Lewiston teller. [volume] (Lewiston, North Idaho) 1878-1900, 1881-12-22
ec1nNrr1c MISCELLANY.
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IL not only healthier than other meth
DDS OF illumination in leaving the al
purer, but that it increases the powe
Of vision in some respects, especially il
distinguishing colors. Red, blue, greer
and yellow are much more distinct un
der this light than by daylight.
Two Leipsic chemists have devised
\ process for obtaining sugar in per
manently liquid form. This result ii
said to be effected by adding to a pur
lied sugar solution small quantity o.
citric acid, which combines with thu
sugar and deprives it Of its tendency
to crysta!lize.
Some experiments by M. Gautiel
appear to prove that human saliva pos
sesses, in a milder degree, the same
poisonous property as that of serpents.
The human saliva injected under the
skin Of bird caused death, with symp
toms very closely resembling those re.
sulting from serpent bites.
A new theory Of the so-called fssci-
nation Of birds by snakes is that the
bird mistakes the snakes tongue, which
the reptile keeps in rapid and constant
motion, for lively worm and watches
it intently with the anticipation of de-
vouring it.
NJ. Pasteur has resolved to extend
his studies in vaccination to yellow
fever, with a view of determining
whether or not the disease is due to
parasites and can be guarded against
BY incubation. A broad field Of in
vestigation il open to Pasteur, as it is
suggested by his discoveries thus far
that al contagious maladies may be
due to parasitic growths the virulence
Of which may be SO reduced by his
method Of incubation as to render this
class Of diseases no longer a matter Of
dread.
A Neapolitan gardener, after years
Of experiment, has produced camelia
with : delicate perfume, and he thinks
il probable that these flowers may in
the near future be 30 cultivated as to
rival the rose in the fragrance of its
odor.
Mr.. G. Shaler Smith has given the
results Of extensive observations in re-
lation to the pressure exerted by the
wind. The most violent gale recorded
BY him was at East st. Louis, in 1871,
when the wind overturned locomo-
tive, the force developed in so doing
being no less than 80 pounds per square
foot. At St. Charles a Jail was de-
stroyed in 1877. the pressure required
being "a pounds per square foot. AT
Iarshfeld, in 1880, a brick mansion
was lsvslsd, the force necessary being
% pounds per square foot. Below
these extraord nary pressures, Mr..
Smith instances numerous cases of
trains blown of rails, md bridges. etc.,
b6*g down by gales Of "a to 81 pounds
per squSresfoot. In all the ESD ..pIes
the lowest force required to do the OBJ
served damage has been taken as the
maximum power of the wind although,
Of course, 1t may have boen higher.
Enthusiasts who make a special study
Of sun spots and attendant phenomena
believe that the corner. stone Of new
science il being laid by discoveries
pointing to an intimate connection be-
tween solar and terrestrial mythology.
Just what the connection is they are
not able TO clearly define, although cleo
tricity is suspected Of being the agent
through which tho effects are manifest
I'd upon our planet. 1t is known that
the gaseous envelope Of the sun is af-
fsctsd BY eruptions Of such prodigious
magnitude IS to be utterly beyond our
power Of conception, these disturbances
appearing to us in the form of rapidly
changing spots and protuberances. The
ears OF the spots--or sun-storms---oc.
cur At remarkably regular intervals, a
complete cycle Of the various stsges Of
activity from maximum to maximum
and again to maximum being perform
d in about eleven years-the so-called
~sun-spot period" The sun-spot phys
ieists claim coincidence Of the periods
q maximum spots and years Of great
and physical 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. Fur
ther than this, these scientists claim to
have recently detected by simultaneous
observation minor atmospheric changes
- the result of corresponding move
msnts inthesun. Many difficulties attend |
these observations, but the Astronomer |
Royal for Scotland and others believe
that the state of the sun will some day |
become 40 important factor in weather |
forecasts and like calculations.
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