The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1879-01-10
POPULAR SCIENCE.

The point at which our destructive
winter storms enter the country has not
been known, although they come from
the northwest. But Prof. Loomis finds
this point in the extreme northwest part
of the continent; and finds also that,
by barometric laws, an AREA OF high
pressure in the center Of the continent
Is the result of storm 1900 miles north
west. This would make the Aleutian
Islands in Behring's Strait an import
ant signal station, for storm there
would indicate cold wave from Ore
gon. 81
THE theory that very small organ
isms, either vegetable or animal, are the
cause of all infectious diseases, is very
generally accepted at the present day.
It passes as established and almost
automatically proven, because this
theory alone is able to explain for Us .
series of phenomena that would other
wise be inexplicable. Hence the alpha
and omega of all precautions directed
against infectious diseases and epidem-
les consists in combating and destroy
ing these organisms.
A CONVENIENT form Of portable glue
is given by Mr.. Cherrill, and Is based
upon the use of SHREDDED gelatine. A
small portion of this is placed in wide
mouthed bottle, to which . little water
and about one-fourth part of glacial
acetic acid are to be added. The gela-
tine will swell up into worm-like pieces,
and will be quite elastic. It will keep
in this condition indefinitely when prop
erly prepared. When required for use
take small portion of the swelled gel
atine and warm the end of it in flame
of q match or candle, and it will imme-
diately "run" into q fine, clear glue,
which can be applied at once to the ar
ticle to be mended. II the shredded
gelatine can not be obtained, the best
quality of white glue may be soaked for
short time in water, and then cut up
into thin strips with . pair of scissors.
PERSIAN INSECT POwDER.-During
the past few years the use Of Persian or
Dalmatian Insect Powder, prepared
from the various species Of pyrethrum,
as p. carneuns and p. roseun,, for the
purpose of destroying noxious insects,
has greatly increased, and the product,
estimated by pounds ten years ago, has
since been raised to as many tons. The
plant is related to the camomile. Ex-
tensive plantations are now cultivated
in various parts of Europe, Germany
especially; and quite recently large
industry in this connection has been
established in California, the product Of
which proves peculiarly efficient, and
will probably in time supersede the i'm
ported article. The preparation, as &C.
curing in the trade, Is in the form of
fine yellowish powder, and is especially
efficient in the destruction of reaches,
bed-bugs, and ants. Burned 50 as to
make not unpleasant smudge, it stu
pefies the mosquitoes and flies in room,
and prevents their annoying the occu-
pants. The precise nature Of the inf1u-
ence exerted upon the insect world,
while not affecting man in any manner,
has been a problem. Professor Hager
considers this to be due to two SUBJ
stances: the first, body related to
trimethylamine, present in the flowers
of the plants in combination with an
acid and the other, the more important
and active part, the resinous dust from
the petals, together with the prickly pol
len. The trimethylamine component is
difficult of isolation, and has been hith-
erto obtained only in small quantities
and associated with an acid. Moisten-
ing this with potash, and holding . fly
over it, it exhibits convulsive motions.
The dry powder appears to be more eff
cient than the tincture.
SAVAGE AND CIVILIZED NATIONS.
At q recent meeting of the London An.
thropological Institute, paper by Prof.
Daniel Wilson, of Toronto, was read,
the Evolution of New Varieties of
Men," in which the author controvert-
ed the prevalent opinion that the con-
tact with more civilized races is neces-
sarily fatal to savage tribes, and
brought forward many facts in support
of his position. He owned, however,
that it is only by the gradual adoption of
the usages of civilization, and by ANAL
gamation with more progressive peo-
pies, that inferior varieties of mankind
can escape the extinction to which they
seem doome0. OF this process of blend.
ing between the two, and the conse-
quent evolution of new varieties of men,
be adduced numerous instances. In
concluding his paper, Prof. Wilson
cited the following curious and striking
testimony in proof Of the fact that traces
of mixed Indian blood are especially
common in the Province of Quebec:
81 do not think that people generally
realize the great extent to which there
is an infusion of Indian blood in the
French Canadian population. In the
neighborhood of Quebec, in the OF.
tawa Valley, and to . great extent
about Montreal, hardly think among
the original settlers there is family in
the lower ranks, and not many in the
higher, who have not some traces Of In
dian blood. At Ottawa, where We have q
large French population, hardly meet
q man-and the women show the traces
even more readily-where l should not
say, from the personal appearance, that
there is dash of the red man." Prof.
Wilson added that in the new Province
of Manitoba the original population is
half. breed one; and it has begun its
political existence with . population
numbering from II, 900 to Il, 600; . race
of civilized hunters and farmers, the of.
spring of red and white parentage. This
is in addition to the much larger num-
Der of children of mixed blood, who,
following the fortunes of their Indian
mothers, grow up members ofthe nomad
hunter tribes. There, more than else
where, he sees an analogy to that which
may be assumed to have produced the
Melanochroi of Europe's prehistoric
ages, when the intruding Aryan first
came into contact with Turaman or
Allophylian tribes of that Neolithic Pc