The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1871-09-22
CURIOUS AND SCIENTIFIC

The recent meeting of the French
Academy have been largely occupied
with communications relative to mil
Itary science, the production of con-
densed food of various sorts, and
8rostation.
Brown University has iustrecciycd
the largest Holtz electric machine in
| the world. 1t produces electricity
by induction instead of friction, has
thirty-inch plate, and is capable of
producing affteen-inch spark while
the largest friction machine can pro-
duce but three-inch spark under
the same circumstances as this will
one of twelve inch.
The water vine a very curious
West Indian plant, is described BY
Mr.. Charles Kingsley, in writing of
his late visit to the West Indies.
This vine, when cut, first above and
then below, yields draught of pure
water, which has been collected By
the roots and is on its way upward
so fast that "if the first cut was made
below the sap it would be out of
reach before another cut could be
made above"
If a large emerald be held so as TO
reflect the light, it seems to be silver
ed at the back. If its plano is then
brought to certain angle with the
ray of light, it seems to lose its grccn
color and reflects objects like COM
mon lOoking-glass. 1t is the only
gem capable of this change. Nero is
said to have watched the comba's of
his gladiatOrs by means of their re
Election in an immense emerald in
his possession.
Fish have a great tenacity of life.
It is believed The carp has attained
the age OF 100 years and the pike a
still greater age. A pike was caught
in lake In South Germany, in 1879,
on which was found a ring hearing
this inscription : AZ am the fish which
was first Ofall put into this lake by
the hands of the Governor of the
Universe, Frederick IL, the 9th OF Oc-
tOber, $780," It weighed $50, pounds
and was nineteen feet long.
A Lyons, Mass, physician has been
experimenting with different alcO-
holic mixtures upon chickens. He
says that chickens which imbibcd
red wine continued in perfect health;
those which took white wine were
rather low in their minds, and show
ed symptoms of liver complaint; the
alcohol drinkers sink rapidly, and all
died and tho ones that had absinthC
given them perished on the spot.
Thus it seems prudent for the chick
en- population to limit itself to a diet
of claret and water.
The fact seems well established
that certain articles, such as old wear
ing apparel, well dried wood, &C.,
are capable of generating sufficient
heat to induce combustion without
the application of fire. We think
that not a few of the numerous fires,
supposed to be the work ofan inccn-
diary" are caused by, perhaps rag
which has been usod with benzinc by
the frugal housewife to clean coat,
or by the heat which is known TO be
generated from articles of silk, cot
ton, &C., shut up in a close room.
One of the most interesting qucs.
tiOns now discussed by astronomers,
Is that which concerns the possibility
of the existence of a central sun.
The vast extent of the range of
influence exercised by tho law of
gravitation has suggested the great
probability that in the Rssemblage of
stars with which our system is con-
nected, there is centre of gravity
around which they revolve. As In
the solar system such principle is
found to exist, the inquiry naturally
prOpOunds itself, why it should not
also exist over the broadest limit Of
the universe, and why, too, there
should not be the same point Ofcentre
around which every cluster and
nebula may revolve.
The chrOnOpher is the name OF the
instrument hich supplies ali Eng
land with the correct time. 1t is in di-
rect communication with the Green
wich Observatory and with sixteen
of the principal cities of the kingdom,
and precisely at 10 O'Clock A. NJ. the
hour is flashed not only to those sta
tons, but to every post-office in the
country, so that ali time is regulated
to the twentieth part of a second.
Time guns are fired daily at p. NJ,
at Newcastle and Shields, by batter
les connected with the chrOnopher,
and all the prominent Watch-makcrs
in London receive the exact second
every hour from the same instrument.
Under such strict regulations the
uninfOrmity Of time all over the
kingdom is as nearly perfect as it
can be made.