The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1881-12-09
SCIENTIFIC MISCELLANY.
coiiated tor the New Northwest by Z. X.
Chadbourn, Esq,

Coliated tor the new tH."eSe W I' ~
chadbourn, Esq.
Late investigations of German scientists
have shown that the electric light is not only
healthier than other methods OF lllumlna-
ton in leaving the air purer, but that 1t in
creases the power Of vision in some respects,
especially In distinguishing colors. Red,
blue, green and yellow are much more dis
tinct under this light than by daylight.
Two Leipsic chemists have devised pro-
cess for obtaining sugar in permanently
LIQUID f.rga. This result is said To be effect
ed by adding TO purified sugar solution
smell quantity of citric acid, which COM
binss With the sugar and deprives it OF its
tendency to crystslize.
Some experiment, by NJ. Gsutier appear
to prove that humsn saliva possesses, in
as thst of serpsnt's. The human saliva in
jccted under tic skin of = bird caused death,
with symptoms very closely resembling
these resulting from scrpsnt bites.
A new theory of the so-cslled fasciu1tion
of birds by snakes il that the bird nisirkes
the snakes tongue, which the reptile keeps
in rapid and constant motion, for lively
worm, end watches it intently with the All
ticlpation of deSouring it.
NJ. Tasteur h-a ressi7ed TO extend his
studiss in Y. Gina. ION to JslloT fever, with
/. ricv of deterrsining whether or not the
disease 10 due 10 parasites aud can be guard
ed against by insculstioD. broad beld Of
Investigation is open 10 P&stcur, as 1t Is sug-
gestet by his discovcrie: thus fer that all
contagious maicdes may be due - ssitic
grovths, the virulence Of which may be so
reduced by his GetDod Of incubation ao to
render this class of diseases no longer mat
t9r Of dread.
i Neapolitan gardener, after years Of OK
pertinent, has produced 3 camctia with a
delicate perfume, and he thinks it probable
that these fowc:s may in the near futu be
60 cultivated So 10 rival the rose IN the fla
gence o. it, odor.
Mr.. C. Shaler Smith hes givon the results
Of extensive observations in relation TO the
pressure sxerted b. tho wind. The most
violent gale recorded BY him was 1T East st.
Louis, in 1871, when the wind overturned a
locomotive, the force developed IN so doing
being no less than ninety-thrc &C pounds per
square foot. IT ST.. Charles . jGil vas de-
:troyed in 1877, the pressure required bSing
oighty-four pounds per aquare foot. At
marshiield, in 1850, brick mansion was lev.
eled, the force necessary being fiay-ei2ht
pounds per square foot. Below these extra
ordinary presssres, MI. Smith instances nu-
mcrous cases of trains blown OFF rails, and
bridges, ETC., blown down by gales Of twen-
ty-tour to thirty-sne pounds per squ@re foot.
In all the examples the lowest force required
to do the observed 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 cornerstone of new scicnce is be-
ing laid By discoveries pointing to an init
mate connection between solar and teIres-
trial msteorology. Just what the counect ION
is they are not yet able TO cleaily define, a.
though electricity Is suspected of being the
agent through which the effects arc mani
tested upsn our planet. 1t is known that the
gaseous envelope of the sun is Affected by
e,uptious of such prodgious magnitude as
to be utterly beyond our power of concep-
ton. these disturbances appearing TO us IN
the form of rapidly changing spots aud PIE
tuberances. The eras Of the spots-or sun
storms occur at remarkably regular Inter
walls, a complete cycle OF he va,ious stages
of ACTIVITY fom mas imum 10 minimum
and again 10 msximum being performed 10
about eleven yeats--the so-called "sun-spot
PERIOD The sun-spot physicists claim CO.
incidence of the periods Of maximum spots
end years of great atmospheric aud physical
disturbance in the earth. The present has
been year of great solar disturbances, while
1t has been led by violent storms aud
earthquakes upon our globe. Further than
this, these scientists claim TO have recently
detected by simultaneous obseIvai lou minor
atmospheric changes as the result of CORES
ponding movements in the sun. Many diff
culties attend these observations, but the
Astronomer Royal for Scotland and Others
believe that the state of the sun will some
day become an important fa,tor in weather
forecasts and like calculations.