The Sentinel. [volume] (Trenton, N.J.) 1880-1882, 1881-09-24
SCIENTIFIC NOTES.

The antenna of insects, besides being
organs of touch, seem to be organs of
] smell. Flies deprived of their antennm
cease to display interest III tainted
smeat.
/ The arguments OF Nautilus in regard
Ito the relation between food supply
land increase of population are said to
aapply TO fish. They increase more rap
2idly than their food.
4 Ammonia is to be found everywhere.
sBy s%uspending a piece of glass, and
safter a while washing its outer surface
Sby means of a spray bottle, the pres
sence of ammonia may be ascertained.
I From a paper published in lie Genie
! Grill on experiments performed with
the cremating furnaces of Cadet, Null
sler & Fichet and de Lagedardiere, it
I appears that the disposing of human
sremains by burning is making consid-
serable progress in Italy.
I Another note on the formation of tails
sof comets was read by NJ. Faye before
sthe French Academy. He held that
sHerschel, Arago, Delaunay, and other
astronomers did not thoroughly study
1.-THE subject, but that Newton did so,
3and gave an adequate explanation. The
sauthor maintained that the tails of
scomets are nothing but the result of a
continual emission OF particles from the
aheads of these visitants, very like the
tail of smoke emitted by q running To-
locomotive.
! It has sometimes been thought, says
lie Lu@ieye Eectri9ue, that a copper
seable of enormous thickness would be
required to transmit the hydraulic power
GOT Niagara Falls to New York. Professor
sAyrton has shown that the whole power
scould be transmitted by a slender cop
sper wire, provided that the wire could
Zoe thoroughly insulated. He has also
sshown that the only hinarance to re-
scelving the whole power is the friction
lot the machines. 1t is, therefore, be-
slieved that immense machines, with
continuous currents, with detached ex-'
letters or magnetic electric machines,
driven very rapidly by steam-power,
viii hold a very important place in the
future transmission of energy. With
such machines it would be possible to
warm and light workshops and give
chem the power necessary to move all
Stheir machinery by means of an ordina-
Try telegraph wire, thoroughly insulated,
and conveying energy from great dis
S@tances. Professor Perry also thinks it
will some time become possible to see
what is going on IN remote places by
means OF electricity.
l The London Times, commenting on
che addresses delivered at the late medi-
;al congress in London bearing on the
origin of disease, evidently supports the
germ theory as the only rational one. Ii
concludes an exceptionally able article
with these words: The study of the
germs of diseases opens an indefinite
vista of possibilities to pathology. Ii
3au epidemic diseases, such as scarlet
fever and typbus, originate in specific
spores or poisons-if smallpox is. sown.
lust as corn is sown, and if the develop
ament of such maladies in the body be
Ito the akin process of fermentation as
e lplained by chemistry-the conditions
Eof medicine and life itself seem revolu
SttoniZed. We find ourselves attacked
,b7 subtle enemies, deadly corpueclce
which are barely visible and lie almost
beyond human ken. The most wary o.,
L may find himself in a sort of ambus
jcade. But the theory also brings com
iort. New methods of prevention ano
cure are placed in our hands, and VT
discover disease to be, not a self-creating
ver-reLewlng foe toman, but a parasite
] which, once killed, would trouble him
! 20 more.