Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1881-07-29
Scientific Miscellany.

company of Zulus.
As curious fact, DIR. Auerbach
mentions that during an entire Sum
mer he observed water beetles living
in tanks of saturated solution of
Glauber salt, although wien a small
quantity of the liquid found its way
by leakage into nei9hboring river
1t proved fatal to multi ,des of fish.
During series of photometric OBJ
servations, Prof. w. H. Pickering
has found that the total brilliancy of
the sun is equal to about $50, 900
full moons. To better illustrate
this relation, it may be stated that if
the whole visible heavens were turned
into one full moon it would give rath-
e. less than one fourth of the light
of the sun.
Bisset, the animal trainer of Perth
taught an orang to wait on the table
and perform other domestic duties.
A chimpanzee has been trained to
feed and tend u fire Under baker
oven. A female chimpanzee in the
London geological Gardens could
lock and unlock q door or drawer,
and thread any needle. In taking
her meals she used knife, fork, spoon
and drinking-cup with as much ease
as human being.
In Scotland considerable interest
is taken in q new method of tanning
hides, effected not by means of tan.
min in any form, but of chrome.
The new process is said to be cheaper
and more expeditions than the old
and to produce leather stronger.
more durable and especially less per-
vious to moisture. About three hun
dred chrome-tanned hides have late
ly been exhibited in Glasgow, some
of them made into betting, harnesses,
boots, etc.
DR.. Erenmeyer gives it as his
opinion that the Semitic nations, in.
Guiding the ancient Hebrews, were
left-handed, and that this peculiarly
was the reason why they wrote from
right to left. In support of this
theory he adduces evidence from
both the Talmud and the Old Tesla
ment. He seems to have overlooked
the fact, however, that in one of the
earlier books of the latter Judges
/ iii, 15) left-handedness is mentioned
as personal peculiarity.
Female torpeioes" are an at.
traction at Belgian fairs. In The
centre of q booth is q pit which the
spectators encircle, and in this pit 6
woman, attired as eymnast, walks
about on a platform. Vow and ther
she touches a spectat' on the harC
or cheek, and the latter receives 6
smart electric shock, brs the woman
feels nothing. She is evidently high
ly charged witt electricity by means
of an induction coil, and the plat
form on which she stands is one pol,
of the coil. The electrified nympl
is o great success, and her singing
caresses elicit roars of laughter from
the visitors.
The inflow of sewage is a source
of much distrust of river water
Prof. Tidy believes. however, thai
within certain limits the pollution o.
the water from such cause is toe
slight to produce any effect. In &
lengthy paper on the subject he pre-
sents the conclusion that oxidation
of the organic matter of sewage takes
place very rapidly in running water
and that such impurities are by this
means entirely destroyed during 6
flow of a few miles, provided the
pure water of the stream is in guam
tity to sufficiently dilute the sewage
matter. He decides further that
whatever may be the actual cause o.
certain maladies, the disease mat
ter" which finds its way into the
river is destroyed along with the or
ganic impurity.
The human body contains several
metals, and other substances which
perform important Offices in the
world OF science. Nitrogen, carbon
and hydrogen are its chief constitu.
ents, but it holds besides about two
pounds of phosphorus. upon which
the health of the bones and vigor OF
the brain depend. This phosphorus,
if extracted and put to use, would
suffice for about four thousand pack.
ages of friction matches. The body
also contains a few ounces of sodium,
and half an ounce of potassium,
which school-boys know as curious
metal that burns brilliantly on the
surface of water or when touched by
an icicle. In addition to sodium and
potassium, there are few grains Of
magnesium - enough to create q
brilliant light visible twenty miles
away. Who knows but some reok.
less chemist may undertake to drive
a profitable business by extracting
these valuable materials from dead