The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1881-08-20
SCIENTIFIC MISCELLANY.

Two eyclcss species Of snails, living
in sluggish, underground streams OF water,
have been found in Austria.
--Hecqncrel has proven that frost
penctrates grass-covcred ground mncl
more slowly than bare ground.
1t is reported that eight hundred
sheep were, not long since, killed by a
single stroke of lightning in India.
The little city of Brantfor'l, Ontario,
claims the honor of having been. the
birthplace of the telephone-Prof. Bells
first experiments having been made at
that place. 4
For several years, Frcncli;chcn'ist
has been engaged i'll the interesting eX-
pertinent o.. raising plants in n soil pro
duccd articially. His plants have been
unusually thrifty.
Prof Huxley declares the supply Of
herring in the sea- to be practically mex
haustible, and that nothing which man
Can TO III Glo o''tiH'J way Va "ooCAutoAOh
will ever apprcciahly diminish the stock.
A paper lately read before an English
society states that British heads are
growing smaller, the dimensions having
shrunk on an average one seventh Of an
inch during tic last quarter Of a century
Inquiries instituted by French.
physician have shown that cases Of i'll
ness arising from sleeping in newly pa
pcrcd rooms are not inirequent. Such ef-
fects may DO prevented by adding sail
cylic acid or some other nntiscptic agent
to tho paste used, to prevent its pntrc-
faction.
The largest photographs ever pro-
duccd have been made by photographer
Of Sydney, Australia. Among his sub
.jccts are two panoramic views of the
cities of Sydney and Melbourne, each
composed of about II tuzcn separate
Ahccts tremendously united. One pict-
uro printed from q single negative, is
five by three feet.
Tho degree Of heat necessary to de-
stroy trichinn in pork is u matter Of i'm
portance as u safeguard against trich-
lnosls. A German microscopic states
that only the most thorough cooking of
the meat will ensure perfect safety, as
pork cooked to the degree known as
"rarc may still contain the living para
sites 80 mucl, dreaded.
A tricycle. driven by electricity was
i recent exhibition in the streets Of
Paris. The experiment was made by NJ.
Ironye, who adapted two Of his small
electric motors to the vehicle. The
first trial was so successful that the cx-
perimenter proposes making /. larger
motor, 10y means of which lie expects to
attain Il speed of 70 to 15 miles an hour.
Recent Investigations have shown
the inc"rrcctmcss of the pretty stories Of
lnscct-eating plants which have 50 often
l,cen given. Insects are often caught by
tho sticky cxu,lations Of certain plants,
or otherwise, but no evidence can he
found to show that the plants digest or
oat tho insects and thrive by an album
dance of such food, rs has been so often
asserted.
"A special form of the Swan electric
l.nnp-whlcl, lamp is constructed on
principles almost identical with Edison's
has been designed as Il safety lamp in
coal mines 1t is perfectly safe so long
rs the glass is not hrokcn aud there is
no Sparkling" from broken wires. This
metlod Of underground lighting is soon
to he tried SUPPLEMENTARY in an Enslisl,
coliicry.
DR. Hammond states that there arc
very few, if amy, cosmetics which do not
contain lead. He also says that death
from lead poisoning By tho use Of cos
mctics is by no means an uncommon,
case The introduction OF the lead into
the system produces various effects,
collie paralysis, prostration of the nerv-
Gus SYSTEM and insanity being the most
common results.
The oldest specimens of timber in
the world are supposed to he the dowcl
pins contained in the ancient temples OF
Egypt. These dowtl pins arc iucorpo-
rated with the stone work, which is
known to be not less than 1000 years old,
and are believed to have been made from
the tanialish Or shittiln wood of ancient
Egypt tree now sometimes found in
the Nile valley.
-taures new secondary or storage
battery brings that valuable agent, rlcc-
tr'city, within easy reach of the surgeon
a practical application OF tho new bat
terry has been successfully made hy DR.,
George Buchanan, Of the University Of
Glasgow, IN he removal OF u tunlor from
the tongue. As the new Instrument en-
abics one to carry stores OF electricity in
small compass, DIR. Buchanan believes
the use at the electric current will now
be greatly extended.
A E"nanian engineer is reported to
have produced Il new subnnlin. boat
capable of remaining under water for
twelve hours, and which may he sunk to
depth Of seven OF eight hundred feet
illumination on hoard the vessel enables
ITS officers to see for IL distance of one
hundred and thirty feet, under water
In The light of rccrn: progress. the ,eai-
|'f'"h "f jules Ncrnrs Twenty Leagues
| ndri the SEA- " srr,us an al, nst rin,,a-