New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-09-03
SCIENCE FOR THE PEOPLE.
t,,,rprrACTION AND ANTISEPTICS.

iPGTREfACllON AMI AN -,
M. LIE Bon, who has been experimenting WIN
.a,ions anliseptics in arrestiDg putrefacuon'
ives the following as the results reacneu W
fbs disinfectant power OF any antlseptlC Is
weaker the older the putlelactlOh' " my
strongest disinfectants appear 10 oe w oluui
nermapganate of potash, chloride or lime SUI
ohate of iron acdifed with acetlc acid, carOoile
acid and the Invertebrates OF sodium ana
potassium. (3) There is Is no paraiehsn oe
tween disniectant action and action on NIL
crobes COR minute Organlsms). linus, pelman-
Canate of potash, so strong IN the former re-
snect. has no appreciate action on microbes;
alcohol a strong preventer OF microbes, Is very
weak as a disinfectant. Nor ~ Is there parai-
lelism between the power OF preventing pure
faction and that of stopping 1t When IL mas
arisen. Alcohol and carbOlic acid, preservatlVe
agents pal excellence, have little effect on pure
faction once commenced. (0l " I'm eAcePIlonol
very small number of substances thaI are
strong poisons (as bchloIide OF mercury mosV
antiseptics, and notably carbollc aclc, nave very
little action on bacteria. 90 There Is no par
allelism between the virulent power oi SUI
stance in putrefactlOn and the tOXlcal power
of volatile compounds gwen OH Dy II Lnueeu'
fhase nronerties seem to be even III iDverSe.ratlo
a frog is placed in an Enclosure with some OF
the l0nid When putrefactlon sets III, very
fetid OdOr is produced, and the Iquld swarms
with bacteria and is known to be very vlru-
lent if injected under the skin OF an animal
but the freq, merely breathing the eiiluya, taxes
no harm. After two months the liquid ceases
To have ylruleDt properties, but tne animal
breathing its volatile products Is killed. ~
The very small quantity of products of adj
vaDced putrefactlen necessary TO XIII an ami
NAL. by simple mixture with air proves
these volatile alkaloids TO be extremely pol
son0us. NJ. lie Bon ascertalned that they
are so to man. (S) The experiments explain
the evils arising from bodies long buried, and
Drove that the atmosphere Of cemeteries (con-
trary to what has been affirmed on the score
of there being few microbes present. may oe
trraI fYI
very dangerous. In connection WIN VPnoHiu
fever, too, and other affections, the volatile
alkaoids produced by action OF microbes on
certain organic substances are doubtless
largely active
ANIMALS NOT NECESSARILY MORTAL,
According to The Journal Qt Science all
animal life Is not, OF necessity. subject TO
death. Let us suppose says The Journal
that we are watching through microscope
one of these inmate slngle-cel creatures
known as prOtOzoan. We SEE 1t expanding
into an ellipsOdal figure, which becomes for
time longer and longer. 1t then begins 10 con-
tract about what We may, for the sake oil pOpu-
,ar intelliCibility, call its equator. lt assumes
the form of two nearly globular bodies, con-
nected, dumb-bel like, by narrow neck. MS
neck becomes narrower, and at last the w o
globes are set free, and appear as two lndl-
yiduals in place of one What are the re-
iatiOnS of these two new beings TO the antece-
dent form and TO each otherY We examine
them with care ; they are equal in size, alike In
complexity, or rather simplicity, OF structure.
We cannot say that either OF them is more
mature or more Iudlmentary than the other.
We can find in their separation from each
other no analogy TO the separation OF the young
animal or the egg tom Its mother, or TO the
liberation from a seed from plant. Neither
of them is parent, and neither offspring. Neither
of them IS older or younger than the Other.
The process of reproduction, or rather OF
multiplication, must, so far as we can see, be
repeated In the same manner forever. Ac-
cidents excepted, they are immortal and
frequent as such accidents must be, the in
dividuals whom they strike might, or rather
would, like the rest of their community, have
gone Oh living and splitting themselves up for
ever. 1t is strange, when examining certain
infusOria under the microscope, TO consider
that these fral and tiny beings were living
not potentially in their ancestors, tut really III
their own persons, perhaps in the Laurentlan
epoch.
ENGLAND'S AUSTRALASIA COLONIES.
The high price af food in England is direct
ing attention there 10 the sAustralasan Colonies
as possible competitors with the Unlted states
in supplying the ever increasing demand. Tue
following figures are given as showing the
food prOducing capacity OF those distant
islands: The total area OF these regions
amounts 10 Blob, 903 square miles, it'll al ag-
gregate population OF 1,499,2jo males. he |
land in actual cultivation was III 1850, |
1871 ,23S acres, and the agricultural produce |
amounted TO 80, $4,000 bushels of wheat,
1896, SO bushels of oats, 1906, 81 of barley,
and $685., 239 of maize In addition there were |
produced 424,155 tons of potatoes, nearly |
1000, 900 tons of hay, and 1,S71,S6l gal
Ions of wine. AS to the fOcks and herds there
were of horses, 1,064,6 cattle, ISIS, 1872;
sheep, G5,915,765; pigs, S22,3 1877 making
grand total OF 70. 6S1. 539 further analysis of
these returns brings out the suggestive fact that
while taking the total population at 2 1872 !
there were only SIS persons 10 the square mile, !
the f1ocks and herds stood at 243s! The rev. !
enue raised by the cOlOnlsts for the year 1879 |
inaounted to f15,927,4Ss, and in 1850, had !
Increased to GI7,069,Ol6, while the value of
the imports amounted 10 t45,O6O, 66G, and |
that of the exports 10 Gas, o66, l6S! In other
words. the value of the trade per head of the
Inhabitants, infants included, was then about
$50 per annum.
A NOVEL PROPELLER.
A Mr.. Osborne, of South Africa, has been eX-
hibitng in London what he calls inpro.
peller which was attached to an iron vessel
about six feet long. The model was fitted
about nndships and below the water-line with
rectangular plate, placed parallel to longi- !
tudinal vertical plane at each end. In its |
centre line this plate was coupled by cross
head to d rod passing through the sides OF the
vessel aud was connected inside TO the pistOnrod
Of one of the two steam cylinders, which were |