Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1877-04-28
POPULAR SCIENCE.

IMPORTANT progress has recently been
made in enabling Englishwomen to OBJ.
tain a medical education. Some of the
leading colleges and universities had
opened their doors to women students
but none Of the hospitals would permit
the women to enter for clinical instruc-
tion. Nature announces that the Royal
Free hospital in Gray's Inn road has at
last granted this privilege. 1t is said to
have come Just in time to prevent the
breaking upOf the London school of med
icine for women. The trustees of that
school had resolved to close it unless this
concession could be obtained, to rec.
Ommend the pupils to seek instruction
elsewhere than in England.
THE neglect of Capt. Mares to issue
lime.iuice rations to the sledge parties
of the arctic expedition is still the theme
of much discussion in the English news,
papers. The Sanitary Record approves
the opinion of Surgeon Colan, that if
anything should have been omitted the
rum and not the lime,juice should have
been left behind. Capt. Mares admits
that in a future case of the kind he
would certainly so modify the arrange.
ments as to admit of sending lime, juice" "
Punch takes a hand IN the controversy,
with the suggestion that an agreeable
way TO "modify the arrangements "
would be to send beth the rum and the
me-juice, with a little sugar. The re-
suit would be punch in the polar re-
gions.
PROF. PoLlTzER recently put before
the Medical society of the Vienna Gar
rison some new proof of the use of both
ears in determining the direction Of
sound. People who are deaf in one ear
make strange mistakes when hunting, as
they are apt to suppose that any sound
comes from the direction toward which
the ear they hear with may happen to be
turned. A neat little experiment easily
tried, is devised by Prof. Politzer
Above the top of the head of person
whose eyes are bandaged a watch, tick
ing loudly, is to be passed. The blind
folded person will be unable 10 say Ger.
tainly whether the watch is above, be-
fore, or behind the top of his head
When one of his ears is closed, the
watch seems to him TO be nearest to the
other ear, and this impression will still
be perceptible even though the bandagt
be removed from his eyes. The source
of sound is in general referred to point
on the right or left, according as eithel
ear hears most loudly.
THERE has been much said recently
about the powers of potassium xanthatt
as an antiseptic. A correspondent of thC
Boston Journal of Chemistry make
some remarkable statements concerning
this salt. New wine was treated with it
and some months afterward was founC
to possess its original taste and sweet
ness The wine was then drunk il
considerable quantity by different per
sons without the slightest injurious efFec
following" Such a declaration as t,
any wine may strike believers in tota
abstinence with surprise. p Otassiun
xanthate is said to be easily and cheapl,
prepared only small quantities need b.
used, and no harm seems likely to ensu
from taking it, except in the few case
of disease where any potassium sal
would have bad effect Vegetabl
iuices and saps clarified by means of
small addition of this salt have RENAME,
without mold or fermentation after eigh
months exposure to the air.