The weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1878-1881, 1879-12-30
Communicated
mi MISCELLANY.
Running Commentaries ON Recent Scien
tific Discoveries.

1 no. .4r- EH AAc AOSs .# Ea
1t is curious to see, says Nature, the impress
sion which the electric light has made on two
/ semi-civilized monarch, the recent barbarities
ofone of whom at east have proved him to be
little better than a savage. The King OF
Burmah, the papers tell us, has recently or
dered a wholesale importation of electric
lighting apparatus; and from a note in the
last number of Les Mondes We learn that the
Shah of Persia has had the light introduced
into Teheran, showing all intelligent interest
in its working, under the direction of a
Frenchman, M. Fabius Boital. So pleased
was his Persian Majesty with the display that
he decided on the creation of a palace of in
dustry, the construction of which he has
confided to NJ. Boital. Let us hope that the
Shah will continue in this laudable frame of
mind, and be led or to introduce many of the
other beneficial applications of science into
his ill-governed country.
An oscillation of the waters of Lake Gem
eva has been observed, the period of the rise
and fall being seventy-eight minutes. When
the water is at its greatest height on one shore
it is found to be at its lowest point on the
opposite side of the lake.
Berlin ~rejoices in the possession of a I" Sci
entitic Cooking Association" formed by
housewives of the city. 1t has a school of
instruction in cookery, and a competent chem
ist gives the members of the society a course
of lectures in practical chemistry. A labora-
tory has been established, in charge of the
chemist, for the examination of articles of
food, and, also, of utensils employed in cook
ing.
A recent report to the French Anthropo-
logical society, states that the island of Anda-
man, in the Indian ocean is inhabited by a
race of wild men, little superior to monkeys.
In counting, these people are said to slap the
nose for units, and to pull down the corners
of the eyes for tens. The hundreds are
rather beyond their mathematical powers.
The ancient temples of Egypt furnish
specimens of timber which are supposed to
be the oldest wood in existence ever used by
nan These specimens are found as dowel-s
pins in connection with stone work, which IS
known to be. at least 1900 years old. The
wood appears to be from the tamerisk or
Shittim, a sacred ire. of ancient Egypt. From
the wood of this tree the ark is said to have
been constructed.
A recent estimate of the date of the neo-
lithic period by Mr.. Sidney 3. j. Skertchly,
an English scientist, furnishes a good ~illustra-
ton of the processes by which the ages of the
different epochs in the existence of mankind
are alphabetically determined. 1t is known
that during a long period prior to historic
times the implements of the human race
were made solely of stone. These relics,
with the bones of prehistoric man and con-
temporary animals, are now found covered by
the earthly deposits of ages. Thu earlier
forms of stone implements were very roughly
fashioned, while at a much later date they
were well formed and polished. From these
facts the stone age is considered in two dis
tinct periods-the paleolithic old stone) and
the neolithic (new stOne). The latter period,
although of much shorter duration than the
former, is regarded with greater interest on
account OF its nearer approach to historic
times. 1t is the probable date of this period
which Mr.. Skertchly discusses. TIT Euro
pean district of the Fenland occupies all area
of thirteen hundred square miles bordering
The bay of the Wash. The inland portion
consists OF peat, buried in which are found
neolithic implements. Between the peat and
the sea a wide stretch of salt sand has been
deposited by the waves As this land has
been built up from the time of the Roman
occupation at least, banks have been erected
to reclaim the newly-formed ground. The
date of these banks is known, and thus very
accurate estimates can be made of the rate at
which the deposition is going on in different
parts. The maximum rate is SO feet per
annum. The geological evidence shows
that, as the sitting went on and the area be-
came converted into land, peat grew and
gradually spread over the land. Inthe course
of time, however, the climate became untitled
for the growth of peat, which ceased to form.
Hence a wide stretch borders the Wash, on
which no peat ever existed. From the Roman
banks to the sea is a distance of four miles,
for the accumulation of which 1,7O0 years
have been required. Between these banks
and the peat lie twelve miles of silt land,
which, at the same rate of formation, would
be accumulated IN 100 years. Adding these
numbers together gives $500 years as the
least possible age of the newest peat. by
which the neolithic implements are covered.
Two Swiss estimates have been made from
different data, each confirming this result.
Further evidence leads Mr.. Skertchly to con-
clude that the commencement of the neolithic
era in England must date back 10000 years,
and perhaps 10000.
One ounce Of peach kernels is found to
contain a grain of prussic acid-a fatal guam
tity.