The weekly Floridian. [volume] (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1867-19??, 1881-03-22
SCIENTIFIC mHsCELLANY.

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recently remarked: II often wish that this phrase
had never been invented, for it suggests that
there is sort of scientific knowledge of direct
practical use which can be studied apart from
another sort of scientific knowledge which 10 of
no practical utility, and which is termed wure
science But there is no more complete fAllacy
than this. What people call applied science is
nothing but the application of pure science to
particular problems"
John Duncan, poor Scotch weaver has
presented the University of Aberdeen with his
herbarum of nearly 200 British planis collected
by him while moving about as harvest laborer
over the southern district of Scotland and the
north of England In his extreme old age this
selfeducated devotee of science is dependent on
parish relief
Two African missionaries, Griffith and Hut
ley, who, at Utowa, near the mouth of the
Sukuga Creek, have established the first mission
station on the west side of Lake Tanganyika,
lately gave the London Missionary Society some
information concerning the religious notions of
the Waguha. On this point marked difference
is apparent between the tribes on the opposite
shores of the lake. Those on the east side have
no images or idols but on the west shore they
have them in great numbers, and connect certain
beliefs with them. Mr.. Griffith observes that
the first think which strikes the African traveller
on entering the western half of the continent is
an image at the entrance of every village, be-
sides many others inside it. The image is in
imitation of the human figure, and is called
Uktssi, meaning spirit.
"A tea plantatation was established last wear
by Connt d'Amigo upon hts estate near Messina,
Italy The tea plant is said to thrive finely
there, and its leaves are in no wise inferior TO
those of the Chinese plant
"A few months since quite sensation was
produced in the medical world by the announce
ment of remarkable cures of cancer by the use
OF Chian turpentine, very rare and expensive
drug. 1t appears now, however, that the value
of this article has been greatly exaggerated, and
at recent meeting of the Medical Committee
of the Middlesex Hospital, London, it was re-
solved that no more Chian turpentno should be
ordered for the treatment of cancer, as pro-
With the single exception of Saturn, moth
ing in the Heavens presents a greater attraction
as an object of study than Jupiter and its moons.
There is peculiar fascination in watching the
four little points moving in rapid succession
around the parent body, passing now as dark
spots across its disk, then behind and eclpsed by
it. A glimpse of .the moon may be had even
through a good operaglass, and in an excep-
tionally clear atmosphere, at a considerable ele
vation above the sea, they have been seen by the
unaided eye. The large red spot may be seen
with ive-inch telescope. The size of this spot
varies somewhat in length, but is quite constant
in breadth Its average length is about $4,000
5000 miles equal in area to about three-quarters
of the entire surface of the earth.
In an essay upon the nutritive value of fish,
Professor Atwater gives this table: Taking me-
dium beef at 100, we have as the food value Of
like weight of fish free from bone: medium beef
100; fresh milk, 238; skinned milk, 1876; but
ter, 1874; cheese, 1856; hens eggs, 72; Goldfish,
fresh, So; founders, s5; halibut, 50; stripped
bass, 79 mackerel, So; lake trout 81 eels, 90;
shad, 90; salmon, 1o4 salt mackerel, III;
dried Goldfish, 34.6
M Dohrn is stated to have introduced the
use of the telephone in connection with his sci
entifc explorations of the bed Of the bay of
Naples. BY this means the diver and boatmen
overhead are able to communicate with each
other as quickly and intelligibly as can be wished
-Perfumers are aware of the curious fact that
some of our sweetest and most delicately scented
flowers are of no value for perfumery. For ex-
ample, no process has yet been discovered by
which the fragrance Of sweet-brier and eglantine
can be extracted and preserved, but good imi-
tation is produced by a compound of neroli oil
with alcoholic extracts OF rose pomade and Of
orange flowers. Lily of the Valley. which Is
likewise unavailable to the perfumer, is well i'm
tated by combination of vanilla, extract of
tuberese, jasmine and otto of almonds. Lilies
are little used in perfumery, their odor being too
powerful
M Bouchut has found that the juice Of the
fig tree contains powerful ferment capable of
digesting albumnoid matters as they are digested
by the juices of the stomach.