St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1881-07-09

SCIENTIFIC MISCELLANY.
A peculiar exhilarating substance has
been lust discovered, under the follow
ing circumstances: A lady of sixty-two,
in an infirmary at Rheims, was receiving
tincture of ergot Of rye for disease of
the knee. Fearing an unfavorable turn,
DIR. Luton, her attendant, sought to
strengthen the action Of that medical
ment by combining phosphate of soda
with it. Three quarters of an hour
after taking this, the patient surprised
the other inmates Of the hospital by
bursting Unto loud laughter, which
continued, with brief intervals Of quiet,
for more than an hour. No ill effects
seemed to follow this. intoxication, the
patient continuing in high spirits for
some time without any resulting de-
preston. The substance was again
administered to the same patient, and
to others, with like results, the action
being only slight in the case of men.
The effects are believed to have a COM
mon origin with those from eating rye
bread, when, in rainy years, the cereal
contains as much as five per cent of
eraot. A sort of intoxication is then
produced, which the consumers by no
means despise.
Anthropologists have always attached
much importance to- the stone age in
Eevpt, on account of its bearing upon
the antiquity of the human race. Hith-
erto the finds of stone implements have
been quite superficial, indicating
comparatively late date, but Gen. Pitt
Rivers has now announced the finding
of worked fints buried five or ten feet
deep in stratiied gravel and mud near
Thebes. The gravel had become SO
hardened in Egyptian times that they
were able to cut tombs supported by
pillars in it, and these have remained
in their original condition to this day.
Some of the implements were chiselled
out of the gravel in the sides OF these
tombs, and their age must be great.
In recent address before a British
sanitary society, DR.. Richardson, F. R.
s.. stated that the mum Der of wellknown
infectious diseases is twenty-six and
that each has its special period OF incu-
baton, which is quite regular. The
period of incubation is the time which
intervenes between the acceptation OF
the poison causing the disease and the
first manifestation of effect. Diseases
NAV thus be grouped according to their
incubation period into five classes
shortest, short, medium, long and long
est, The shortest period is one to four
days, and under this head come plague,
cholera, malignant pustule and dissec-
ton poison. The second period is from
two to six days, and embraces scarlet
fever, diptheria, Group, erysipelas,
whooping cough, influenza, CHAMBERS and
pyaemia. The medium period is from
four to eight days, and includes COW
pox and relapsing fever. The long pc
Rod is from ten to fifteen days, and to
it belong measles, mumps, typhus and
typhoid. The longest period, forty
days, includes syphilis, and may en-
brace hydrophobia. In conclusion, DR..
Richardson emphasized the value OF
the lessons conveyed by a correct
knowledge Of these periods of incuba-
ton.
A marine algae is found in the Arctic
regions growing at temperature Tar
below zero, while at higher temperatures
the spores disappear. From this fact 1t
appears that some vegetable life requires
for its existence intense cold and con-
tinuous dryness, and to that class the
cryptogams Of red snow probably be-
long. ............ .....
The, editor of EElecticite recon-
mends a course of experiments to de-
termine the value of electricity in res
toring the circulation in the bodies OF
persons nearly drowned or asphyxlated'
Considering the extensive use OF self
zer water, the thoroughly wholesome
quality Of the beverage is an important
matter. In report presented to the
7Comite CONSULATE d. Hygiene Of France
DR.. Sheritier remarks that in the manu-
facture of settler water carbonlc ACID If
produced by the reaction OF suiphurlt
acid on chalk; the one is dangerous
the other is impure hence the necessity
of purifying the gas by thorough
washing. The information gained bJ
the committee named shows that manu-
facturers in general carefully treat tht
gas in this manner, so that the purity
Of tile product is guaranteed. 1t woult
seem, therefore, that settler water may
be taken without fear of communicating
substances.
A curious work by Prof. Ferri, treat
ing Of criminality in France, has ap
peared in Italy. Among other results
the author finds a concentration o.
crime in an ever decreasing number q
individuals, some of whom appear tt
pass their whole lives in the repetition
of criminal deeds. In other words
while the number of criminals is be-
coming less, the vicious are growing
more depraved.
M. Trouv6 has been experimenting il