The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1881-07-09
SCIENTIFIC MISCELLANY.

application of phosploric acid in the
spring materially increases the yield of
sugar.
Various kinds of smoke have recen-
tly been examined microscopically, and
found to consist of particles having q
diameter of about the fty-thousandth
part Of an inch.
DIR. Jennings, of Paris. declares mu-
sic to he very valuable agent in mental
diseases. He has long used it in the
treatment of his patients, and finds that
it exerts most soothing effect upon
their minds.
Prof. Schubeler's observations show
that the long summer days of high lati-
tudes cause flowers, fruits, etc, to gain
in intensity of color and aroma, while,
from the want of heat, the fruits become
deficient in sweetness.
Yankee ingenuity seems to he at last
outdone. A very useful system has, it is
said, been inaugurated in Belgium, by
which subscribers to the telephone ex-
changes can he awakened at any desired
hour in the morning by means of pow
erful alarm.
The frescoes of Pompeii represent a
considerable number of plants, and,
taking advantage of the discoveries
made during the recent excavations OH
the occasion Of the centenary Of the
eruption, DR.. Comes has identified no
fewer than fifty different plant s. lies
on frescoes. In this manner he has
shown, among other things, that the
ancient Romans possessed or knew plants
| foreign to Italy.
AT a recent soiree in Paris NJ. Tronv6
showed live fish with its body lighted
from within by his polyscope, minute
form of which, with conducting wires
passing to the hands of the operator, the
| fish had been caused to swallow. The
whole body became transparent in the
dark, SO that the vertebrae could be
counted, and all details examined. 1t is
expected that a great variety of uses
will be found for this little instrument.
-Vesta, the largest of the minute
planets known as asteroids" is COM
puted to have diameter Of about three
hundred miles; and Echo, the smallest,
is probably about ten miles in diameter.
Some mathematician has lately furnished
the rough but interesting calculation
that the Sun is thousand times the
volume of Jupiter; Jupiter, thousand
times that of the Earth; the Earth, a
thousand times that of Vesta and
Vesta, q Thousand times that Of Echo
the "baby" Of the solar system as at
present considered. A vast number OF
bodies far more minute than Echo is
doubtless revolving about the Sun, but
these fragmentary masses are so small as
to he unseen by astronomers except when
they flash as meteors through the upper
regions Of our atmosphere OH their way
to the Earth.
81 have cndeavorcd to state the
higher and more abstract arguments by
which the study Of physical science may
be shown to be indispensable to the
complete training of the human mind
but l do not wish it to be supposed
that because / may be devoted to more
or less abstract and impractical pursuits
1 am ipsensible to the weight whicl
ought to be attached to that which la!
been said to be the English conception o
Paradise-namely getting on Now
the value of a knowledge Of pbysca
science as means of getting on is in
dubitabe. There are hardly any of ou
trades, except the merely hucksteriDt
ones, in which some knowledge Of scienc,
may not be directly proftabl. to th'
pursuer of that occupation. An industr,
attains higher stages of its development
as its processes become more complicate,
and refined and the sciences are dragged
in, one by one, to take their share i'll th
fray ."-Hurley.
Much interest has been shown in th
experiments of Mr.. Muybridge, of Sal
Francisco in the instantaneous photo
graphy Of moving animals, reports o
which have been given from time to time
These pictures, taken in different stage
of the animals motion, show various dii
fereut postures of the limbs and bod,
Some time ago, Mr.. Muybridye devise
} an instrument for exhibiting these pho
tosraphs 1t is called the zoogyroscope
and series of posturcs OF any anima
being placed in it and rapidly rotate
gives the appearance of minatur
moving animal, every motion Of any ami
nal shown-even to the whsk Of it
tail-being faithfully reproduced ny thl
ingenious combination of the photo
; graphic views. This system of cours
furnishes a valuable means for the stud
of animal motion, advantage of whic
; has been taken in various ways Som
late interesting experiments have bee
made with the skeleton of a horse, whic
was taken apart and supplied with art
ticial lisaments to the joints. This pr
, pared skeleton was made to assume IL
various positions Of the living horse,
shown by previous photographs, and e.
posed to tie camera while i'll those pos
tons. Iho pictures thus secured a
placed in the zoogyroscope, where Il
skeleton is shown i'll all the movemen
of the living animal in its various sal