The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1880-11-06
SCIENTIFIC MISCELLANY.

A new use Iof glass IS fOHnQ III tie
manufacture of window shutters.
Scientists have distinguished about
eigbty-two thousand different species OF
plants, of which number nearly four
thousand are different forms Of grass.
j. Landerer has stated to the French
Academy reasons for believeing that the
materials of the moons snface are analo-
gous to those Of tho silicate rocks so
abundant on our globe.
After an analysis Of tue black mud
existing beneath the pavements OF Paris,
NJ. Henri Deville concludes that the con-
dition Of the soil is not such as to cause
disease, but is instead conducive to the
health Of occupants Of the city.
"A peculiar disease of the coffee plant,
caused by the very rapid development OF
a fungus upon its leaves, has caused such
serious losses in the island Of Java during
the last ten years that reward Of $1OO-
900 has been offered for cheap and Of
fective remedy.
"A practical experiment in military
ballooning has been applied by a com
mittee of the English Government, the
result Of which seems to show that bal
looms may be readily destroyed by mod
ern artillery when within distance of
two thousand nine hundred yards.
The pachymeter, lately patented in
Vienna, which measures the thickness of
paper to the -thousandth part of an
inch, is outdone by the micrometer cali
per, now coming into use in this country,
which determines the thickness of paper
or any thing else to the n-thousandtll
of an inch.
Herr Preyer, German investigator,
has proven that the drowsiness of fatigue
is caused by the introduction into the
blood of Tactic acid, which is produced
by the disintegration Of bodily tissues Of
nerve and muscle. Many of the sensa-
tions we daily experience seem to be the
direct result of similar chemical change
The worlds supply Of Chan turpen-
tine, which DR.. John Clay has found to
produce a surprising curative effect in
cases Of cancer, is very limited, the tur-
pentine trees of Chic numbering, it is re-
ported, only about one thousand. In
consequence Of this scarcity and the fast
growing demand for the drug, the price
is very high, and many limitations are
sold.
Like animals, plants differ greatly
in their habits and the food upon which
ther suLsist Tie -hrnnd- -lAaneaI- 1.I>..e.re,
tnrnips and maugles abstract from the
air q large portion of their growth, while
the narrow-lcavea grains and grasses
partake more largely Of mineral food
which they draw from, the soil. In thi:
fact lies the great advantage to farmers
Of rotation Of crops.
A recently patented German process:
for making rancid butter sweet is tt
knead it with perfectly clear lime water
in the proportion Of five parts of buttel
to one part of lime water. After a fev
minutes kneading the lime-water il
poured off, and the butter thorough,
washed with pure water. The rancidit,
is caused by the presence of certain frc,
acids, which are neutralized by the lime
The discovery Of fphospilorescent bod
les has been traced back to the year 1902
when cobbler of Bologna, pursuing il
his leisure the alchemist's search for TIN
philosophers stone, found a very heav,
mineral, which, after being heated witt
charcoal, became luminous in the dark
The mineral with which the Bolosn
cobbler attained 80 remarkable resnl
was barium sulphate, which by the op
GRAFTON in the crneible was changed t
bar!nm sulpl.idc, one Of the most phos
phorescent substances known.
According to DIR. Kedzie, of Detroit
the adulteration of sugar with glucose
rapidly increasing, and the adulteratiol
| is being effected more and more skiifnlly
Pure glucose is not in itself poisonous o
even injurious, but it makes sugar les
sweet, so that a greater quantity is re
guired to produce a given sweetening sl
feet. Manufactured glucose, howeve,
DIR. Kedzie states is injurious to healtt
because poisonous substances are alway
associated with it. Glucose is also sal
to be constituent of nearly all candle
and syrUps.
An English inventor has devised
process of utilizing old steel i'll the pre-
sluetinn ef q new metallic compoun
which is said to possess rernarka.l
! strength and ducaility. The process cor
ssts III mixing old steel with a patente
compound, and suhjecIng she whole t
an intense furnace heat, when the part
ei-s anal galnate. Steel made on Til
plan sells at 3 high price. It is elaine
| that this process is second in impoftasc
only to Besseaaer's invention, and All es
pecially valuable application Of it vi
be the making use Of old Besseiner stes
rails. G~r
Natehitoches Register: 4 white woma
hy the name Of Julia Brosset vas arreste
and lodged in Jail, charged with havin
stlss and killed q eoiorcd woman iii til
lower part Of this parish, last sprin,
She has evasied the officers heretofor
49, Under the Recommendation of I'll