Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1882-12-09
SCIENTIFIC MISCELLANY.

SCIENTIFIC MISCELLANY.
Late Investigations OF German
scientists have shown that the cleo
trio light is not only healthier than
other methods o f illumination in
leaving the air purer, but that 1t in
creases the power of vision in som1
respects, especially in distinguish
ing rolors. Red, blue, green and
yellow are much more distinct un-
der this light than by daylight.
Two Leipsic chemists have de-
vised process for obtaining sugar
in a permanently liquid form. This
result is said to be effected by add
ing to purified sugar solution a
small quantity of citric acid, which
c,.mbines with the sugar and de-
prives it of its tendency to crystal
lie.
Some experiments by NJ. Gaun-
tier appear to prove that human
saliva possesses in milder degree
the same poisonous property as that
Of serpents. The human saliva in
jected under the skin of a bird
caused death, with symptoms very
closely resembling those resulting
from serpent bites.
A new theory of the so-called fas-
cination of birds by snakes is that
the bird mistakes the snakes
tongue, which the reptile keeps in
rapid and constant motion, for a
lively worm, and watches it intent
~ with the anticipation of devour-
ing it.
M. Pasteur has resolved to ex-
tend his studies in vaccination to
yellow fever, with view of deter
mining whether or not the disease
is due to parasites and can be guard
ed against by incubation. A
broad field of investigation is open
to Pasteur, as it is suggested by his
discoveries thus far that all conta-
gious maladies may be due to para
site growfhs, the virulence of which
may be so reduced by his method
of incubation rs to render this class
of diseases no longer a matter of
dread.
A Neopolitan gardener, after
years of experiment, has produced
camelia with delicate perfume,
and he thinks it probable that these
flowers may in the near future be
so cultivated as to rival the rose in
the fragrance of its odor.
Mr.. C. Shaler Smith has given
the results of extensive observations
in relation to the pressure exerted
by the wind. The most violent
gale recorded by him was at East
st. Louis in 1871, when the wind
overturned locomotive, the force
developed in 80 doing being no less
than SO pounds per square foot. At
St. Charles a Jail was destroyed in
1877, the pressure required being "a
pounds per square foot. At Marsh
field In 1880 a brick mansion was
leveled, the force necessary being So
pounds per square foot. Below
these extraordinary pressures, Mr..
Smith instances numerous cases of
trains blown off rails, and bridges,
etc., blown down by gales of "a to
81 pounds per square foot. In all
the examples the lowest force re-
quired to do the observed damage
has been taken as the maximum
power of the wind, although, of
course, it may have been higher.
Enthusiasts who make a special
study of sun-spots and attendant
phenomena believe that the corner
stone of new science is being laid
by discoveries pointing to an init
mate connection between solar and
terrestrial meteorology. Just what
the connection is they are not able
to clearly define, although electric.
ity is suspected of being the agent
through which the effects are mani
tested upon our planet. 1t is known
that the gaseous envelope of the sun
is affected by eruptions of such pro-
digiouS magnitude as to be utterly
beyond our power of conception,
these disturbances appearing to us
in the form of rapidly changing
spots and protuberances. The eras
of the spots, or sun-storms, occur at
remarkably regular intervals,
complete cycle of the various stages
of activity from maximum to mini
mum and again to maximum being
performed in about eleven years
the so-called ''sun spot period"
The sun-spot physicists claim a CO.
incidencewpf the periods of maxi
mum spots and years of great at
mospheric and physical disturbance
in the earth. The present has been
a year of great solar disturbances,
while it has been marked by vio-
lent storms and earthquakes upon
our globe. Further than this, these
scientists claim to have recently de-
tected by simultaneous observation
minor atmospheric changes as the
result of corresponding movements
in the sun. Many difficulties at
tend these observations, but the
Astronomer Royal for Scotland and
others believe that the state of the
sun will some day become an i'm
portant factor in our weather fore
casts and calculations.
On Monday night last, Deputy
Sheriff Joe Gerhart boarded the