The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1881-11-26
SCIENTIFIC MISCELLANY.

In investigating tho effects Of the
electric light, German scientists have
found that it il not only healthier than
other methods Of illumination in leaving
the air purer, but that it incrsases tho
power of vision in some respects,
especially in distinguishing colors.
Red, blue and yellow are made nuch
more distinct under this light than by
daylight. This is also true Of green.
Recent investigations show that the
false membrane Of diphtheria is built mp
| by parasitical plant, which fastens
itself to the throat aud grows and mul-
tiplies upon its inAamed surroundings.
The spread of thcse plants to the blood,
either poisonin9it themselves or convey
ing poison to it, produces the diphtheria.
The possibility that diphtheria may he
prevented by a.*:foial vaccination is
pointed out.
1t has often boen doubted that the
ancient scnlpturinxs found in different
parts Of the world could have been cut
without the aid of iron tools; but archa-
eologists have in recent years succeeded
in producing such sculptures in granite
with the use Of stone implements only.
An example of the extent to which
granite may be modelled with tools of
stone is found in the great scnlptnred
stone Of Montczuma, in Mexico. 1t is
recorded Of this stone by CANA that ten
thousand Indians were employed in
transporting it to tho City of Mexico,
where thirty workmen with stone axes
scmlptured it.
With hyposnlphito and acetate of
sot!a-two chemicals found III every
photographers iaboratory-a very pretty
experiment may b0easily performed. A
solution Of the former may be prepared
with "ne-tenth Of it's weight Of water.
II such a solution be placed in 3 vi:h it
will, if kept quite still, remain without
| crystai!izatiou, and will allow another
solntion-acetate Of soda liquefiel with
one-seventh its weight Of water-to bs
poured on it without mixing. II kept
quiet the solusions y ill remai,. liquid !;
but if u crystal of hyposnlphite, held by
thread, be carefully passed through
the upper solution to the lower the lat
ter will solidify at once, while tbs former
remains as limpid a. ever. II, however
an acetate crystal is lowered into the
acetate solution, the latter quickly solid.
| ifies.
A regularly interrupted beam of light
obtained by rotating disc with Q
circle Of apertures in the path Of the
beam,-meeting selenium cell in an
electric circnit with a telephone, pro
dnces a musical sound in the telephone.
This constitutes a form of the photo
phone-or radiaphons, as it has been re-
named-and N. Mercadier has recently
applied the same principle to telegrapby.
| By pressing Morse key he causes q
diaphragm to be raised before the aper-
tnres in the disc, aud thus, by interrupt
ing the note in the telephone for long
and short intervals, gives the Morse
alphabet acoustically. These sounds
may he transmitted to stations At long
distance away over the ordinary wires,
and little practice is said to enable the
Eoposator to easily receive and interpret
the messages. Tho system admits Of
several messsgos being simultaneously
sent over one wire, in the same or differ
eut dirsctioss. This is accomplished by
connecting several sets of apparatus
with thu wire. Tho disc Of each s.st is
made to give different note (eithcr by
increasing the speed or tie number Of
holes), and each listener with tele-
phons confines his attention to one note,
to the exclusion Of others, aud observes
the interruptions of it. 1t js claimed
that this 10 not 1T all difficult. The
system is stated 10 be applicable to long
liues.
A singular esse Of the production Of
sound without tho aid of living crea-
lures has been observed by NJ. Reuienx
while huuting in the Roderbacherthal
near the highest point Of the Rhine
province. The ground is, in the main,
gently undnlating and heavily wooded.
TIE valley, spacious OH the eastern side,
narrows rapidly to a s%,t ofpass, through
which the Roderbach flows west wards
for about half mile. A southwest
win.,, was blowing, and n. Reu!eux,
coming along the hillside from the east,
heard what appeared to be the strokes
of fine deep-toned bell in rapid sucees-
sion. There was no such bell i'll the
neighborhood, and some other sounds
soon heard satisfied him that the effects
were of natural origin. Tones were
heard growing in force to maximum
then dying away they were like those
of organ-pipes at first, but their Z" clang
came 10 resemble that of violin or harp
At the month of the pass, whence the
sounds seemed to radiate, there was a
strange agitation in the mir, and mixture
of sounds, some Of which abruptly
stopped. n. Reuleux supposes bodies o.
air in vertical motion, or trombes, t.
have been carried along from the pass
and the sound to have been due to con
flict betwesss the outer and the inner ali