The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1880-03-31
TIMELY TOPICS.

A French scientist has invented n
number of small electric lamps which
can be used by the surgeon in illuminat-
ing the throat, the mouth, or even the
moro internal parts of the body, while
performing an operation. It is now sug-
gested that it would be possible to ma
terially assist the physician in his dag
nosis, by means of a powerful electric
light. On the assumption that the hui
man body is only semi-opaque, it is
proposed to place the patient in such a
position in connection with a dark
screen, that it is probable a powerful
electric light would sufficiently illum-
mate his interior to enable the physician
in dark room to see so much of the
workings of the principal organs as
would assist him to arrive at a correct
conclusion as to the nature of the case.
If such a scheme is possible it would
undoubtedly be of much advantage to
medicine.
One of the unexpected sources of
wheat supply for Europe is the river
Platte country in South America.
Large shipments of new-crsp wheat
have already been made by steamers to
Liverpool and Bordeaux. Australia,
also, has now become a serious COM
petitor of the United States, and during
the past few months has shipped enor-
nous quantities of wheat to England
by Suez canal steamers. Countries in
the southern hemisphere finish their
winter wheat harvests at Just the time
when the supply from northern coun-
tries begins to be exhausted.
The year 1880 will be memorable in
naval and commercial annals for the
promulgation OF a new code of sea sig
nails and road rules. Great Britain,
France, Germany, Russia, Austria, Italy,
the Netherlands, Sweden, Denmark,
Belgium, Spain, Portugal, Greece, Chill
and the United States have agreed 10
these rules, which include, besides sig
mailing with colored lights, a set of
blasts from the steam whistle or fog
horn, whose numbers and length of
duration talk plainly. For example, a
steamer sighting any vessel gives one
short blast to denote that she is keeping
to starboard, two if she is keeping to
port, and three if she is going astern.
Other blasts have fixed meanings. The
new rules should help to diminish the
number of disastrous collisions which
have been steadily increasing with the
increase of shipping.
The Moscow industrial exhibition,
which was to have been opened on the
first of May, as an additional celebra-
tion of the czar's twenty-fifth anniver-
sary, is postponed till next year, chiefly
on account of the present disturbed state
Of public affairs. 1t will not be inter
national, as was reported, confining it.
self strictly to Russian produce. IN
fact, it appears intended for a duplicate
of that OF 1872, and will probably oc-
cupy the same site, viz, the slope around
the foot of the Kremlin wall. One of
the leading attractions on that occasion
was the appearance of a number Of
Central Asian Sarts and Kirghiz whom
II shrewd Russian had hired to hang
around his refreshment bar, and draw
attention by their outlandish dress and
features. Another curious episode was
the bewilderment of a group of Russian
peasants at the sight of a small wooden
building, the character of which they
guessed at in vain, till a passer-by in
formed them that it was model Of one
of their own cottages.