The Cheyenne daily leader. [volume] (Cheyenne, Wyo.) 1870-1884, 1880-04-11
SCIENTIFIC MIscELLAxY.

- 49, 1%--1H
Fragments OF papyri are stil being
found in Egypt, some Of them bearing
epistles Ia Greek characters.
An estimate has lately been made by
Herr salzer placing the number Of optic
nerye-hbres ut about 49, 00, and the
number Of retinal cones at $4,000,
in each human eye.
An analysis has been made Of the soil
OF a cemetery in which no interments
has been made for thirty years. and the
products OF animal decomposition are
foand to be still present.
A peculiar substance has been found
by Prof A. seaeehi In the lava which
issued from Vesuyious during the year
1851. lie supposes Il 10 be a new metal,
and gives il the name cesbiua.
In Prussia n person In every four
hundred and fifty is insane. A Berlin
scientist attributes this large proper
tion 10 intemperance among the lower
class, and 10 educational examining in
early years among others.
Some two years since, according to u
foreign medical report, n girl Of seven
teen received a severe fright, which
within n few days thereafter resulted In
a total loss Of her hair. None has
grown since, and she remains complete
ly bald.
A small quantity Of the essential oil
Of aloes wa recently exhibited in Edin-
burgh. 1t is believed to be the only
specimen in the world. The oil exists
only in very minute quantities in aloes,
but two fluid drachms having been OBJ
tanned from i've hundred pounds OF
aloes.
A process has been patented in Ger
many whereby n fur-like material is
produced from feathers In combination
with other textile substances The
product can be used for a variety Of
purposes such as rugs, carpets, aud
some articles Of clothing. Feathers
otherwise valueless can he utilized by
this means.
The hats OF Tia. natives OF British
Columbia are adorned with figures re-
sembling tattoo marks. DIR. Daily has
discovered that these marks all have "A
definite meaning, being, 10 fact, re-
cords Of events which have taken place
in the lives Of the wearers. Each in
dividual thus displays his history upon
his head.
A remarkable discovery WAS lately
made in the region OF the Pyrenees. In
n cav Of the paleolithic or '.old stone-
period there were found teeth of the
cave-bear adorned with drawings, some
of which represent human beings COW
cred with long hair. These rude pic
lures must date many thousand years
before the dawn Of historic times.
NJ. Raoul Pictet suggests the use Of
a great parabolic mirror thirty-ive feet
in diameter rs a mean Of concentra-
ting the SUMS rays and securing a de-
gree OF heat far greater than any eve
produced a~rtiicially. He suspects GER
tain substances now considered rs ele-
mentary to be compounds, and he be-
lieves they may be divided into their
elements by the application Of the in
tense heat in the mirrors focus.
The idea was long prevalent that the
living bodies Of human beings and ami
mails might, under certain circumstan-
ces, take fire spontaneously and be
more or less completely consumed. Al
legged cases of this kind we're even
placed on record. The utter impossible
ity OF any such result was demonstrated
by siebig, who showed that no amount
of fat, alcohol OF phosphorus which a
living body could possibly contain
would render II combustible.
The pitcher plant of Borneo has been
found to be a natural insect trap, in
curving ridges effectually preventing
the escape Of any creeping insects which
may enter. In order to safely reach
the prisoners thus e~ntrapped a species
OF black ant ingeniously perforates
the stalk OF the plant and tunnels up
ward to the pitcher, providing in this
manner a highway by can Of which
ready access is had to u sumptious fare
OF dead and ~decaying insects.
1t has been claimed by several writer's
that more than one of the so-called
.'annual rings" of trees may be formed
in n single season, but the question has
never been co~nclusively settled. The
observations of Mr.. l.. Kiny in Eng
land last year seem to show that two
rings may be formed in the small
branches Of trees during a season, but
that the interruption Of growth in sum-
mer causing THE division OF these rings
is too slight to extend to the trunks.
| Consequently, It may be considered
| that the number Of concentric rings of
wood In the trunks OF trees represents
very nearly their actual age In years.
The "A. Il c." Bitters .ure general
~