Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1880-09-03
SCIENTIFIC MISCELLANY.

Caroohlc acid III liquid form has
been found III the pores of the IRA
liam amethyst. The pressure which
must have been eXerted to liquefv
the c,rbonlc acid is estimated of
seventv-three atlnospheres.
The Russian battle-li,ils of the
year 1872 a,e still being explored for
bones, which &~o converted into
boueblack. | may thus happen
that a man o. the present day may
consume sugar which has been de-
colorizcd aud purified by means Of
the bones of his forcfathers.
1t has been estimated that single
pair of Cyclops quadricornis, u mi-
croScopic crustaccan, will produce q
progeny numbering 800, coo 900 in
the course of six months. This is,
however, but one of the many mar
wells which the microscope has shown
in the unseen world about us.
An Alexandrian physician tells of
an English boy who has survived n
fearful fall. On June |, 1879, tho
lad fell II measured distance OF II,
feet, striking upon Il granite pave
men'. Both legs were fractured,
but he ultimately completely recov.
cred from the effects of the accident.
Among the animals inhabiting the
bottom of the Caspian Sea are found
several species having we'll -developed
organs of sight This is taken as an
indicating that even at great depths
light is not completely absorbed, us
i'll total darkness the eyes of animals
ARE reduced to II rudmentary form.
The adulteration of milk by starch
may be detected by this simple
method: Add few drops Of acetic
acid to the suspected milk; boil the
milk, and filter the whey. If the
milk contains the slightest trace of
starch, single drop of iodine solu-
ton will give blue tint to the
whey.
Two eggs of the extinct great aux
were recently sold by auction in
Edinburgh, one at cl00, and the
other at 1O2 guineas. The latter is
probably the largest sum even paid
for single egg, with the exception
OF that of the moa, q single specimen
of which was sold at the same place
in 1865 for 600.
Experiments have proved that
wooden posts put in the ground in
the same position ms that in which
they grew, top upwards, will become
rotten several years sooner than they
would if placed top downwards in
the soil. The theory is that the
capillary tubes i'll the tree arc SO
adjusted as to oppose the rising mois-
ture when tho wood is inverted.
In communication to the British
Royal Society of Literature, Mr.. j.
W. Redhouse combats the generally
accepted theory that the Aryan races
of mankind originated in the Pamir
highlands of Central Asia, spreading
in northwssterly direction into
Europe, and southwesterly into
India. He believes TINT the polar
regions which ut one time possessed
n tropical temperature, formed the
original home of man.
AT u recent trial in England, gas
company was sued for damages, the
plaintiff having been rendered insen-
sible by an escape of the company's
gas from defective main. The
plaintiff alleged that the accident
had rendered him unfit for business
for considerable period. AS scion
tifc evidence, Drs. Tidy and Hast
ings gave the opinion that the of-
feet of inhaling coal gas IS very
transitory, and that it must quickly
pass from the system, leaving no Ill
effects behind. The jury accepted
this view of the case.
In hardness and binding qualities
the ancient mortars sulpasS tho mod
orn; but the supposition sometimes
made that this superiority Is due to
certain secrets of manufacture or OF
manipulation, which arc now lost, Is
entirely groundless. The true ex-
PLANTATION is, undoubtedly, that all
lnortars improve with aec, and at
tain their maximum hardness and