The Andrew County Republican. [volume] (Savannah, Mo.) 1871-1876, 1871-12-06
CURIOUS AND SCIENTIFIC,

CURIOUS AND SCIENTIFIC.
WHY CIRCLES PLEASE THE EYE.-PrOfes-
sor Muller, in a course of lectures in Ber-
lin, offered a simple and mechanical expla-
ration of the universal admiration bestOw-
ed upon these curves. The eye is moved in
its socket by six muscles, of which four are
respectively employed to raise. depress, turn
to the right. and to the left. The other two
have en- action contrary to one another, and
roll the eye on its axis, or fom the outside
downward, and inside upward. When an
object is presented for inspection, the first
act is that Of circumcision, or going round
the boundary lines, so as to bring consecu-
lively every individual portion of the circum-
ference upon the most delicate and sensitive
portion of the retina. Now, if figures boun-
ded by straight lines be presented for in
spectiOn, it is obvious that but two or three
muscles can be called into action; and it is
equally evident that in curves of circle or
ellipse all must alternately be brought into
action. The effect then is, that If two only
he employed, in rcctiliiucaI ngures, those
two have an undue share of labor; and by
repeating the experiment frequently, as we
do in childhood, the notion of tedium is il-
stilled, and we form gradually distaste for
straight lines, and are led to prefer those
curves which supply a more general and
equable share of work.
ACTION OF IODINE on LIGHT.-Andrews
has heen studying the action of iodine OH
light, and finds that the beautiful purple
color of the vapor of iodine is due to the
fact that it permits the red and blHe light of
the spectrum to pass through, while it alb
serbs nearly or all OF the green rays. Tie
transmitted rays will afterwards pass
through red copper and blue cobalt glass.
If the iodine vapOr be sufficiently dense, all
Of the red rays will be absorbed, and the
transmitted light will be blue. These blue
rays can afterwards be passed through blue
glass, but not through red. A solution of
iodine in bisulphide Of carbon behaves in a
similar way, and appears, according to the
concentration OF the solution.
WATERPROOF CLOTH "A firm i'm Berlin
has for some years furnished completely
waterproof cloth, the process for making
which has been kept secret. 1t is now
stated, however, that the method consists,
in all probability. in saturating the cloth at
first with solution of sulphate of alumina
and of copper, and then immersing it in a
bath of water-glass and resinous solution
of soap. The object of the copper seems
to be TO protect the cloth from rotting or
stiilening more perfectly than can be done
by the alumina alone.
A singular experiment has been mldc by
BousiDgault. Water was placed In steel
cylinder, and when at its maximum density,
or minimum bulk, which occurs at the tenn
peraturc of about thiTty-seven degrees,
Fahrenheit, it was securely fastened by
steel plug. The cylinder was then reduced
to n temperature of eighteen degrees below
zero. centigrade, and was found still in
liquid form, as proved by the movement
OF 4 metallic ball within.
Cause OF CuoIrp,-Th,re hIs boen
much disnute and endless tbeor;z;no os 10
the cause of this much r,afled disease The
most widely accented theory has bepp that
of the PROPAGATION of the COMPLAINT nv the
OF notable waters from nj.
vine discharges. Rsccn. Investigations
throw doubt upon this theory. These in
vestigations seem TO show that the dischar-
ges OF cholera patients. although character
ot hn sa1S2 =" Eh;hi ;nnrhffr
rhe orininns of Usll;er and p,r,enL ofer az
To the greater Quantity of snores ~ germs
OF f,nu i'm choleric diScharges than eyist in
ordinary cvacnatjonS "a wo f,nJ onrsoIvas
AGAIN baf,l1d in tLe atte,nnt to reacb the
cause Of mis- disease onI mist GROVE emni.
ricalIv until we Urt more ond hetter LIGHT
u ~ e.,
;aa. "a "en.cin Pnfsviai successiuiiy Tseu
ipu.'t :. uaii.a III illu,li ,rcIiels. nc nisl
I",s II a. an el'ietc. arr aitei MafGs iloli
~ ~ ~ III, 60 S.a.ns e,e,y panei ,'ou. NoniIet
GU "ith ~, t,i's a.aus nc useu siioMe, oaIns,
IN, '"o pl'i.'S ,l,,, ui.in eIionS
1eei y, wa, "itnout amy acoiiohc suiuiants.
i. I.;eIeu tnc iiei 'oue Sys'eni, eAoiteu tuo
ePl'1tie' az .ci on seeic.,on' anu uiiiiolniiy
pIouuceu sie' T. c'ili'S the patients III nearly
e'vry tasc.
ne oDe'chS i.s,ituic vi icchlioio2y mas
an ciSc' I,aie e III Ansoiiia, CoIil',
wnicn "t.Sh> ano!t i,ov' pounus, anu mas
q iiitihS 'oIt' cS,,ina.eu Sun u, pel"ecil oo anu
>" IONS; Anout ioo POUNDS vi copper Wire'
ohe-nsth OF il ,hSn oi tHich, + w1una 1i1 II
81, oytornal d;an,o.nr TIE onr.s orc
hnIiou ond 8 incSnS in d;ar,n,nr bv , foot
. 80, CIV IN ,on,rth ,rhi. n,amn, - y ohont
t,yn fines as nnycriu, as that nscd bv Far
aJay in his famous researches.
C,.,,,.r con pr>,r,>,. Io,,rs
~ .r,io ~" tn,In',;n 80. - go. !.
i.i J,ns1io nat rI 80 81"
sioS 'u" uu' nj ~ Ju,n,,S une
llailses y, ;lom ~ u S'oi ;, I;oS
y, ny ".'o mo, I .
on litna' ~ ieu anu wiz ieau "
proper .oaiSteu. ,I MWs , u,inS ;r .iie la
81 p,opor.ui ~ b 'mo I;nd Mo =. leau hnl. ,H San
ppSlty5n ma" y. pruo y, E,,;I, "
lci si'u m.acu W eno nv, Jul. y,
siSe sIuate .',i s,HnvS, a anu i"' '.me, % VIII VIII
I'LL, I'LL Iii, s, ,,,;,,,.t,,,I;no, H. "a,;p y,
steam Is composed in the proportion OF two
ounces oi sal shhnlohlac, ana iour ounces Oh