The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1882-08-05
For the CARBON ADvcCATR.1
SCIENTIFIC MISCELLANY.

oOAEN 1T ~
Among Sir John LuLbock's ants are
some workers which must be between Six
and seven years of age and queens which
are certainly more thon seven years old
and probably more than eight.
"A native assistant surgeon tn the
British troops stationed in Afghanistan
has found the diluted juice of willow
leaves to be On effective substitute for
qunine III the treatment of intermittent
fever
AT the Oxford University Observa-
tory survey is in progress of the relative
brightness Of all stars visible to the nated
eye in the northern hemisphere The
work thus far accomplished indicates
that this part of the heayens contains
about Ave hundred stars brighter than
the fiji magnitude,
"A ron-exhilarating tonic of TIE in
habitan,s of Central Africa is the KoIa
nut which is found to contain Caffeine
the essential principle of coffee--aud glu-
cose, which sweetens It. 1t will freshen
and sweeteu the ioulest of staguant water.
Since 1874 the French Government
has authorized the organization Of $3.50
scientific missions, Of which 16S were TO
operate in Europe. 54 in Africa. 48 in
Asia, So in America. and "a in Oceanica.
Most of these missions are still at work,
and accomplishing important scientific
results.
1T is stated. according to Mr.. Lock-
yer, the English astronomer, that the
Egyptians have recorded 373 solar and
S32 lunar eclipses. Mr.. Lockyer thinks
the statement correct, as the proportions
are exact, aud the eclpses of the sun and
moon would reach, the respective num-
bers given in period of twelve or thir-
teeh centuries.
Herr Rodas, surveyor to the Finnish
Government, has carefully measured the
height Of a hole which, according to aul
thentic records, was bored two inches
above the sea-level on the coast of Oster-
botten on June 25, 1855, and finds that
the coast at that point has risen six and
one-third feet in the 1877 years, or more
than half an inch year.
"A new explosive called "dynamogen'
is claimed by its inventor, M. Petrie, of
Vienna, to be superior in nearly every re-
spect to gunpowdet-it is cheaper, safer
and more effective, while it contains no
substance which can injnre the guns. In
view of the announcement of SO many
new and greatly superior explosives it
seems little singular that the old-fash-
ioned guhpowder-fr first used at period
SO remote that its origin cannot be traced
should be the chief dependence Of
modern artillery.
Philosophers have told us that all
energy upon the earth must have been
brought into existence by solar action.
Prof. Milne, however, has called the att
tentien of the Selsmological Society of
Japan to the fact that one vast mine of
energy, quite independent of the sun, has
been overlooked, viz, the earth's intern
al heat. The surface out.croppings of
this inexhaustihle supply of force-found
in volcanoes, hot springs, and the like
may be readily employed to generate
electricity, which may he transported7to
neighboring cities and put TO practical
service.
1t has been shown by Prof. Loomis
that more rain falls on the eastern than
on the western side of continents. This
is true everywhere except in tha higher
latitudes. Thus the average rainfall at
San Francisco is only from half to
third as great in quantity as on the coast
Of Pennsylvania; and the same or even
more striking difference may be found by
comparing Morocco with the Chinese
coast, and tie west with the east coast of
South Africa, Australia and South Amer
ica-the comparisons being in each case
m ,de between points having the SAME
latitude.
The proportion Of salt in the water
of the ocean varies greatly 10 different To-
calties. NJ de Ia Grye has made a series
of observations on the subject, in which
among many interesting results-he
has found that the saline dinliuishes
rapidly as a coast is approached. due
probably to the freshenlnG by rivers dis
charging into the sea. The salt also les
sens on the approach oficebergs. These
facts would seem TO have an important
bearing on navigation, rs in bad weather
tests of the saltness of the sea-water
might enable the mariner to avoid run
ming into unseen coasts or icebergs.
-Duling total eclipse of its surface
the moon assumes copper-red eolor,
which gradually fades away as the eclip Q
progresses. Mr.. W. Mattien Williams
accounts for this curious phenomenon by
supposing thHt the illuminated position
OF the lunar surface lacking the proteo-
tion of M s'mosphorr must be made red
hot BY tie sIrs rays. Ouly thin layer
of tie moons substance, Is So heated and
when the suns rays ARE withdrawn il.
rapidly oools, cansng TIE fading away Of
the red color when in the shadow of the
ear h. II his hypothesis is correct. Mr..
Williams believes that the surface tenn
perature of the bright side of the moon
must be about COO degrees, OF couIse.
the dark side must be intensely cold, o
quickly does the heat pass into space az
ter the sun disappears. Ol the whole.
the moon must be al uncomfortai 10
world.