The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1879-09-05
SCIENTIFIC MISCELLANY.


The first step in color photograph,
seems at leDgtl, 10 have been accom-
plished, photographs of the solar spec
trum in natural colors having been pro
duced upon plates of silver. II the an
piication can be made general, the new
discovery will doubtless prove mosl
important acquisition TO the art of pic.
ture-making.
Prof. Wollnoy finds compact soils in
general subject to greater fluctuations OF
temperature than loose ones; the formoi
Delng warmer by day and in warm wea-
ther, and colder at night and during the
winter season.
Recent measurements of the crania of
eminent men and of criminals show
that, while capacious intellect REQUIRES
large skull, large Uranium does moi
OF itself always imply high order OF
intelligence. The crania of consid-
cradle number of criminals were found
to have capacity much above the
average.
AS remedy for near -sightedness.
which has become so general among
literary people, Russian physician has
suggested printing books with white
ink upon black paper.
Reports from Stockholm state that the
Vega, the vessel of Prof. Nordens kiold's
polar expedition, has cleared the ice
and passed through Behring's Straits.
the northeast passage being thus accom-
plished for the first time.
Tho eminent astronomer in charge of
the Russian observatory at PulkOwa.
Prof. Otto Struve, has arrived in this
country. The object of his visit ia 10
arrange with the firm of Alvan Clark
u Co., Cambridge, Mass, for the con-
struction of telescope of the very lar
gest size, the Russian Government wish
Ing to mount an instrument which shall
place the PulkOwa observatory at the
head of astronomical institutions.
According to DIR. Besnier, sciatica
can be successfully treated by sub
cntaneous injections of chloroforIn, and
This substance may be advantageouslv
employed instead of morphine for pa
tienis who cannot we'll bear the effects
of the latter.
A system of railway signal bars at
dlherent angles having been proposed
III place OF color signals, DR.. Garretson
calls attention to new source of dan
ger from the use of the former, arising
from the frequency of the optical defect
known as astignatism. This defect.
which is found to be much more general
than color-blindness, causes the eve to
see bars or lines clearly only when
they are at certain planes with the hori- |
zon; lines or bars at other planes being |
seen dimly or not at all.
Concerning the preservatiye coating
recently applied to Cleopatra's Needle,
a London Times correspondent writes
. In operating upon the granite, Mr., |
Browning first gave it a thorough cleans
ing, removing all the sooty and greasy
matters from the surface, and then In
durated it with his invisible preserya-
tive solution. The effect has been 10
give a freshness to the granite as il only
just chiseled from the rock, retaining
the original color, disclosing the several
veins, the white spar shining in the
SUMS rays like crystals, and exhibiting
the polished portions as they formerly
existed. The solution enters we'll into
the pores of the granite, and the best
consider that il will have
tho effect of thoroughly preserving the
Tho oroo, ,,.,, 80 A..
,,,;np S.c"t hiaP 0I inc moon upon
MniIn ~. oulus ochmldt, OF Athens,
.,as aa oee pecm a. Work ior tweiye years shows
z'oDo cla,orS anu rihg-hKe formations
oh sne lunar surface, ana 3lS rills and
.iel.s. " ocnmldt estimates that the
De @ OF craters would be increased
70 ioo,ovo IN a complete chart repre-
sentlng Ihe moon as it appears when
hundred.
An r,u,;s,,
,,. nn L:sli Pnysician reports that he
! ''',s oo.aln1u io't grains Oh arsenic from
a. pdpel 'hp oo,,r analysis was made