Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1881-08-20
SCIENTIFIC NEWS.


salicylate of sodium to be OF great value in
the treatment Of nervous headache when
given at the beginning of an attack.
Drowsiness is produced, and after few
hours of sleep the patient wakes up re-
freshed and free from pain. When, how.
ever, the patient is al amic, the drug fire.
auently fails to produce salutary result
n. Bechamp has examined the microzy-
mas of swamps, of different kinds of earth,
and of street dust. He holds that the mi
crozYmas found in chalk, rock, soils and
the like have no other origin than the
microzymas which form an integral part of
every living organism, the physiological
function of which is the total distraction
of the organism after death.
Large beds of carboniferous cast-iron,
Dr. NJ. S. Meunier contends, are contained
in the interior of the earth, and these de-
posits at high temperatures coming in con.
tact with water yield hydrocarbons, which
upon subsequent combustion set up exhala-
tions of carbonic acid from the earth. This
is his method of indicating the source of
that acid in the atmosphere
Recently M. Montigny has written again
on the increase of the tWinkling of stars
when there is display of the aurora bore
ais. The increased scintillation is seen all
the more clearly on winter than on summer
nights, and the phenomenon is most appar-
enG when stars in the northern region are
observed. The author thinks that the
effect is not due to the direct influence of
the electro magnetic light of the aurora on
the scintillatiOn itself, but to disturbances
(probably cooling) which coincide in time
+La Of tho ha
upper regions of the air traversed by the
star rays.
A lecture was lately delivered in Berlin
by De Gerard Rohlfs ON hisi last journey
to Abyssinia. The inhabitants were very
friendly and exceedingly hospitable. The
Emperor Johannes not only received him
very kindly, but did all in his power to
facilitate his journey. At Gondar, the
residence of the late King Theodore, he
was enabled to inspect all the ancient his
torical buildings by means of pass he OBJ
| tanned from the ecclesiastical chief of the
city. He continued his journey to the
north, and after crossing the Takkaze
river, he reached the ancient former royal
residence with its monuments dating from
the time of Ptolemy. In April the trav.
eler reached the boundary of Abyssinia,
the Nassur Mountain chain, and from this
he made his way to Cairo by water.
To detect nitro henzol in oil of bitter al
monds, DR.. Enrico Pegna recommends this
process: The oil is mixed with little
alcohol, solution of pure potash, and a
few drops of ferric chloride. The mixture
is allowed to stand for some hours, and
then it is shaken and distilled, care being
taken during the process of distillation
that there is no direct action of the
| fame upon any part of the oil, and that
there is no humping or spirting A por-
ton OF the distillate, dehydrated, is heated
in test tube with few fragments of pure
potash If the oil was pure the mixture
remains colorless If nitro. benzol was
present there is produced dark celebration
! from the formation of azo-oxy- benZol, and,
as little aniline is also formed, a few
| drops of a solution of chloride of lime
added to the cold mixture produce violet
| coloration.
The London Times says that in order to
render reliable as possible the registering
of the number of letters sent by mail dur
ing any one year or any given period, H.
Ferguson and II. +. Kempe, of the Cen
| eral Postoffice, London, have invented a
mechanical and an electrical method. In
| the first case a small counter, similar to an
engine counter, is placed in the head or
handle of the hand.stamp, and each time
the stamper presses it upon letter it is
registered upon the counter. At the close
of the day the stamp is opened, the num-
bered of letters stamped read off and regis
tered, and the counter set ready for next
day 8 work. In the second case two meth.
DDS have been devised for electrically eff
fecting the object. In one the striking of
the inking-pad causes electrical contact to
! be made, which transmits current to a
counter similar to that of gas meter, and
Sd registers every letter stamped. The
other method is similar in principle, but a
lever stamp is employed. This invention
is ingenious, and has the merit of being
both simple and effective, thus commend
ing itself to notice as means of correctly
registering the number Of letters passing
through the post.