The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1881-12-24
For the CARBoS ADVOCATE;
SCIENTIFIC NWrEs.


plant, bearing 1880 grains Of corn. At
this rae, Il has been computed that the
product of n single seed ni corn would
amount to sufficient in eight years TO supply
the entire human race with bread for a
year and half
The experiments made BY M. Bouchut
with pepsine. as an agent for destroying
worms in the stomach and bowels, have
been repeated with very favorable results.
Even the tape. worm succumbs to the
digestive action of pepsine in large doses,
while the more highly organized tissues of
the stomach remain unaffected.
In the opinion Of DR.. Herr, the tele-
phone is not to remain a single apparatus.
varied only in form, but must be modified
according to the purposes for which it is to
be used. He believes that telephone for
long distances must differ from a city ap-
paratus, and that an instrument for trans
mitting song cannot well be used for con-
versational purposes. He endeavoring
to put this theory into practice by adapting
telephones 10 these different applications,
and thus creating distinct types of the in
strument. His special. object has been,
however, to extend the range Of the tele-
phone by forming an instrument better
suited to long distances, and it is claimed
that considerable degree of success has
attended his efforts.
The action Of gunpowder, when ared,
has been studied by a number Of scientific
men of emnence, during tie past century
and a hall. Their opinions have varied
greatly as TO the force Of the explosion.
Recent estimates, Us given by Prof. Abel,
F. r. s., rate the pressure developed by the
explosion at forty.two tons per square inch
the powder being fred in space equal to
its own bulk. In the early part Of the
eighteenth century, Robins, an eMinsnt
English mathematician, believed that the
pressure could not be more than seventy
pounds to the square inch; but expert
ments, in l8a3. led him to change his figures
to six and a half tons per square inch !
Count Rumford, one of the greatest Of
American scientists, made gunnery q special
study, and from his experiments concluded
that the pressure must reach six hundred
and sixty two tons to the square inch !
Other estimates have been made, varying
from ten to a hundred and Fifty tons TO the
square inch.
"A curious physical phenomenon i, en-
dosmose, which is the inward motion of o
fluid, through q membraneocs or porous
substance, into vessel containing differ
ent fluid. This principle has been indus
trially applied to the treatment OF rnolasses
and in certain processes of, tanning, while il
may serve to concentrate alcohol in mem
branoous reservoirs. II is believed that II
may some day be largely employed in con.
centratIng,usefulp principles difiused through
large quantities of other substances or pro-
ducts, in removing injurious matter, etc
To encourage advance in this direction tn,
French Society for the Encouragement o
National Industry proposes to award prize
Of one thousand francs, in 1882, fer an in
dustrial application Of eudoslnose.
The effort of Prof. Bell to locate the
ball in President Garfeld's body by ineanI
Of AN electric induction balance is fresh in
the memory Of all. Another plan for de
tecting metallic substances in the human
body has been submitted by Prof. Bell to thu
French academy Of Sciences. The method
is. as follows A fine needle is inserted nea
where the ball Tor other piece Of metal) i
supposed To be. This needle is connecteS
by wire with one terminal Of a telephone
while a metallic plate laid on the skin
connected with the other terminal. Whei
the point of the needle reaches the ball, al
electric current is set up between that ant
the metallic plate, producing a sound IN th
telephone. The needle may be inserted il
several places with little pain, and the pail
may be prevented entirely by means o
ether spray. To test the method ball wa
placed in piece of beef, when it was proveI
that contact of the needle with piece O
bone produced no sound ia tile telephone
while very distinct sound was heard when
ever the ball was reached.
Deaf snd dumb people may be taugh
TO speak with greater or less facility; an
NJ. Felix Hement has lately noticed til
fact that the individuals thus taught ac
quirs the particular accent OF their nativ
province. Being deaf, this accent canno
have been acquired by imitation, and it ID
therefore, inferred that such peculiarties ,
speech are due to an arrangement Of III
vocal organs varying with each race.
Absorbing To Pref. Young, the totS
quantity Of light emitted by the sun is equa
To $500 OOk, 900 900 900 900 OOo, ,OOO, 900 can
dies. Such an array Of figures, howeve
seems meaningless, so faint is our coneeptiO
Of the number.