Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1881-12-22
SCIENTIFIC MISCELLANY.

| Ldto INVESTIGATIONS OF German Scien-
lists have shown that the electric light
Is not only healthier than other meth
DDS of illumination in leaving the air
purer, but that it increases the power of
vision IN some respects, especially in
distinguishing col0rs. Rel, blue, green
and yellow are much more distinct un-
der this light than by daylight.
Two LeipSic chemists have devised a
process for obtaining sugar in a perma-
nently liquid form. This result is said
to be effected by adding to purified su-
gar solution small quantity of citric
Iacid, which combines with the sugar
and deprives 1t of its tendency to crys-
talize.
Some experiments by N. Gantier ap-
Ipear to prove that human saliva poses
ses, in milder degree, the same poison
GUS property as that of serpents. The
human saliva injected under the skin of
bird caused death, with symptoms very
closely resembling those resulting from
Iserpent bites.
A new theory of the so-called fasci-
nation of birds by snakes is that the bird
mistakes the snakes tongue, which the
reptile keeps in rapid and constant mo-
tiOn, fol lively worm, and watches it
intently with the anticipation of decour-
ing it.
NJ. Pasteur has resolved to extend his
studies in vaccination to yellow fever,
with view of determining whether or
not the disease is due to parasites and
can be guarded against Dy incubation.
A broad field of Investigation. is open to
Pasteur, as it is suggested Us his dis
coyeries thus far that ali contagious
maladies may be due to paracitie
growths, the virulenee of which may be
so reduced by his method of incubation
as to render this class of diseases no
longer matter of dread
A NeapoliLan gardener, after years of
-experiment, has produced camelia
with delicate perfume, and he thinks
it probable that these flowers may in the
near future be 50 cultivated as to rival
the rose in the fragrance of its odor.
Mr.. G. Shaler Smith has given the re-
suits of extensive observations in rela-
tion to the pressure exerted by the wind.
The most violent gale recorded by him
was at East st. Louis, in 1871, when the
/
developed in So. doing being no less than
93 pounds per square foot. At st. Charles
Jail was destroyed in 1877, the press
ure required being "a pounds per square
foot. At Marshfield. in 1880, a brick
! mansion was leVeled, the force neceSsa-
ry being 5S pounds per square foot. Be-
low these extraordinary pressures, Mr..
Smith instances numerous cases of
trains blown of rails, and bridges, ETC.,
blown down by gales of "a to 81 pounds
per square foot. In all the examples
the lowest force required to do the OBJ
served damage has been taken as the
maximum power of the wind, although,
of course, it may have been higher.
Enthusiasts who make special study
of sun-spots and attendant phenomena,
believe that the corn eT-stOne of a new
science is being laid by discoveries
pointing to an intimate connection be-
tween solar and terrestrial meteorology.
Just what the connection is they are not
yet able to clearly define, although cleo
tricity is suspected of being the agent
through which the effects are manifest
ed upon cur planet. 1t is known that
the gaseous envelope of the SUMS affect
nitude as to be utterly beyond our pow
er of conception, these disturbances ap-
pearing to us in the form of rapidly
changing spots and protuberanecS. The
eras of the spots-or sun storms-oecur
at remarkably regular intervals, a COM
plete cycle of the various stages of ae-
tivity from maximum to minimum and
again to maximum being performed in
about eleven years-the so-called sun
spot period" The sun-spot period phys
icists claim coincidence of the periods
of maximum spots and years of great
atmospheric and ply steal disturbance in
the earth. The present has been year
of great solar disturbances, while it has
been marked by violent storms and
earthquakes upon our globe. Further
than this, these scientists claim to have
recently detected by simultaneous OBJ
servation minor atmospheric changes as
the result of corresponding movements
in the sun. Many difficulties attend
these observations, but the Astronomer
Royal for Scotland and others believe
that the state of the sun will some day
become an important factor in weather
forecasts and like calculations.