A substitut.e for fulminating mercury is employed in tbe PANAMA HATS. needle guns in Germany. It consists of a mixture of equal Now tbat tbe summer season is on us, it may not be uninparts of cblorate of potassium and sulpbide of antimony. teresting to tbe reader to learn sometbing about tbe origin As botb of tbese substances are largely employed in medi-and manufacture of Panama bats. Tbis is given by Dr cine it is bigbly desirable tbey sbould not be combined in Seeman, in an interesting

more »

... e on tbe vegetation of tbe tbe same prescript jon. A mixture of sulpbur and cblorate Istbmus of Panama, in tbe Journal of Botany. An indio of potassium wilt also explode by friction or percussion. genous production, be says, deserving of especial notice, is Wben a solution of sulpbur in carbon disulpbide is poured tbe" Jipijapa " (OarludrYVica palmata, R. and P:), a palm-like upon finely divided cblorate tbe mixture will often . explode I plant, of wbose unexpanded leaves tbe far-famed" Panama spontaneously wben tbe solvent bas evaporated, if not, tbe bats" are plaited. Tbis species of Oarludovica is distin toucb of a featber is sufficient to produce a violent detonaguisbed from all otbers by being terrestrial, never climb tion. Cblorate of potassium and red pbospborus form a safe ing, and bearing fan-shaped leaves. The leaves are from and powerful mixture for ignition by percussion, known as six to fourteen feet high, and their lamina about four feet Armstrong's mixture. across. The spathe appears toward the end of the dry sea-