Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1881-09-03
SCIENTIFIC SCRAPS.

SCIENTIFIC SCAAFS.
When in Africa, NJ. d'Abbadie witnessed
lightning without any thunder. He con-
tends that in this instance the ordinary
explanation of so-called cheat lightning
as the mere reflection of storm below the
horizon is not applicable, because it was a
thin fog occupying narrow valley which
was suddenly Illuminated by the sheet
lightning.
blindness as cause of disasters is
now tolerably well recognized by those in
trusted with the safety of passengers on
land or by water. Sounds, however, as
we'll as colors, are employed as signals, and
the inability to distinguish the former may
prove as fatal as lack of sensibility to the
latter. Sometimes, too, persons having ex-
cellent eyes have very poor ears, and the
contrary is also true. But perhaps the
gravest source of catastrophes, especially
in railroad travel, is the tendency of en-
gineers to what may be called absence of
mind, especially when those men manage
their locomotives for months and years
over the same monotonous track.
DIR. Blasdell, of Providence, at the re-
cent meeting of the Rhode Island Teach
ers' Institute, made an excellent address
on school hygiene, in the course of which
he recommended the appointment of a
medical inspector to superintend hygiene
in all the public and private schools OF
the State Dr. Blaisdell added that such
an inspector should have good salary
his work well defined by special laws
and have full authority to carry out their
provisions untrammeled by outsiders. He
should appoint local medical inspectors in
every town and city in the State, and
these should have charge of the hygiene
of the schools in their districts.
Some very elementary lessons in phys
les are evidently needed in Franconia,
Pickens county, Ala. A correspondent at
that place, writing to an honored con-
temporary, gives the following reasons
for his disbelief in the axial revolution of
the earth : When two objects pass each
other, going in opposite directions, they
pass very quickly, as, for instance, a bird
flying west ought to pass objects upon
the earth much more rapidly than when
it flies east. But this is not the case.
A bird passes no more rapidly going west
than when it flies east; a ball thrown
against house in a westerly direction
does not rebound any more than when
thrown east. You may send balloon
ND above your head and let it stand "a
hours, and at the expiration of the "a
hours the balloon will be directly over
your head. l have studied the reasons
given in astronomy, and find nothing to
refute my observations.
NJ. Faures improved Plante battery con-
tinues to excite great interest both here
and abroad. a recent attempt to give
some practical indications OF its capabjli-
ties is very commendable. The device is
very simple Two sheets of lead, after
having been coated with minimum or red
lead and rolled up spiral fashion, while a
layer of felt is introduced to iusulate each
sheet, are plunged into vessel containing
dilute acid in the proportion of about 10
to l. A current passed into this cell re-
duces the red lead on the one sheet or
plate to metallic lead, and converts that on
the other to peroxide. When the cell is
discharging itself the chemical actions are
reversed. The mail advices confirm the
telegraphic reports. The box OF "con-
densed lightning" presented to Sir W.
Thompson by NJ. Faure held, by measure
ment, within the small space of one cubic
foot, power equivalent to 100000 of
foot pounds" Sir William, with charac.
teristic Scottish caution, says that a con-
siderable time must pass before he has re-
suits to publish regarding the secondary
battery.
Myopia, or near-sightness, is an affection
fraught with countless annoyances. Those
suffering from it act usually under feel
ing of constraint in public, of which they
show no signs in known friendly gather
ing. The kindly approach of a respectable
lady on the street is resented as a wanton
impertinence, and the warm welcome of
friend receives chilling response, which
often results in reciprocal enmity. Myopia
is very apt, given certain constitutions, to
produce form OF misanthropy in individ-
uals who are actually hungering and thirst.
ing for society. And there are other and
more dangerous snares into which the my
opic man is apt to stumble. He knows
from sad experience how he has insulted
ladies by refusing to recognize their kindly
mods, and, going to the other extreme, with
respectable lady at his side, he has been
only made aware that he has acknowledged
the salute of some one he ought not to
know by the sudden withdrawal OF his
companions arm from his, and subsequent
embarrassing explanations. The causes and
cures of this disease of the eye ought to
occupy far more of the attention of special
lists than it does, for multiplicity OF
reasons Ali that is yet set forth barely
touches the surface of disease that Is
surely within the reach of medicinal reme-
dy. The preventive methods suggested are
good enough in their way, but the alleged
causes of myopia are out of all proportion
to their assigned consequences.
Mrs. Spangles breathlessly said !: :" Dear,
1 will tell you an awful, awful thing. Do
you know that Mr. Slowbox cannot take
his breakfast in the morning until he has
had cocktail, Now, my Mr.. Spangles
never does such thing as that. He would
not think of cocktail. He simply rolls
in bed, looks around the room for his
clothes, and says Mary, for the love of
the great stars above us, | feel as If ! had
cinder in my mouth Give me pitcher