The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1878-10-11
sm6HI61sUs AND SCIENTIFIC.

WIDkloCS AND SCIENTIFIC.
DE "best brain food has been de-
clared to be "that which is found to
have the best effect on the system gen.
erally.'
ORGANIC impurities in drinking water
can often be detected by the odor.
This is increased by warming. Pure
water has 10 smell.
PURE wines lose their natural color
when treated with sulphate of copper,
but sophisticated wines retain their
color when thus treated.
LINNEUs states the cow to eat 276
plants, and to refuse 21S; the goat eats
449, and declines 1876; the sheep takes
1887, and rejects al; the horse likes
262, and avoids PIP, but the hog, more
nice in its provisions than any of the
former, eats but ~ plants and rejects
III.
MAJOR FORD has performed good
service by showing that, if dynamite is
poured into water, the sand falls to the
bottom, and the nitro-glycerine floats
on the surface, and explodes with its
IL
slightly increased. This will explain
the cause of many of the serious ex-
plosions with dynamite when used in
wet holes.
PROF. STEWART, of San Francisco,
puts forward this theory as to why
earthquakes have become rare in that
region: "At all seasons of the year
there is vastly more moisture in the air
in the Atlantic States than in Califor-
MIA, and l firmly believe that our over
charged coast is being constantly re-
leved of its plus-electricity by the iron
of the overland railway, and that Cali
fornia earthquakes are now appearing
in the form of frightful tornadoes and
electrical storms east of the Rocky
mountains"
The London NesCs describes re-
cently-invented and useful little device,
namely, watch-chain measuring in
strument, which will do the work of
both rule and measuring-tape, and will
measure with accuracy minute fractions
of an inch or the length of the room.
To measure any object, it is simply
necessary to run it over the surface,
when the distance is at once indicated
by the hands-the large hand register
ing the inches and fraction of an inch,
and the small hand the feet. The de-
vice is also convenient for the ready
measuring of distances on maps, how
ever irregular the route may be.
DURING the last eight or nine years
the belief has been gaining ground that
Jupiter and Saturn are in state of i'm
mense heat, and inwrapped in an at
mosphere of enormous depth and dens-
ity, and that we do not see them all.
Recent observations have fully con-
firmed this theory. At the Adelaide
Observatory, where a fine telescope has
been erected, and where singular prr-
ity of air greatly assists astronomical OBJ
servation, two practical observers, on
two different occasions-both observing
on each occasion saw the nearest of
Jupiter's satellites through the outer
layer of the planets cloud-laden atmos-
phere, which must therefore of necessity
be at least 1000 miles in depth.
PROF. NEwCoMB, the retiring Presi-
dent of the American Association for
the Advancement of Science, in his adj
dress at st. Louis took the attitude of
peacemaker between the theologians and
scientists. He discussed in excellent
spirit the conflict between the theologi-
cal and mechanical methods of explain
ing natural phenomena, taking as the
keynote of his address the proposition
that science concerns itself only with
phenomena, and the relations which
convert them, and does not take account
of any questions which do not in some
way admit of being brought to the test
of observation. He claims there should
be no conflict between the two schools
of thinkers. rs3