The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1881-08-27
SCIENTIFIC MISCELLANY.

SCIENTIFIC MISCELLANY.
Tho editor of L'Elcctricite recon-
nen.ls a conrsc Of experiments to deter
mine the value Of electricity in restoring
the circulation in the bodies of persons
nearly drowned or asplyxiated.
"A marine algae is found in the
Arctic regions growing ut a temperature
far be!nw zero, while at higher tcmpera-
lures the spores disappear. From this
fact it appears that some vegetable life
and continuous dryncss, and to that
class the cryptogams of red snow pro-
badly belong.
considerable changes in the water
level of several lakes in California and
Oregon are reported. 1t is stated that
Goose lake, thirty miles long, was nearly
dry in 1853 and 1854, but contained ten
feet of water in 1870 and its depth has
since been increasing. Clear lake is also
ten feet deeper than III 1854; while
Tnlic lake, in the same region, is now
ten or fifteen feet higher than then.
NEARLY every year there falls i'll some
part Of the world greater or less guam
tity of fine yellow powder, which fall is
popularity believed to be !; shower Of sui
plnlr Investigation, however, shows
the powder ia. be the fine pollen Of a
species Of Pine tree. The pollen grains
float easily in the air, and are often
carried by gales :. thousand miles. When
they fan on snow the effect is often start
ling.
A curious work by Prof Ferri, treat
ing of crininality in France, has APP
lcarcd in Italy. Among other results,
the author finds a concentration of crime
is an even decreasing number of in.liyi-
dnals, some Of whom appear to pass
Their whole lives in the repetition of
criminal deeds In other words, while
the number of criminals is becoming
less, the vicious are growing more de-
PRAYED,
For preserving the natural colors Of
dried flowers AMI plants, this process
has been recommended by German scien-
fists: Dissolve one part of salicylic acid
~. six hundred parts of alcohol, heat the
solution to boiling in shallow dish, and
draw the plant through it slowly: shake
on any excess Of liquid, dry between
hl"ttins paper, and press in the usual
manner. Natural colors are said to be
thus preserved in greater perfection
than by other processes.
M. Trouv6 has been expcrmentiur
~ Paris with electricity Us Il motive
power for boats With IN clectromag
het'c motor weighing aboat five pounds. |
driven by two batteries weighing about |
twenty-five POUNDS each, he recently
caused 4 boat carrying three persons to
be propelled at the tate of about three
miles al hour. Tie little motor did
duty which i single rover would have
been nnatle te perform. Tie motor,
operating IL small screw, WIS attached to
Tbs fudtlcr, and worked without noise of
any KIND or any perceptihle jar.
The use OF the electric telegraph in
Ar'lc exploration is II suggestion lately
made 10y the superintendent of the Yves
tern Union Telegraph Company at Sun
fril'c'Sc", and the plan seems an excel
i'"' and practical one. Ey such aid
sitdSe parties could he kept in cons tant
communication with the main body OF
tn" expedition. The wires would be
;'i''dc rs light as possible, aud laid :,lou"
III" SNOW OF Ice OF tlo itq-aU, ground,
either of which would Sufficiently in
hllatr he wires without the use of the
usual poles and glass i,snlators.
Ina recent address before Il British
society, Dr. Richardson, +. r.
y, stated that he number OF wril-ku,w.,
,'l'tcti"'ls diseases is twcnty-six and
shat each has its special period of inc,-
hafl"n, winch IS quite regular. Tho
period Of incubation is the time which {
ntrrNr.lrs between the acccntation of {
he poison causin. the disease and the :
list manifestation of effect. Diseases /
n:iy thus be grouped according to their 5
hvn'atlan period into five classes !
!nltr>t. short. medium, long and lour !
ST he shortest period is ono 10 four
lays. nd sln,lrr this head come plo,ur t
'il"ici;s. malignant pustule and aissec II
ION r"lS'a'. The second ,.eriud is from /
y" y >iN days. and embraces scarlet c
rHrr, ,l'h5hvlia. Group, el:>iprlas
influenza, .lan,lels and 5
'y;r'hla. The medium period is from =
nnr I" eight days. and includes cow-po> ;,
and lc."p>iny fever. Tile long period i, 6.
rom tv,i ~ fifteen days, and to it belong t
t,'is!,4 iHilnr>. 'ypi,ns. and typhoid,
u, l.'l't',~' period, ,"st> ,l.4>~, include,