The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1873-03-08
Scientific Notes,

Scientific Notes.
WATER-PIPEs are now lined with
glass. A space between the metal and
glass is filed with a layer of plaster of
paris. The glass is thus protected from
breakage-
SoSSTADT demonstrated the presence
of gold in sea water, held in solution
by the action of the iodid of calcium.
He estimates the proportion to be less
than one grain per ton Of water
Rooms which are dark from being
situated in a narrow street or lane, may
be lighted by having the glass of the
windows set flush with the outer wall.
The outer surface of the glass should
also be rough ground, SO that the
light may be reflected from its innu-
merable faces or facets.
The famous Bessemer ship has en-
countered a rival IN the floating cabin
devised by Russian. The construc-
ton IS very much the same as that of
the Bessemer, but the cabin, instead
of being attached to pivot, literally
floats amidships between two engines.
The invention has been tested by the
Grand Duke Constantine, and is deem
ed successful.
In Egypt, mummies have been found
with teeth filed with gold, and in
Quito a 81 eleton has been discovered
with false teeth secured to the cheek
bone by gold wire. In the museum at
Naples, among some of the surgical IN
struments dicovered at Pompeii, there Is
facsimile OF Sims speculum. In the
ruins of Ninevah, Legard found several
magnifylng..glasses.
EXPERIMENTS have recently been
made in Paris to test the merits OF the
new Gramime system of producing
electric light The power Of this
light, correspondent says, is so
great that its intensity equals 500
Carcel lamps, and the electric current
heated to 2 red heat the wire for forty
feet Of It's length, and melted another
wire. 1t Is difficult to give an idea of
the fairy effect produced by this power
full light, or to conceive to what extent
this new power may lee applied.
TIE Archiv fur Physlolcgic publish
es an account OF some interesting ex-
perrin ents conducted by Aubert and
LANCE on the quantity OF carbonic acid
exhaled IN a given time from the human
skin. The experiments were conduct
ell with great care, and the general
conclusion arrived at was that six
| tv-two grains of carbonate acid are
exhaled from the body of a fulI-grown
/ man IN twenty-four hours.
\ STATEMENT is going the rounds oi
/ the press that the foul air Of room
can be thoroughly purified by setting
! therein pail of cold water. That wa
/ ter absorbs some of the nOxious gases
Is true, but the only way to purify the
air of a room Is to let the external air
/ in, and provide for the exit of foul air.
! Practically. an aperture IN the exter-
mel wall, near the ceiling, and an open
fireplace or Franklin stove, are the
best methods of ventilating our apart.
ments.
BY means OF the spectroscope, as.
/ tronomers have discovered that the at
mosphere of Uranus Is composed al
most entirely of hydrogen gas. Mr..
/ Proctor says that, if there is even
small proportion OF oxygen present, al
/ electric spark, however minute, would
cause tremendous commissions by com
blning the hydrogen and oxygen into
water. The Spectator, referring to his
assertion that there is probably no life
upon the planet, asks: "Why may
there not be life which needs no oxy
gen."
IL Geneva accurate registers have
been kept Of the yearly average of life
since 1860, which was then y years
months in 1888 it was 40 years and
5 months. Thus IL less than 800 years
/ the average duration of life was nearly
/ doubled. In the fourteenth century
| the average mortality in Paris was | il
Is, it is now about in 81. In Eng.
land the rate of mortality in 1890 was
l in 80 now about 1 In b.
IT'should be generally known that the
! green color OF wall paper, covers o.
books, carpets, artificial flowers, labels,
lamp screens, and ornaments OF vari
Gus kinds, frequently contains large
quantities of arsenic, and so also dc
some Of the red colors used. Serious
diseases have been produced by the
/ gases arising from the walls of a room
covered with green paper, IN which ar
/ senIc Is one of the ingredients. Ar
senous acid is SO cheap that the induce
ment to use it IN the manufacture Of
color, is very great.
4 FRENCH physician, Noticing that
I persons sick with smallpox were Otter
visited by flies, placed near an oper
window of the hospital 8 saucer filed
with glycerine. The flies gathered
about 1t, and were caught like birds
with glue. In endeavoring to free them
selves, the foreign matter adhering tc
them was left III the glycerine, which
was carefully examined by the micro
scope. The glyceriue was found TO be-
full OF strange cells, similar to those
seen by persons attacked with small
pox. but never found on the fly. The
/ discovery shows that flies can be a very
dangerous means of spreading eonta
gious disease.