St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1881-04-30
SCIENTIFIC MISCELLANY.

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"A recent investigation has led to the
discovery OF the remarkable fact that
intense cold may deprive masnetized
steel bars OF all their magnetism. This
tact has an important bearing upon OBJ
serVatlons OF the magnetic condition of
tue earth taken in high attitudes; for
what appear to be daily and yearly
changes III the earths magnetism may
be due in large part to conditions of
temperature, which affect the magnets
used IN the observations.
NJ. Leon lianet has succeeded in
bleaching 10y means of the electric.
hight. The concentrated rays complete
iy decolorlze blood albumen in twenty
four hours, under ordinary conditions.
The obscure poison which produces
hydrophobia has been known to lie la
tent in the human system for years be-
fore developing its fatal results. NJ.
Pasteur declares the suppostion to he
well supported that the virus does de-
velop IN certain organs, and not, as in
other similar maladies, in the blood
and that when-after period variable
according to clrcumstances-the organ
lied poison passes into the blood severe
symptoms come on rapidly, and the
victim soon dies. An explanation sub
stantially the same as this had long
been advanced as mere theory, but now
NJ. Pasteur advances it as an ascer-
tanned physiological fact.
Eminent oculists having pronounced
the reading of German text to be inju-
rious to the eyes, the Bernese govern
ment has resolved to discontinue it's use
as much as possible, and all their Off
cial announcements will henceforth be
printed exclusively in Roman charac-
ters.
A new safety lamp for mines emits
loud sound whenever an explosive mix
ture of gas and air enters it, thus giving
warning Of the presence of fire damp.
DR.. Langfeldt has tried number of
substances for destroying microscopic
life in drinking water, the most striking
results being attained from citric acid.
When one part of the acid was added to
two thousand parts of water 'iee CA
in from on" l. -.4,nutes. Mi
-,~op,c gs;sgg.sssl,illa.-u showed that
those forms of ANNA, lac having a
thick scaiy covering are not affected by
the dilute citlic acid, bnt only those
with thinner COATING he g.vauer
part Of these unweicome visitors belong
however, to this latter class, while the
former are visible to the naked eye, SO
that solution Of the strength mention
ed will suffice rs a safeguard. The
dead animalculae Immediately settle to
the bottom of the vessel containing the
water, and may be found in the sedi-
ment. The solution Of citric acid spoils
quickly, and it is recommended that it
be freshly prepared every day.
The earth's eastward rotation, to-
gether with the increase in rate from
the poles to the equator, has tendency
to throw the water of streams against
their western banks sufficient to pro-
duce quite marked effects in many parts
of the world. 1t is noticeable in large
rivers where the deposits are earthly,
and the pitch Of the water is small in
the direction Of the stream, the ban k
against which the water stikes the more
forcibly being high and steep while the
other is low. The effect has been OBJ
served in many streams of Europe and
Asia, and on the rivers intersecting the
low land of the Atlantic border of the
Uniled States.
NJ. de Kessi has been led by certain
experiments to believe that explosions
Of fire-damp are preceded by slight IN
dulations and noises too small to be de- !
tected by any means except the micro
phone. He thinks that by the aid OF
observations in collieries
the presence Of large quantities of in
flammable gas in the earth might be
detected in season to prevent disastro us
M. Mtintz, by means Of test SO deli
cate as to detect the presence of alcohol
in a million times its weight OF water.
has found that alcohol exists in all nat
ural waters except very pure spring
water. 1t is found in greater quantity
in snow, and without doubt floats in
vapor in the air. In soils, especially
those rich in organic matter, there is a
quantity.
At the Toronto General Hospital a
young mans leg was lately amputated
Ut the hip by platinum wire raised to
1 white heat by an electric current.
The great heat contracted the ends of
5ile arteries as the limb was cut by the
wire, SO that it was necessary to tie
lie larger ones only. /
In Sheffield, England, it has been
proposed to fix a microphone in the
over of the town clock, and connect it
With the telephone exchange. Through
his means any telephone subscriber
nay have his wire switched to the mi
,rOphone wire, and thus be enabled to
lear tue clock strike any hour of the
lay.
A telegraph wire in India is stretched
between the SUBMITS of two hills-each
ill being 1900 feet high-across the !