St. Landry democrat., 1881-05-14

ana aleu- quIChiy Will "oAA ' ~
symptoms of carbuncle. Of seven sheep
allowed experimentally to pass few
hours daily on this spot, two died OF
the same disease in the course of six
weeks. tue rest of the flock remaining
unaffected. This seems to prove beyond
q doubt the existence of disease germs
far space of twelve years.
Replying to the question whether or
not our ancestors were acquainted
with the peculiar physical condition
known to us as somnambulism, DIR.
Resnard, of Paris, said in a recent lee
ture that one of the most accurate des-
criptions of somnambulism in existence
was that in the sleep walking scene of
Macbeth.
Experiments at Woolwich have dem
onstrated that the transmission of de-
tonation from one mass OF gun cotton
to another not in contact is so rapid
that row of gun cotton reaching from
London to Edinburgh could be fired In
two minutes.
In a communication to the st. Peters
burg Technical Society, Prof. Beilstein
recommends the use of alumina as the
best practical disinfectant. He states
that the best method of making the
salt for disinfecting purposes is to mix
red clay with four per cent OF sulphurlc
acid, and to add to the mixture some
carbolic acid for destroying the smell
of the matter to be disinfected.
The deepest known worked mine is in
Australia-a shaft having been sunk
5000 feet.
SAYS recent writer: "What has been
the ultimate fate of the Egyptian num-
mics stored with care i'll the rocky
vaults and pyramids on the banks of
the Nile7 They have in these later
times been dragged from their recesses
and ground into powder, as an article
of commerce to be exported to Europe.
The cereal crops of England are partly
produced from the mummified remains
of human beings who walked the
streets of Thebes three thousand years
ago. The bodies of venerable The
bans-swells in their time-laid to rest
in fond anticipation of securing NOR
tai Immortality, sold at so much ton
to fertilize the exhausted soil of an is
land in the German Ocean That is
what the ancient Egyptians have got by
all their skill in protracting the dissolu-
ton of mortal remains. Their marvel
GUS preparations have ended in favor
ably quoted-manure!"
Mr.. Alfred Dumesnil claims to have
made an interesting and useful discov-
ery-how to preserve plants in a per-
fectly vigorous state without any earth
During constant trial for several
months he has never found the least
interruption or disturbance of the veg
etative functions of the plants treated
by him but, on the contrary, many OF
the plants have blossomed with a vigo1
which, as an experienced horticulturist
he has never seen in his garden. Fur.
tier particulars concerning this alleged
discovery will he awaited with interest
A model of proposed electric rail.
way for mail service was recently ex'
hibited in Vienna. According to the
plan suggested, miniature lines Of rail
way would be built along the passenger
lines, and on them, at very high rate
of speed, would be run small electri,
engines and cars to take mp letters. i
would have the advantage of being en-
tirely independent of the regular pas
senger road, and could be used at an,
time.
| There is one thing in which our Brit
ish scientific contemporaries find a
mucl, unalloyed pleasure as the aver
age American editor does in a pun OF
Edison's pet light, and that is in fpok
ing fun" at the discoveries an.
and pseudo scientific theories o
Brother Jonathan. A late Londol
Journal-an authority in it's specia
feld-indulges in considerable edi
torial ridicule Of certain partially de
yelopel Yankee projects. On anothe
page Of the same sheet local cores
pondent seriously declares it to be hi
belief that the time will come when in
dividuals will be transmitted by Tele
graphl He argues that in certain cleo
trical and vital processes molecnie
are by gradual deposition made to buil'
up bodies of considerable proportions
certain KINDS Of molecules tending t
produce certain inyariable forms. Fl
would apply this principle to man. H
would first get the elementary mole
cnle of man, and then build him u
from it by the addition of other lik
molecules, as pyramid is produces
by the piling up Of cannon balls. Sue
cess having been achieved thus far, til
man might be dissolved by electrica
means in London, sent by cable to Ne1
York, and then rebuilt from the solu
ton by the successive deposition of hi
molecules at the New York end of tn
electric circuit. This somewhat move
scheme not q "Ya4kee notion" but
plan for which johnny Bull must b
held fully responsibilities noticed main
~ to show the beam in the eye OF GU
contemporary across the water, bu
ma rtlx for the benefit of the trayelin