Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1880-05-07
SCIENTIFIC MISCELLANY.


very satisfactory results.
The extensive studies of DR.. De.
caisne have proven to him conclus-
lively that immoderate smoking of
tobacco produces in certain subjects
especially in women and children
an irregular action OF the heart,
which quickly disappears when the
cause is removed.
The St. Gothard tunnel furnishes
another striking example of accurate
surveying. Although the entire
length of the tunnel is nine and a
quarter miles, the two galleries were
bored with such precision that they
met with a difference of only four
inches in level and lateral devia-
ton of less than eight inches.
Some remarkable facts are being
elected by the Investigations of nat
uralists in Borneo. In the stems of
certain plants found there galleries
are tunneled by n species Of ant, and
it is asserted on the authority of Bee
carl that tn" PRESENCE of the ants is
actually csst ,!t..L to the existence of
the plants, for unless attacked by
the insects when young the plants
soon die.
In cases of suspended animation,
or asphyxia, life should not be too
soon given up. Discussing prema-
ture burials, in a communication to
the French Academy. Prof. Fort
states that he was enabled to restore
to life child three years old by
practicing artificial respiration on it
four hours, commencing three hours
and a half after apparent death.
In another case which come under
his observation, physician restored
a nearly droWned person after four
hours Of artificial respiration. This
person had been in the water ten
minutes, and the physician arrived
one hour otter asphyxia.
The suns radiation is not without
influence on the comfort of the occu.
pants of a house. and the influence
may be very differently felt, accord
ing to the exposure of houses. In
a building unaffected by any. shade
Herr Vogt recently made series of
experiments to determine the rela-
tive amount of the suns heat daily
entering the different sides. He
obtained the surprising result that
more heat enters building through
the east and west walls than through
the wall facing directly south, al
though the south side is exposed to
the direct action of the suns rays
nearly twice as long as either of the
others. A considerably greater
quantity of heat is received by tho
east than by the west side.
Fish Commissioner Green notes
a curious instance of insect strategy.
One day he observed mud wasp
alight near spiders nest. Creep
ing cautiously around toward the
entrance to the nest, the wasp
stopped little short of it, and for
a moment remaining perfectly quiet.
Then reaching out one of his an
tennae, he wriggled it before the
opening and withdrew it. This
overture produced the desired effect,
for a large spider quickly ran out to
investigate the cause of the disturb
ance. As the spider reached the
most favorable point for attack, the
wasp quickly sprang forward and
dispatched his foe with a single
thrust of his sting. The wasp then
repeated his feint until apparently
satisfied that his assault would be
met with no further opposition, when
he entered the nest and slaughtered
the young spiders, which he after
wards carried away.
With the telephone, writing tele.
graph and many other remarkable
applications of electricity fresh in
mind, no one seems greatly surprised
by the announcement that not only
may speech aud varieties of motion
be transmitted Geographically but
that form and color also may be pro-
duced at distance through the in
strumentality of the same potent
aDent This rasulf caamu IN bovo