Lewiston teller. [volume] (Lewiston, North Idaho) 1878-1900, 1882-07-13
SCIENTIFIC MISCELLANY.

M. Grehaut has made a series Of eX-
speriments which convince him that
death is caused by alcohol when the
proportion of absolute alcohol in the
blood is equal to the hundredth part
of the latter; that the condition
known as 'dead drunk" EXITS when
the alcohol imbibed ceases to he alb
sorbed and the blood presents the pro
portion Of one part of alcohol to 1915
of blood-more than oue-half the fatal
quantity. This observer thinks that
II fewer deaths occur from drunken
ness than might be expected, it is be
cause drunkards stop drinking before
the fatal proportion OF alcohol in the
blood has been reached.
The fat of the body is found by NJ.
Lanquer to vary greatly with age. In
infants it forms firm, tallow-like
mass, melting at ID degrees Fahren.
heit. The fat of adults, however,
separates into fluid and Il solid layer
at the ordinary temperature Of a
room, the solid portion melting at 81
degrees, icing completely fluid at
blood heat. The variation in the com,
position of the fat is very considerable,
the oleic acid increasing and the pal
mitic and stearic acids decreasing with
age.
A newly proposed plan for the ven
'tilation of tunnels is the use Of chem
iicals for absorbing the impurities of
the air. A "chemical lung" based
supon this principle, has been put to a
satisfactory test in London by nun
Der of scientists.
When ocean cables are raised so
many of the crabs, corals, snakes, and
other inhabitants of the ocean bottom
are drawn up with them that cable
repairing has been suggested as a nov
el method of dredging, Of which it is
hoped some competent naturalist may
take advantage.
After recent violent storm on the
English coast, a quantity of saline
matter was observed on windows at Il
distance inland. The deposit is be-
heved 70 have been. blown by the
wind at least sixty miles.
According to statistics recently
worked out, one railway traveller is
killed in France for each 1000, O00,0 00
Kilometres (about 994, 100000 niles
run, which is distance equal to 49,
O0O times the length of a voyage
around the world. This excursion,
the computor adds, would last during
3,O44 years, travelling day and night
at the rate Of 60 kilometres (37 Is
miles) per hour. Allowing 60 years
to be the average lifetime in store ton
. healthy man, it follows that before
he could be killed by railway acct
dent, according to the law of proba
bilities, he would have died a natura
death fifty times.
An important fact noticed by DIR
Koch in tho tubercle bacilla, which he
4 has found to exist in all tissues affect
ed by tuberculosis or consumption, i.
that they are unaffected by neutra
substances or strong mineral acids
This popularity teaches that aIkalin,
solutions, which act upon and destro,
the parasites, are to be used for disin
lection and as remedies for consump
ton.
A curious collection of books is con
tanned in the library of Warstsnstein
near Cassel in Germany. These book
appear at first sight to DO logs o
wood, Tut each volume is really \ CON
piete history of the tree it represents
The back shows the bark, in which
small place is cut to write the scienti
tic and the common name as title
One side shows tho tree trunk in it
natural state, and the other is polishc,
and vanished. Inside are shown til
I. leaves, fruit, fibre, and insect para
sites, 20 which is added full descrir
tion of the tree and its products.
Tho sorrowful tree-so named he
cause It nourishes only at night--grow
upon the island of Goa, near Bombay
The flowers, which have a fragran
odor, appear soon after sunset, til
year round, and close up or fall Off O
the sun rises.
Prof. +. A. Abel considers it doub
tul whether coal dust in mines ca
cause extensive explosions in the con
plete absence of fire damp, but only
very small proportion of fire damp
necessary to make the presence of III
dust extremely dangerous.
Fort Rae, in British America, ha
been chosen as British Governmer
station in the chain of circumpola
scientific observatories. The Swede
have selected site for their station .
Wylde Bay, in West spitzbersen.
Mr.. St. George Lane-Fox predict
that the incandescent electric laml
will soon altogether supersede the al
lights now so rapidly coning into ,yo,