Dallas herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1849-1873, 1873-01-18
Science,

Science,
Mr.. George Fleming tho English
~ tho result OF his
studics upon rabies, or hydropho'
bin, asserts that tho disease does
not originate spontaneously more
than once in q thousand cases. In
fact, 40 far rs any actual knowledge
goes, wo know nothing of the con.
ditions which produce it, except
that IL is contagious by in occu'h'
ton; vs. when the virus is intro;
duced into the blood by tho bite OF
n mad dog. We assume, however
that it some originates sponta-
neously, in order to explain sudden
outbreaks Of tho disease in coun-
tries where it was previously un-
known, and could not DO traced TO
importation from foreign lands
This was the case in Peru in loo3'
In France the average annual NOR
tally from hydrophobia is l62 per-
sons in Prussia, II, Tho number
of deaths from tho Same cause in
England is much smaller. During
the past thirty years it has ranged
from a minimum of one, 1862, to a
maximum of &c, in 1866. We
have no American statistics on the
subject. ...... .-.
Il will DO remembered that somo
time ago Mr.. J. r. Hind, tho as,
tronomcr, announced as the result
of his calculations concerning early
eclipses, that "although great to-
tai cclipse!was visible at Jerusalem
in A. D. 20, yet in tho year 80 no
eclipse of Importance took place"
He therefore concluded that there
could have been no eclipse of the
sun, in an astronomical sense; at
tho time Of tho Crucifxion OF
Christ. Referring to this subject,
n correspondent of Nature says,
"Mr. Hind seems to have forgotten
that in the opinion Of the most d.
vines, Christ was born four years
before the vulgar Chat is, tho com
mon) era, so that in the year 20 nc
would have been 33 years old. he
member,ng this point, it seems
highly probable that the account o
how tho sun was turned into dark
ness, and the moon into blood, may
be q correct account not only o
the occurrence of an eclipse, but o
an early observation of the now ia
nous red prominences."
The recent discussions concernln
Livingston's discoveries in Atric
have brought the geographical teri
watershed into considerable prom
inence, and DR.. Charles Beke, tn
Abyssynian traveller, calls after
ton to the fact that the word
frequently used in a sense whic
does not belong to it. Thus wo hca
of "thc watershed" which DR.. LIZ
ingstone has traced from twelve u
Crees South TO four degrees South
meaning basin or system OF RI
ers, whereas a watershed in realit
is the fundamentally lofty n
gion of uplands-between two sue
basins. The term Contemplating
is recommended by DR.. Beke,
perfectly ineligible and FREQ fro
ambiguity; but it seems to us TN
watershed ought to be signifca'
enough to any one who has ev'
seen rain running off q peakt
roof, an experience which falls
the lot of most persons.
The two lofticst peaks of Il
Rocky Mountains are Iorrey
Peak and Gray's Peak, twin SUI
mits, near Georgetown, Colorad
each upward Of fourteen thousar
feet in height, whatever differen
there is being in favor of the forl
or. They were named IN honor
the two most eminent of Americ'
botanists-Prof. John Torrey
Columbia College, in this cit
and Prof Asa Gray of Har
ard University, both of whom v
tied the region last summer al
assembled Gray's Peak, upon viii
a bride path is to be constructe
Owing to unfavorable weather, L
Torrey was unable to reach
summit which bears his name.
A suspended saloon, designed
Mr.. Henry Bessemer, is to be trl
in sea-going steamers, as prot
ton against sea-sickness. The 7.
will he made in large steamshl
$50 feet in length which are to
built under the direction OF Mr.
]. Reed, late chief constructor
the British navy, for the cham
passage between England q
France, The saloon, seventy
long, twenty feet wide, and twer
feet deep, will be suspended
trunions at each end, so as to
main steady Notwithstanding
rolling of the vessel. No atten
is made to neutralizo the effect ?
duced by the ships pitching I
ton.
In case of irritation of the s.
apparently produced by the us,
any particular kind of SOAP J
American Naturalist rccommel
a trial of the miscroscope to del
particles of fine ground bone wh
have not been separated IF
the fat of which the soap Y
made.
The following interesting il
dent is related in an exchange
nna who ON Christmas night