The south-western. [volume] (Shreveport, La.) 1852-1870, 1869-08-11

REMARKABLE EXPERIMENTS.-Some remarkable
periments have been made in France on the relative
rapldity with which messages pass through tele-
grahic wire and impressions conveyed through the
to the BRAIN and the result established is that
the electric message travels with swiftness many
thousand times greater than the physical sensation,
which is transmitted only at the of thirty metres
in second. Thus, supposng whale thirty metres
(about lO3 feet in length to be wounded in the tail
second would elapse before the brain would be in
formed by the of the event. and another
would expire before the will Of the brain could be
veyed to the caudal muscles and action taken to
sent the injury, thus leaving appreciabe interval
for the escape OF the offender This theory is strongly
opposed by Claude Bernard and another eminent phys
iologists who affirm that the limbs take of
themselves without Instructions from the brain and
quote in support OF their opinion the fact that il
recently deeapitated frog be touched the side with
the point of lancet, he will endeavor with the hind
claw of the corresponding side to push away the Of
Tending instrument which would appear to indicate
the existence of nervous centres distinct from the
BRAIN still more curious and hitherto unexplained
fact is that, if during the above experiment the claw
be forcibiy withheld the animal will endeavor to nse
the other claw for the same purpose This experiment
which clearly shows that process of reasoning is
carried in the decapitated body and is apparent
contradiction of the universally admitted theory that
the brain alone is the scat Of intelligence has excited
great curiosity in scientific circles; and shudders
think of the fearful massacre of frogs which is GER
tain to during the investigations now actively
carried with view to clear up this physiological
mystery.
THE DIRECT LAND TAX THE SoUTH.-There is
talk of enforcing the collection of the direct land
tax in the South The Southern States share of this
Iiax-which amounted to twenty millions among all
the States-was six millions OF this sum only about
three millions has been paid into the Treasury from
the Southern States 1t will be remembered that when
this amount had been collected President Johnson
message to Congress setting forth that in view Of
the poverty produced in the South by the war, it
would in many instances be runous in that section to
enforce the collection of the tax at that time, and
recommending that it be suspended for some time SO
to allow the industrial Interests Of the South to
cuperae. It is stated that the limit Of the suspension
fixed by Congress has passed, and the law proyid
ing for the evyng and collection of the tax into
full force again. It is argued by those who urge this
proceeding that the industry of the South has greatly
improved in the interim that the crops abundant,
and that there is longer any for delay the
score of poverty Whether the Secretary Of the Treas
ury will act upon the advice rendered him 10 this mat
ter remains to be seen. New York Herald.
The South would have willingly paid this tax long
ago, if by SO doing the Government could have been
induced to check the wholesale robbery pracliced by
scalawag and carpetbag Legislatures.