Richland beacon., 1880-02-28
SCIENCE AND ART NOTES.

EXPERIMENTS made on dogs show
that these animals can absorb with i'm
punity abo1t sixteen times as much ar
senic, in proportion to their weight, as
would kill human being.
The Gulf Stream is not the only cur
rent of the ocean. There is a south
ward stream running under that. and
over the whole ocean there are currents.
some of which circle the whole globe.
By means of the polygraph, an ap
paratus invented by Russian, sixty
copies OF any written document or
drawing can be made in an hour, and
the cost of material for the sixty copies
is only two cents.
}. +. REYNOLDS has published sugar
test Tor determining the purity of water.
Hall litre of water is put into a flask,
and then q piece of white sugar about
the size of pea is introduced. The
mouth OF the flask is covered with a
piece of paper. After the flask is ox.
posed 8 or 10 days to the sunlight, its con-
tents will become muddy if the water
held much organic matter.
In the number for Jan. 3, 1880. tie
Scsentyfc american has an illustration
showing snake after having been
more than half swallowed by a larger
snake, escaping alive through Il wound
IN the side of the latter. The editors
cay the snakes were found as repre-
sented, in a bayfield, near CoIlinsbv,
canada, by Mr. John Filmer. at is
Mr.. Filmer's opinion" they continue.
that while thrusting fork into the
hay, he Must have struck the body OF
the larger snake, making the opening
through which the smaller ore was ,.at-
TALLY liberated. Both snakes vera
alive. The larger one is Familiarity
known as the garter snake, the smaller
one as the Common brown snake"
A CORRESPONDENT of Lqad md Water
says: "a curious incident o. the whole
OF the occupants of small iish-pond
being destroyed by flash Of lightning,
Is reported from Seek, Grand Duchy of
Nassau. The Nassauer Botestates that
during q heavy thunder and lightning
storm at night time, q fash of lightning
struck a small pond, we'll stocked with
various kinds of fish, the property of
the pastor Of the parish. The following
morning the whole of the fish were dis
covered dead upon the surface of the
water. They had all the appearance
of having been half boiled, and crumbled
to pieces at the least touch, Just as is
the case with fish after being boiled.
Neither any external nor internal in
jury could be observed, the scales being
intact, and the swimming bladder filled
and we'll preserved. The water in the
pond was still. muddy, and dull the
morning after the storm, as if the light
ming had only then struck it.
A VERY important inquiry into the
properties and functions of chlOr0phyl
has Just been made in Berlin by Pring-
sheim, the results of which necessitate
a great change in the current opinions
on the nutrition and general physiology
of plants. The main object of the re-
search is the influence upon chlorophyl,
and upon the plant. generally, of |
concentrated sunlight. From these ex-
periments the important result is arrived |
at, that the destruction of the green
tolOring matter is true process of |
combustion, and has no relation what |
ever to the decomposition of carbonic |
acid by the plant. As long as the
chlorophvl remains unaltered, the pro-
tOplasm is also unaffected, 50 that the
chlorophyl may be said 20 act as pro-
tectiye covering to he protoplasra
against the htrtful action Of the lici.t |
or in other words, to diminish the inteu-
sity of the respiratory process. The ab-
ssorptlre property OF chlorophyl on
light, especially on the chemical rays,
coniers upon it, therefore, the power Of |
regulating the respiration of tie plant.