Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1882-03-03
Scientific Miscellany.

Professor Schlager of Vienna is
responsible for the statement that
blue light has II quieting and sooth-
ing Influence on the insane.
The Paris Electrical Exhibition
was set on fire five times by electric
lights, significant indi, alton of the
need of special precautions in intro
lucing these lights.
Celluloid is now being used in the
manufacture of artificial eyes. The
material is lighter than glass, and
its non-friable quality renders it far
more trustworthy in emergencies.
! One of the latest theories advanced
is that apples are more nutritious
than potatoes, and in Cornwall,
England, workmen say they can
work bet ter on the fruit than on the
vegetable.
Professor Huxley says that those
who have taken an active part i'll
science should he killed at sixty, as
not being flexible enough to Weld to
the advance of new leas. II" is
himself nearly fifty-seven
The use of steel for marine boil
ers and other work of the same
nature has been good deal criti-
cised Of late. 1t is objected that
steel is easily made brittle, and is
not trustworthy substitute for iron.
The new invention by which
printing ink is made luminous in
the dark, so that printing becomes
leeible by its own light, is widely
extended. A paper in which this
material is used, is to be published
at Turin.
The movement of railway trains
by electrical means seems likely to
be a matter of some practical i'm
portance. A successful attempt has
been made in Italy. The trains are
said to cost less and make less noise
than those moved by steam.
A remarkable integrating machine
has been invented by c. V. Boys,
member of Royal School of Mines,
by which various complicated curves
can be drawn and areas meas
ured. The instrument is somewhat
similar to Amsler's well-known po-
lar planemeter.
J. Gillangham claims to have dis
covered that, with proper instru-
ment, sounds can DE conveyed to the
mind through any set of nerves in
the body, and also that the vibrations
of light. by the aid of electricity,
may DO made to convey the sense of
sight in q similar way through the
nerves.
An Italian has invented a process
for solidfying wine. From a small
quantity of this extract may be OBJ.
tanned n bottle of wine and of good
taste and beautiful color. The OBJ.
ject is to victual ships and supply
armies. A chemist in Marseilles has
found chemical combination by
which he can solidify and even crys-
tallize brandy. The brandy in it's
new form looks like alum. 1t en-.
tirely losses its smell.
i j. H. A. Macdonald, the late Soli-
citor. General for Scotland, has con-
structed an electric holophote
course indicator" which he has
lately been exhibiting in Edinburgh.
An electric light with a reflector is
placed in a prominent position on
the deck OF the vessel, and is con-
trolled by the movement OF the helm.
The direction of the powerful beam
Of light indicates the course of the
ship, and at the same time shows
whether OF not the sea is clear over
a large area.
1t may not be generally known,
says London Truth, that a man wear
ing dark clothes is more liable to in.
lection from contagious disease than
he who wears light colored garments,
because PARTICLES which emanate
from deceased or decaying bodies
are much more rapidly absorbed by
dark than by light fabrics. This is
easy of proof. Expose light and
dark coat to the fumes of tobacco
for five minutes, and it will be found
that the dark one smells stronger
than the other of tobacco smoke.
In forty Government schools in
SaxoIy,- observations have lately
been made as to the temperature,
carbonic acid, and moisture OF the
air with different kinds of heating
hot water, air and stove. 1t proved
that air heating gives the best re-
suits, the least variation of tempera-
ture, much the least proportion of
carbonic acid, as measured in tho
middle of the room, at the height of
q table, and the smallest variation of
the moisture. The ventilation in
both the other systems was unsatis-
factory.
j. REEVES Ayers, of Walla Walla,