The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1882-07-22
If not paid in advance, $l.2j
For the CARBoR ADVOCATED
SCIENTIFIC MISCELLANY.


"A physician reports musk to be tn,
only efioacious remedy for whoopine
cough be has eyer tried.
AN English nronaut, Mr.. Joseph
Simons, has made balloon trip of l7C
miles in an hour and three-quarters.
1t is proposed to try an improved
phonograph in a Paris institution for
teaching pupils the pronunciation of for.
eign languages.
"A regular and strong electric current
has been observed in terminating seeds
exposed to moisture, the radical being
negative to the cotyledons. The phe.
pomenon is being investigated by Herr
Herman.
The number of hours of bright sun
shine recorded Ct Greenwich Observ, tory
during 1881 was 1901, which is more t an
100 hours above the average of the four
preceding years.
According to the report Of the Paris
Electrical Exhibition judges, the greatest
efficiency of incandescent electric lamps
cannot be assumed to be more than 300
candle-lights for each horse. power of
current.
The height Of the atmosphere has
been estimated by DR.. A. KHrber from
the phenomenon of refraction. By two
different methods of working out the
problem he obtains result of ll7.4 and
of 1877 miles respectively.
Straps made from various materials
have been tested by Herr weinlig, who
finds that the straps of Russian hemp are
about ten per cent. stronger than those
OF Italian hemp and twice as strong as
those Of cotton.
In departments of science the micro
scope Is rapidly gaining favor as means
of investigation. In recent paper II.
Reinsch claims that its use in chemical
analysis is not only increasing, but that
in some respects it surpasses the spectro-
SCOPE in usefulness.
A subter-anean forest was recently
Uncovered at depth of ten feet below
the surface on the estate of Lord Norman.
ton. near Peterborough, England. Some
OF the trees are Of great size, and so well
preserved that the different varieties
snch as oak and elm-may be readily dis
tinguished.
"A remarkable block Of amer was
lately found in the Baltic Sea. Pieces of
amber rarely weigh more than pound,
but this specimen not only weighs more
than eight pounds but possesses all the
qualities of the rarest kinds. The largest
piece of amber known is one in the min
eralogical museum Of Berlin weighing
thirteen and half pounds.
-Mr.sR. McLachlan gives it ns his
opiniontbat MANY of the wood -eating in
sects do not attack healthy trees. but only
those which have commenced to decay
from the operation Of other causes. These
insects are not responsible for the de-
struciion of the trees, but simply for has
tening the process after it has teep begun.
An Italian. Prof Carlo Pavesi, pro-
poses as an improved disinfectant a So
luton composed of chloride of lime. cam
phor and glycerine. This compound
may be used in all cases where. picnic
acid is now employ yed, and its odor is less
poisonous than the latter. 1t is claimed
that the putrefaction of animal bodies is
Immediately arrested by it.
Prof. W. Zenger has for consider
able time been trying to prove the exist
ence of tolerahly well-defiued period in
the occurrence of terrestrial phenomena,
such as earthquakes, storms, variations
in atmospheric pressure and in ttmpera-
ture, magnetic disturbances, etc. The
length of Prof. ZsnRer's period is ~. G
days, corresponding TO half-rotation OF
the sun.
The total amount Of gold in the au-
riferous sand of the Rhine has been es-
timated at $50 900, 900: but it is mostly
covered by soil un Ter cultivation. The
richest portions of this sand contain only
about one part of gold in two millions
yet sands have been worked when con-
tanning a much smaller proportion. Gold
in small quantities also occurs in the
sands Of the Rhone, the Aar, the Danube
and several other European rivers.
"A curious fact in connection with in.
stantaneous photography has lately been
noticed. In the photograph of vehicle
drawn bya trotting horse, all the parts
are very distinctly shown except the
wheels, which are less distinct in their
upper part than in the lower The rea-
son is the mathematical one that the
spokes Of the wheel have A much greater
velocity when at the upper part than
when their extremities are near the
ground,
The annual report Of the Greenwich
Observatory for 1881 calls attention TO a
remarkable change in the motion Of Siri-
No, the dog star. During 1877 and 1878
this star was travelling through space at
the rate of about twenty-five miles a Sec
ond, but Last year this rate seems to have
been diminished to about seven miles a
second. This apparent decrease of speed
is supposed to be dne to the movement
of Sirius in its orbit.
------
HOW HE TALKED BACK TO HIM.
Dot vos a mean man which went
sboost now der door oud," said Nose