The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1881-06-30
SCIENTIFIC NOTES

thelr health, mentally and physical
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SCIENTIFIC NOTES. "A
The new luminous paint is find.
ing many applications in science and
the arts. 1t is now used instead OF
reflected artificial light to illuminate
the cross hairs and micrOmeteT
pointer of telescopes during astron-
omical observations.
There are about fourteen grains
troy of gold in each ton of sea water
and n varying amount OF silver,
while sea water, and all water, in
fact, contains per centage of alco-
hol, fifteen and one-half grains being
found in a ton of rain water. This
alcohol, found in vapor in the at
mosphere, and in abundance in rich
humus, is supposed to result from
vegetable decomposition.
1t is said that corn can be raised
so cheaply in Iowa and other west
ern states that it be used for fuel in
place of coal. 1t costs about Sc to
raise an acre ofcorn. Fifty bushels
will weigh $500 pounds, and when it
sells for but fifteen cents per bushel,
it is cheaper than soft coal at 81 per
ton: Two bushels will make fire
enough to keep family warm all
day, even in very cold weather.
Many people object to vaccina-
ton because they fear the matter
used will not be pure. These should
feel less fear about it when they
know that the vaccine matter can
be readily obtained from the COW.
A gentleman in England proposes
to use artificial lymph, "produced
without animal contract. by isola-
ting, and then breeding the vaccine
organisms in suitable germ nutritive
solutions"
Considerable changes in the
water level of several lakes in Cali
fOrnio and Oregon are reported. 1t
is stated that Goose lake. 80 miles
long, was nearly dry in 1858 and 1854,
but contained ten feet ofwaterin 1870
and its depth has since been increas-
ing. Clear lake is also ten feet
deeper than in 1854; while Lulie
lake, in the same region, is now ten
or fifteen feet higher than then.
Nearly every year there falls in
some part of the world a greater or
less quantity of fine yellow powder,
which fall is popularity believed to
be shower of sulphur. Investiga-
ton, however, shows the powder to
be the fine pollen of a species ofpine
tree. The pollen grains float easily
in the air and are often carried by
aral fhnnCnnA 4
fall on snow the effect is often start
ling.
For preserving the natuarl col
'ors ofdried flowers and plants, this
process has been recommended by
German scientists: Dissolve one
part of salicylic acid in six hundred
parts of alcohol, heat the solution to /
boiling in a shallow dish, and draw
the plant through it slowly; shake
off any excess of liquid. dry between
blotting paper, and press in the usual
manner. Natural colors are said 10
be thus preserved in greater perfec-
ton than by other processes. l..e
3d.. "A remarkable fact is noticed in
the June number of the Journal of
Microscope. The Lords prayer, con-
sisting of BAT letters, has been en-
grayed so small that each letter oc-
cupies the space of 1900 millionth
part of a square inch. On the same
scale, the whole Bible, with 3,566,48O
letters, can be engraved fifty-nine
times in the space,of only one square
inch. 1t is hardly necessary to state
that as yet no one has attempted
the task of engraving the Bible.
The use of the electric telegraph
in Arctic exploration is suggestion
lately made by the superintendent
of the Western Union Telegraph
Company at San Francisco, and the
plan seems an excellent and prac teal
one. By such aid sledge parties
could be kept in constant communi-
cation with the main body of the
expedition. The wires would be
made as light as possible and laid
along the snow or ice or the frozen
ground, either of which would suffi-
GENTLY insulate the wires, without
the use of the usual poles and glass
insulators. i
The increasing applications of
electricity have given peculiar inter-
est to the attempts that have been
made to store up electric currents
for use when desired. The latest |
innovation is due to M. Faure, who
has modified with remarkable sue
cess the secondary battery of CASTOR
Plante. The apparatus consists of
two sheets of lead coated with MN
ium (the lead oxide usually known
as fred lead") and rolled together in |
a spiral, being kept apart by layer of |
felt, and then placed in a vessel of d. |
lutte acid. When q current is passed
into this cell the minimum on one plate |
isreduced to metallic lead, that on the |
other is oxidized to the state of per-
oxide. These actions are reversed |
while the charged cell is being dis
charged According to Nj. Reynier,
one of these cells made large enough |
to weigh about 175 pounds may store |
up energy sufficient to furnish after
wards 0ne-horse power of work for
an hour. The energy thus sbottledr |
may be preserved intact for con-
siderable time, always ready for use.
5 The Brenham Banner closes its
comments on the recent ssbull-doz-
ingn cases tried at Austin thus: eve
that the good people of
Austin were exceeding kind to the
gentlemen who were ON trial, and
that especial praise is due to Messrs.
Fisher and Walton for the masterly
manner in which they worked up
the cases for the defense. The de-
PENDANTS have been put to great ex-
pense and trouble and have NO re-
dress whatever. 1t is evident that
the charges should never have heaD