Lewiston teller. [volume] (Lewiston, North Idaho) 1878-1900, 1882-04-27
SCIENTIFIC MIecELLANY.

series OF careful measurements nave
established not only that the height OF
q man varies very considerably at dif.
ferent times OF the day, but alsp that
this variation occurs with great rcgu-
larity in every individual. The great
est change in height observed was an
inch and half.
a consideration of various phenom-
ena has led Dr. G. w. Siemens to sug-
gest the hypothesis that the sun derives
from interplanetary space hydrogen,
hydrocarbons and Oxygen, by which
its heat is kept up. The products of
combustion aqueous vapor, carbonic
anhydride aud carbonic oxide-are re-
turned to space, where they gradually
become separated into the original gast s
through the action Of the solar rays at
a moderate temperature. Thus the
heat ditissed in space by the sun is not
wasted, but is made to conserve its
own energy by preparing fuel for the
continued existence Of its fires.
DR.. Werner Siemens considers the
use Of the electric light to DO absolutely
free from risk of fire, even in the most
infammable structures. Contrary to
general belief, the electric tension re-
quired is SO low that no measurable
spark can PASS between two wires or
TO other objects.
A Swiss experimenter is said to have
produced artificial mother fpearl which
cannot be distinguished from the
genuine.
The M croscope has detected blood
corpuscles on steel after an exposure
Of two years in the woods.
Electricity has been applied to pile
driving; . water-whecl furnishing the
power, which is transmitted by two
dynamo electric machines with con-
Meeting wires to the pile-driver at q
considerable distance away.
DR.. Helot, Of Bolbec, France, gives
case of an epidemic of diphtheria in
previously healthy village near Caux.
A tripe dealer had thrown quantities
Of animal refuse into pond near his
house, and when it was denounced us
nuisance the mud and water were ap-
piled to the land as MANURE. A severe
epidemic Of diphtheria broke out and
lasted six mouths. A similar error was
committed second time, and with the
Same results.
The compass has been found to be
sensitive to certain atmospheric pcrtur-
bations which do not affect the barom-
eter.
A remarkable phenomenon due to
rcfraction has been twice witnessed by
Herr Hakonsen Hensen in Norway.
On both occasions, at about 3 o'clock
in the afternoon, a rose colorcd stripe
appeared, stretching across the sky
from northwest to east. From the
middle Of this rose vertical column
Of somewhat lighter red color, and in
clining on its western side to shade
Of yellow, the whole being intensely
bright In about ten minutes the col.
ors gradually faded, leaving behind
blackish,gray streak. The striking ap.
partition OF this vertical column recalled
20 the observer the descriptions given
in past ages Of bloody crosses seen in
the heavens, and regarded as prophetic
OF coming wars aud pestilence.
In series Of lectures in Chinese,
the American mission at Picking is
teaching modern science to tho native
schools. Great interest is manifested.
The CLEAN of falling water, accord
ing to Mr.. J. s. Gardner, attracts GER
tain insects quite as powerfully as does
artificial light. In Iceland he has ob.
served moth after moth to fly deliber.
ately into q waterfall and disappear.
He thinks trout prefer broken streams
on account of the abundance of food
furnishea by self.destruction of the in
scots, and not--as is usually supposed
because Of the greater eration Of the
water.
Prof. Tommasi Crudeli has lately
shown that malarial infection may Ike
caused by tho keeping house-plants,
even in districts where malaria is un-
known. The unwholesone influence,
however, is not due to the plants them
selves, but to the damp earth surround
ing them and the heated and badly
ventilated condition Of the rooms in
which they are kept.
II has been held by some medica!
men that the best treatment of frozen
individuals is the gradual application
OF heat, while a few experimenters
have claimed that the warming should
be rapid. To settle the matter, Lap
tschinkski has made series of very
careful experiments upon dogs, with
shs following results: OF twenty ami
mails treated by the method of gradual
.fesnscifatiou in cold room, fourteen
psrished; of twenty placed at once in q |
warm apartment, eight died; while O,
twenty immediately put into a hot
fmtn al recovered.