The Conservative. (M'connelsville, Ohio) 1866-1871, 1870-10-28
Scientific Notes.

movements of the eye-ban. By means oft
the mathematical analysis made by Prof.
HelmhoItz of the ocular movements may be
practically demonstrated.
HYpRArE OF CHLoRAL-Recent medical
journals report favorably on the use of the
hydrate of chloral for the purpose of allay-
ing brain excitement and producing sleep.
1t induces sleep with more certainty than
opium, and without the injurious effects
resulting from the latter. 1t has no cura-
tive properties, hut on account of its quiet
ing influence it has been called the king Of
narcotics.
The disinte grafton of limestone of which
buildings are constructed, which Is more
noticeable where much coal is burnt, is in
a great degree owing to the action of sui
phuric acid, liberated by combustion, upon
the magnesium of the limestone. This
may be prevented BY coating the building
with an aqueous solution OF superphos-
phste- of soda.
PHorooRAPHFNa THE SUN.-Prof Win
lock is now engaged in taking pictures Of
the sun of a somewhat noval plan He
uses a single lens object glass, Al inches
in diameter, hlVirg focal length of 40
inches, made by Clark, of crown glass,
and corrected for spherical alteration by
means of an artificial star. The tube of
the telescope points to the North and the
image of the sun is thrown in by means OF
a plate-glass reflector. This glass is not
roughened or blackened on one side, be-
cause when that was done the heat of the
sun distorted the plane surfsce. The slit
is at the object-glsss end of the telescope,
so that when it IS thrown across no dust IS
shaken on the plate. as frequently IS the
case in the usual way of working.
AMoRPHoUs SILICA FOR FIXING PIGMENTS.
DIR. NJ. ReimaDn describes, in Dinglers
Polytechnic Journal, series of expert
ments made with the view to apply amor
phous SILICA for absol bing the solutions OF
fuchine, analine blue, ETC., and to use the
eoiored powder so prepared as a pigment
for various materials. The SILICA is pre-
pared by precipitating solution of water
glass (silicate Of soda or potash) with G1
acid, and collecting, washing and using
the precipitste in the ordinary way. Glass.
first specifically acted upon by hydrohuor-
ic acid, and next mordanted, as is usual
for cotton, assumes. when submitted to the
process in use for dyeing fiber similar col.
ors precisely as that fiber; the author states
that this effect is caused by the amorphous
SILICA contained in the glass and made ef-
fective by the hydroAuoric acid.
Woorz OF INDIAN STEEL-Dr. Rsmmels-
berg gives, in q Berlin journal, the result
of his analysis of steel bar. certified to
be true Indian STEEL, By the late East In
dian Company. and deposited in the Mu-
scum of the High Polytechnic School of
Berlin. Aside from the iron it contained
the following substances given in thou
sandths of one per cent: Carborn. 0.S87;
silicizm, O 0136; phosphorus, o. 009; sui
phur, 0002. It is significant that the au-
thor found no aluminium in this specimen,
since the late Messrs. Faraday and Stodart,
who made the first analysis of Woots as
early as 1919, stated that peculiar qualities
of this steel were due to silieium and
aluminium. The specific gravity of the
specimen used by DIR. Rammelsberg was
found to be 1922.
I,rpoRrANr uF TRUE-A gentleman call
inc himself the Able Brasseur de Bour
bourg has been lecturing in New York or
'sMeYiean Archaeology and the Pre-Historit
Annals of America" The Able has dis
covered records, he informs us, written il
the old Mexican language, of the Gulf o.
Mexico, the Atlantic and the Mediterra
rean, extending back ten thousand year.
before Christ.
All the principal views of Prof. Agassil
upon the glacial period are found anticI
pated as facts in these records. After tb'
reign of ice came a period in which bel
of great lakes ran from the Caspian Sea Il
the Gulf of Mexico, fnd in these lakes be
gan s'life." AS thert Eas no life before
the ANNALS" may be excused for beinl
meagre. But after the appearance of life
the Abbe finds everything of consequences
laid down clearly. In fact, the early his
tory of Europe and Africa finds importan
Illustrations in these Mexican records
even the name of Rome is for the first tim
explained in thsm.
In short, the sciences of astronomy, ge
ology, natural history, philoiogy and an
thropology are completely oyerthroWn By
the Abbe's recollections IF a manuscrip
which he once saw in a half-barbaroui
land. and which nobody but himself coult
read. 1t is to be hoped that he will moi
stop here, but will go on to give Us an &C
curate history of the universe at large, ol
al least OF the solar system, for something
more than ten thousand years; for ''th
annals of the Atlantic ocean, before an,
life existed. which are his latest discovery
must come from o source competent to en-
liqhten Us on many things not hitherti
dreamed of in our philosophy.
MIRAGE IN TIE BRITISH CHANNEL--Ml
Thomas Waring gives in ''Phe Meteoro
logical Magazine" the following descrir
ton of mirage of unusual splendor:
The party on board of my yacht Hadas
sab, on her passage from Alderney {
Guernsey, witnessed q phenomenon S
striking, and in there attitudes so rare
that am tempted to send you short &C
count of it. The wind was light, from
n. E the sky cloudless, the sun very hof
and the barometer steady ut 1924. Tker
had been some signs OF fog in the morn
: ing, but they had disappeared At abor
$50 in the afternoon We observed over tn
: small island OF Herme peculiar hazy n
! Election, which became more and more d.
fined, until it presented an exact inverte
: imaaenf the land beneath. A similar g
, feet was soon visible round the whole hor
zon. The islands Alderney, Guernsey,Je Jel
sew, Sark, and Herme seemed raised
! more than twice their hight; sharp-poin
ed, outlying rocks were capped with Il
yerted images of themselves, apparentl
balanced upon them, point TO point. lib
enormous rocking stones. The Ortac
rocks. Of which we have previously 10
. sight, we're now to be seen with startlir
: clearness in the air. The Casquetes, wit
!. its three lighthouses presented most CT
e rious appearance. The lighthouses wei
$ drawn out into three colossal pillars. G
r whose summit rested huge mass OF rocl
I clearer in the outline than the real lslar
beneath. Ships were seen sailing Ike
upward through the air, every sail an
: spar distinct, and in some cases the lmag
= were reduplicated. Several of the vesse
g thus reflected were below the horizon, al
s invisible to us. The northern end
o Guernsey, where the land runs low, W
Q twice 4ehected in the air. so distinctly ia
o even those who were familiar with &
b island found it hard to recogni
i it We seemed to be lookir
b at some half-merged country. where cour
n less still lagoons were divided from eai
e other by narrow strips OF land. As We ne
d Guernsey the picture becomes less distint
l. but meanwhile the mirage was becomil
moro wonderful still over Alderney. He
Z the deep-marked cliffs were msgniied to
sr apparent height Of many hundred feet, a
A. no scene-painter, deyisIng grand tral
ID formation scene, ever dreamt of more ID
,d cinating groups of basaltic columns, gr
m toes. and rock arches, with the tide hovi
: beneath, than was exhibited By the isla
Il and the isolated stacks around 1t. Havi
M rennained visible for more than three hon