Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1872-02-22
Scientific Notes.

Scientific Notes.
PRoF. MERaET, of Lyons, states that
the vnpor which is continually escaping
from the surface of mercury hos q We
locity OF nearly 600 feet per second, and
rises to tho height of more than a mile.
The presence of the vapor is easily
shown by paper impregnated with iri-
dunn of silver.
BERLIN photographer has invented
II paper to be used as currency pur.
poses, which he claims will defy conn
terfeiting. The protection is in the
color of the paper, which cannot be
chemically analyzed, neither initiated
by photography. Each state can have
its own color, Which can be kept a Sc
cret. The process is not more ex-
pensive than that employed in prepar-
ing the present paper.
AT q recent meeting of the French
Academy of Sciences, Recquerel ex-
pressed the opinion that the aurora
does produce sound and in contirma-
ton OF this view cites the observations
of Paul Roller, pronaut, who started
from Paris in December last, and de-
scendcd fourteen hours afterwards in
Norway, on mountain ut IN elevation
ct 4, 600 feet: II saw, through thin
fog, the moving of the brilliant rays
OF an aurora borealis, spreading all
around its strange light. Soon after
ward an lncomprehensible and loud
roaring was heard, which, when it
ceased completely, was followed by
strong smell of sulphur, almost suffo-
| eating" Prof. LOOMS and other meta
biologists have obtained no satisfactory
evidence that the aurora ever emits
any audible sound. They believe that
the noises ascribed to the aurora are
due to other causes-such as the wind,
or to that low temperature of snow and
Ice which sometimes produces sudden
movements in masses.
MIR. J. A. Hill, in the November
number of the franklin Institute Jour
nal, proposes new form of rejecting
telescope. The mirror will be firmly
imbedded in rock or wall, and facing
| it will be placed plane mirror with q
central opening moving about horizon
tai and vertical axes. The light from
celestial body is reflected from the
plane mirror on to the curved and
stationary one, whence it is reflected
back through the central aperture of
the stationary mirror and forms focal
image behind it, which is then examined
in the usual manner with an eye piece.
The advantages claimed for this mr.
rangement are that the curved mirror
can be made of larger size than hereto
fore, because it is stationary and will
not be deformed by being placed
in different positions, as is now the
case; also, no heavy and expensive
machinery will be required to
move the mirror, for the plane mirror
alone can bring into view every part of
the heavens, and will only require SIM
pie and light machinery to do this. We
are forced to with hold our entire ap-
proval of this ingenious scheme for tie
good and well-established reason
(known to all practical opticians) that
we have never yet had the good fortune
to see surface of speculum metal or of
glass which was plane enough for the
purpose proposed by the INVENTOR
Any departures from truly plane sur
face will begreatly magnifie by the dis
stance through which the light is sent
by two reflections. Indeed the most
difficult problem in art is to produce a
truly plane surface.
DR.. P. MULLER has given, in the
Moniteur Scientitique, an account Of
his researches, and his conclusions are
as follows: Meat extracts are neither
directly nor indirectly food; for they
do not contain albumenoid matter.
neither do the heterogeneous principles
which they contain arrest dis-assimi]a-
tion; that is, they do not prevent the
waste of the organic matter which
composes the body. In small doses,
these extracts are useful, by the stimu.
liant action of the potassa salts, which
promote digestion and circulation; in
strong doses, too large at once, these
substances may have very injurious
effect. When given to convalescents
from serious diseases, especially if the
system is exhausted by prolong ed alb
stinence, the potassa salts pre-
sent in these extracts in large
quantities, will act more iniuri-
Ously, because the system has lost q
great deal of chloride of sodium: in
stead, then, of promoting digestion,
these substances will interfere with it.
N, by the direct action of the salt OF
potash on the blood globules, whereby
the absorption of the oxygen by these
globules is greatly decreased; ~, by
the predominance of such salts in the
serum of the blood which only phys
ically dissolve carbonic acid, and do not
allow the normal quantity of that
gas to be exhaled, and thus impede the
access of oxygen. Medical men should
bear in mind that, if given alone, these
extracts, and likewise beef tea, are no
nutriment, and only tend to keep the
convalescent weak, being thus lifted,
or rather, not fed at all. These conclu-
sions are substantially those entertained
by Liebig and many other investigators
in the same field.
Col SCOTT, of South Kensineton.
England, has invented mortar for
which several advantages are claimed.
1t is made by simply mixing with the
water a small quantity of sulphate of
lime in the form of either natural eyp-
sum or plaster of Paris (burnt gypsum),
Instead of sulphate of lime moto-sul-
plate of iron (green vitriol) NAV be
used, or, better still, sulphuric acid ;
for the secret of the process is the eff.
feet produced by this acid. However,
sufficient acid is contained in gypsum
to accomplish the end desired, and the
use of gypsum is much the most con-
venient. The mixture is prepared
in the pan of the ordinary
mortar mill. lime is added, and after
being ground for three or four minutes
the sand, burnt clay, or other ingredi-
ents are added, and the whole are
ground for ten minutes more. Thus
ordinary lime Is at once converted into
a cement-mortar, which sets rapidly,
and can be used for concrete, in brick
laying or in plastering at cheaper rate
than lime prepared in the usual way.
Lime thus treated with sulpharic acid
or sulphurates will take up twice as
much sand as when Stacked.
Means What He Says.
Though combinations strong as
proofs of Holy Writ :" and as numerous
as the sands on the sea shore, were
produced to prove that DR.. Pierce, the
proprietor of DIR. .Sage's Catarrh Rem
edy, is in earnest and means what he
says, when he offers $500 reward for