The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1878-04-12
SCIENTIFIC GOSSIP.

CLOCK work has been successfully APP
piled as motor to sewing machines by
a mechanician of Vienna. 1t can be
wound up in few minutes, and 1t will
run fol- several hours, its speed being
meanwhile fully under the control OF
the operator.
IT has been noticed that European |
bees, when imported in Australia for
wear or two, keep their hives in good |
order, and make very fair amount OF
honey, But after that time they become
idle and wholly unpreductiye. An ex-
planation of this curious fact would be OF
great interest.
The origin of saltpetre appears to have
been satisfactorily explained by modern
research. Briefly, saltpetre is nitrogen
oxidised into nitric acid, and this oxida
ton is brought about by living organisms
consisting of eolorless cells. These bodies
are found not only capable of living
without daylight, but light appears to be
prejudicial if not fatal to .heir develop
ment and growth.
IL paper by Mr.. Herring, read before
the Academy of Vienna, Is the following
explanation OF the sense of temperature
The perception of temperature depends
on the height for the time being of the
temperature of the nervous apparatus OF
the skin. Every temperature of the
nervous apparatus above the zero point
is felt as heat, every one below as cold,
and the distiDctness of the sensation of
heat or cold increases with the distance
OF the temperature proper for the time
being from the zero temperature.
The Whitehead torpedo has formid-
able rival in what is known as the La
boratory torpedo, which is now manu-
featured very extensively at Woolwich,
England. So jealous are the British
regarding this latest invention, Mr..
| Whitehead has not keen allowed to ex-
smine it. In its general principles,
however, it is understood to resemble
the Whitehead torpedo, but its speed is
far greater. 1t will rush beneath the
water at the rate of forty miles an hour
IT is only by the exercise of the
will that the separate mechanism pos
sessed by each eye can be so controlled
that a point can be seen singly and dis
tinctly. In other words, single vision is
/ the result of use, and is remarkable in
stance of the law of adaptation. Rsehl-
mann and Witkewski lately observed the
eye motions of persons asleep, of new
born children, of blind persons and of
/ people under the influence of chloroform
or suffering from epileptic attacks, in all
of which cases there is a failure of the
1 power of the will; and in every instance
unco Ordinated movements were noted.
FROM the ideographs and syllabices of
Babylonis, Mr.. Boscawen has written an
interesting sketch of the probable print
tive culture of the Babylonians. They
dwelt first in caves, then in structures of
waffle and daub and then in houses, sup
/ ported by wooden beams or columns, ard
/ having doors and windows. These last
/ had gardens of some kind at the entrance.
Flame was obtained by the use Of the
frestick. Policemen patroled the early
cities by night and by day, and the
telegraph for prison is said to be black
hole" Women were held in the highest
respect by their children, the telegraph
for mother being "house divinity"
IF a string telephone with a parch-
ment membrane be united at any point
of bell telephone, one may hear through
{ person using the bell telephone.
Several string telephones may thus be
employed with good effect. 1t is worthy
of note that the voices of woman and chill
dren can be heard best with telephones
having plates of three to five centimeters
in diameter, and the voices Of men with
those having plates of six to eight cent?
meters. When the gamut is sung into a
telephone with large vibrating plate,
the lowest notes are easily heard while
the higher becomes less distinct With
2 small plate the results are reversed.