Southern standard. (McMinnville, Tenn.) 1879-current, 1882-12-16
Scientific Miscellany.

10 nVb only neattnlor LnAn Olner meLn
DDS of illumination in leaving the ali
purer, but that it increases the power
of vision in some respects, especially
in Distinguishing colors. Red, blue
green, and yellow are much more dis.
tinct under this light than by daylight.
Two Leipsic chemists have devised
process for obtaining sugar in a per.
manentlY liquid form. This result is
said to be affected by adding to puri.
fed sugar solution a small quantity OF
citric acid, which combines with the
sugar and deprives it of its tendency
to crystalize.
Some experiments by M. Gautier
appear to prove that human saliva
posses, in milder degree, the same
poisonous property as that of serpents.
The human saliva injected under the
skin of a bird caused death, with sym
toms very closely resembling those re-
sulting from serpent bites.
A new theory of the so. called fasci.
nation of birds by snakes is that the
bird mistakes the snakes tongue, which
the reptile keeps in rapid and constant
motion, for lively worm, and watches
it intently with the anticipation of de-
vouring it.
M. Pasteur has resolved to extend
his studies in vaccination to yellow
fever, with a view of determining
whether or not the disease is due TO
parasites and can beguarded against by
incubation. A broad field of investi
CATION is open to Pasteur, as it is suggest
ed by his discoveries thus far that all
contagious maladies may be due 10
parasitic growtbs the virulence of which
may be so reduced by his method of
incubation as to render this class of
diseases no longer matter of dread.
A NeapOlitan gardener, after years
of experience, has produced camelia
with delicate perfume, and he thinks
itsprnbahle thAsa Aawars may in---.ths
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 re.
corded by him was at East st. Louis,
in 1871, when the wind overturned a
locomotive, the force developed in so
doing being no less than SO pounds per
square foot. AT st. Charles Jail was
destroyed in 1877, thepressure required
being "a pounds per square foot. At
Marshfeld, in 1880, a brick mansion
was leveled. the force necessary being
5S pounds per square foot. Below
these extraordinary pressures, Mr..
Smith instances numerous cases of trains
blown Oft rails, and bridges, etc., blown
down by gales of "a to 81 pounds per
square foot. In all the examples the
lowest force required to do the observed
damage has been taken as the maxi
mum power Of the wind; although, of
course, it may have been higher.
Enthusiasts who make special study
of sun spots and attendant phenomena
believe that the corner stone of a new
science is being laid by discoveries
pointing to an intimate connection be-
tween solar and terrestrial meteorology.
j ust what the connection is they are
not yet able to clearly define, although
electricity is suspected of being the
agent through which the effects are
upon our planet. 1t is
known that the gaseous envelope Of the
sun is affected by eruptions of such
magnitude as to be utterly
beyond eur power of conception, these
appearing to as in the
form of rapidly changing spots and
protuberances. The eras of the spots
or-snn-storms-occur at remarkably
regular intervals, a complete cycle of
the various stages of activity from
maximum being performed in about
eleven years-the so-called "sun spot
PERIOD" The sun spot physicists claim
coincidence of the periods of maxi.
mum spots and years of great solar dis.
while it has been marked
by violent storms and earthquakes
upon our globe. Further than this,
these scientists claim to have recently
detected by simultaneous observation |
minor atmospheric changes as the re-
suit of corresponding movements in the