called the "ballistocardio- graph." A bed -size table is sus- pended from the ceiling on wires; three feet above the floor. While a! patient lies quietly, the table os ciliates back and forth to the throb of his heart. When his heart contracts It throws a load of blood forward toward his head. "For the same reason that a discharged gun kicks: one in the shoulder," said Dr. Starr, "the recoil throws the body feet- ward." An instant later, when the blood strikes the aortic arch' (curve in large heart artery), "(the blood's) headward movement is ar- rested, creating an impact which throws the body and the table head - ward." A normal man pumps about 14i quarts of blood a minute, moves the bed back and forth about 18 one - thousandths of an inch with every heartbeat. Connected to a,powerful' spring at the foot of the table is a tiny mirror. The mirror amplifies. this motion 8,800 times. The mag- nified motion is recorded on a mov- ing photographic film. Because the jelly-like tissues trem-• ble for a brief instant after every "blow" from the heart, after -vibra- tions warp part of the record. Hence Dr. Starr believes that his machine will never attain "highest precision." Nevertheless it is good enough to: (1) detect early, hitherto invisible cases of heart disease; (2), show the relation between high blood pressure and heart function;, (3) differentiate between varioue types of heart disease. Speaking of Pears The pear is one fruit that is better if picked from the tree while still green, and ripened later. Therefore don't be alarmed if the would-be tender morsels that you see at the store have not as yet reached their 1 prime stage for, eating. If they are the kind and size that you need, they will ripen very quickly in your kitch- en or even in your refrigerator. For canning, the open kettle, or the steam carrier are probably the best methods, The pear turns dark quickly after it, is peeled, so immerse it gently in a solution of one tea- spoon of salt to one quart of cold water, and it will retain its white- ness longer. Cook a few at a time, ff canning by. open kettle, or if can- ning in the steamer by the hot pack method, pack just a few jars and pour the syrup over them before go- ing on to the next. A tablespoon of lemon juice to each quart of pears will help retain their whiteness, and give them a nice flavor. e. Earth's Axis If the earthly tilt were changed enough to make the earth's axis just at right angles•to our direction from the sun, then all seasons would van- ish. Every spot on the earth would keep the same season the year round. The tropics would always be hot and the poles would always be very cold. ' Places like. New York,, St. Louis or San Francisco would al- ways have spring or fall weather. If the earth's tilt were changed so that the axis of the, earth pointed .di- rectly at the sun then the north polar regions, and that of the upper half of the world, would always have 24 hours sunlight each day and the intense heat of perpetual, direct sun- light. The other end, the South pole, would ever be in perpetual black- ness and the cold on that end of the earth would become so great that no one would want to live in it; Not Much Fun Theempress of Japan lives a much -regulated life. She is permit- ted to think and discuss only, six things: Her husband, the sun, mu- sic, flowers, birds and perfume. She is not permitted to read a newspa- per, have a radio, or talk over the telephone. She • doesn't even know that there is a`• war. in Europe. She must wear only white: Heart Disease May Rest With the Adrenal Gland A new clue to the cause of heart disease, found in three of man's commonest hormones, was reported to the American Association for the Advancement of Science by Dr. Wil- liam Raab. of the University of Ver. mont college of medicine. This clue offers possibilities for learning how to prevent some of the serious heart disorders. Evidence that many people with bad hearts live to ripe old ages, con- trary to common belief, was pre- sented in another report made by, Dr. Louis Faugeres Bishop, Belle- vue hospital, 'New York city. He cites cases even of the much dread- ed coronary thrombosis living for many years and doing useful work. The heart disease hormones are, two from the adrenal glands and one from the thyroid. The main offender appears to be adrenalin, which is commonly known as the energy hormone, the stuff that bpreads quickly through the body in a fright. Along with the energy hor- mone is one from the cortex, or cov- ering, of the adrenal glands, which seems to be present as a complica- tion. The thyroid hormone enters as a sort of ringmaster, which occasion- ally eggs on the energy hormone to do its worst. Officer! Officer! Police Robbed Santa Monica, Calif., police wore a tomato -red blush recently as they hunted $3,200 in cash missing from their safe at headquarters. Missing along with the greenbacks were checks and money orders with face values totaling between $2,400 and $2,600. The, negotiables belonged to a chain store, and had been left with the police for safekeeping one Satur- day night in a sealed package. It is the police custom, Chief C. E, Webb said, to take care of week -end receipts for merchants until banks open Mondays. The missing money was handed to Capt, George Figueirdo who locked it in a drawer of the police safe adjoining one used to contain valuables belonging to prisoners. When a 'messenger called for the package at 8 a, m. the following Monday, Capt. Howard Brown and Sgt. Gene A. Randall were unable to • find it. Pumping Out Mines Pumping out mines—especially tin mines in Cornwall—was the chief in- centive that gave birth to the steam engine. First one was developed by Captain Savery in 1698. Extrava- gant use of fuel made it imprac- tical. Next came Newcomen's en- gine, with cylinder and piston, in 1702. It was while repairing a mod- el of this engine that James Watt made improvements that resulted in the modern steam engine. Watt's persistence in finally discovering how the cylinder could be bored to the tolerance of "a worn farthing" made steam power available for driving all kinds of mechanism and brought in the factory system and the industrial revolution. Testing Pillows Now for those pillows! To begin with, are they really clean? Quite possibly after summer's heat, per- spiration, use, of cosmetics and in sect repellent salves, etc. — the casings are really soiled. But what, of the inner fillings—the feathers which make up the average pillow? Here's where you may like to try the "droop test" on bed pillows: If you're in doubt about their age, and if it droops badly, and sags, or seems like a Sack of metal in the bot- tom of the case, then—out with it =that pillow is "dated"! ""