The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1882-11-11
SCIENTIFIC MISCELLANY.

Prof O. Sitvestri has found crystal
lized paraffine in the lava near Mount
Etna.
OF the 229 asteroids now known, forty
one were discovered by DR.. Peters and
thirty six by DR.. Palisa.
The opinion Of an eminent analyst is
quoted to show that potatoes produce
symptoms of poisoning more freqneptly
THAI We suspect, especially among people
whose diet is chiefly these vegetables.
The tnbers often contain much solanine.
DR.. Hapamann has pointed ont that
the practice of removing leaves and
twigs from wood-covered land is Il per
nicious one, as it depriyes the soil Of sthe
nntrimcnt which the decay of the vege-
table matter would have returned to it
and also impairs the soils power of re-
i;iDing moisture.
To obviate the great risk to which
aronauts in war balloons are exposed, Mr..
A. Cooper Key has suggested Il method
of securing the desired observations by
photographing the enemy's positions
from small captive balloons carrying the
| necessary cameras, which may be opera
| ted from the earth by electrical means.
I 1t is asserted on eminent medical
authority that cigarette-smoking pro-
duces more market depression OF the
pulse than the smoking of either cigars
or pipes, and its effects upon tie system
are more Injurious The i'll effects are
especially apparent in young men not
fully grown.
In the report Of 4 committee of the
British, Association it was stated that the
maximum pressure Of the wind on small
plane surfaces had been ascestained to
exceed eighty and even ninety pounds to
tue square foot. The pressure over any
larger area was considered a matter OF
much uncertainty, but if was possible
that the maximum pressure Of tifty-sia
pounds allowed by the Board of Trad,
might take effect over the whole of very
exposed structures.
Experiments upon over four hundred
individuals of all classes, ages and occu
pations show how great is the diversit.
of opinion as to the size Of objects seel
through tue microscope. The ohjec
used in the experiments was commo,
louise magnified to Il theoretical size o
466 inches. The majority of observer
nnder-estimated this valne; two esti
mates were only one inch, seven wer
over foot, and one at least fiv
feet. New stu9ents Of the microscope
usually receive All impression somewla
larger than the real valse, and adher
to it for considerable time.
Efforts are still being made to prove
connection between the appearance G
the SUMS surface ard terrestrial phenom
ena. That snn-spo:s are il, some wa
associated with the eartll's magneti
condition seems to- be quite we'll estat
lisbed, but it has not been 50 certaiml
shown that tue canses which prodnc
the spots and magnetic variations liav
an influence upon the .neteorolpgy of on
globe. This theory is still Il bone {
contention. AZ I; bit of evidence bea
ing n;ou the subject, Prof. Ballot
Stewart cites certain inquiries inl
> the heights of the rivers Elbs and Sein
in Europe and Nile in Africa which ind
cate that these great streams reach the
greatest height at a time closely CORE
ponding to the maximum of tue eleve
year sun spot cycle, and their lowe
, peint ut the minimum efthe same perio
II The rainfall in these river-valIeys mu:
therefore. be greatest when the dissnr
- ances nn the sun are most extended al
e violent. and rice rersa.
Y
q A lady friend of ours whose life has almt
been despaired of, was entirely cured by the I
Is of Eng.ish Female Rister4.