Lewiston teller. [volume] (Lewiston, North Idaho) 1878-1900, 1882-06-15
scInNTIf'lC MISCELLANY.


E Ludwig seventeen times as much Of
the poison in the liver as in the brain.
He has concluded that in all CAGES the
liver absor:.s more Of the poison than
any other organ. from which it would
appear that the liver is the hest rart
to examine in cases of criminal poison
ing.
The wrecks Of vessels on British
coasts have shown steady reduc' ion
in number from 1905 for the year end
ing with June, 1877, to s9l for the
year ending with June, 1880. A large
share If this gratifying result is believ-
ed to be due to gradual improvement
in tho weather forecasting and to a
more intelligent attention to storm in
dicatioos.
For number of years Prof. Uilne
has made . systematic study of the
earthquakes Of Japan. BY plan et
Distributing postal cards to important
cities for weekly reports of shocks, he
has obtained record OF large mum.
Der Of earthquakes for very consid.
cradle extent Of territory. These re.
ports are Of great value 10 enabling
him to compute the source and extent
Of earthquakes. His catalogue for
Hakodate, in Yezo, shows forty two
earthquakes 10 the period from 1876
70 1880. Comparison with the cata.
logue for another place, showed that
ten At least Of the Hakodate shocks
were felt at Sapporo, 80 miles to thu
northeast in the same island; and it was
siWiisrly shown that .eveu OF tn.
shocks we're felt at Toki', 500 miles to
tho south. One interesting result of
these observations is the discovery tina,
earthquakes seldom pass tho barrier
OF mountain ranges Mr.. Uilne has
estimated that distribution Of inst:u.
mentsof ordinary sensitiveness through
out Japan would record at least 1900
shocks per year, or about three per day,
which is number greater than that
obtained by Prof. Helm for the whole
world.
From Broca's tables, including q
large number Of crauial measurements,
the average weight OF the b,ain is found
to be about Al ounces in men and 40
ounces in women. The greatest weight
j. attained between the ages Of 80 and
50 among men, and a little earlier
among women. After the age of IS
the weight rapidly diminishes, and q,
the ago Of eighty the average decrease
has amounted to three and one-half
ounces, although tho loss sometimes
amounts to o. much as nine ounces.
Brocs considered form to be of more
Importance than weight in estimating
the comparative intellectual capacity
OF individuals.
Dreams may be more capable of con-
troll thsn 10 usually supposed. 1t is
known that brain action causes rise
Of cranial temperature, snd, reciprocal
y. NJ. Delaunay finds that an increase
in the head stimulates the action OF the
brain. Dreams are generally illogical
and absurd. but by covering his fore
head with layer Of wadding NJ. De
launay gets sane, intelligent dreams.
He has also experimental on modes
Of lying in bed which favor the flow If
blood to certain parts, increasing the
activity Of 'hose portions of the brain.
He has observed that dreams while
lying on the back are sensorial, varie
gated, luxurious; those experienced
when on the right side are mobile, ex.
sggerated, absurd and refer to old mat
ters; while those whch occur when o"
the left side are reasonable and intel
lgent, and pertain to recent matters
in which dreams one often speaks. 1t
il claimed that these observations con.
firm tho accepted ideas of the functions
Of the different parts Of the brain.
The number of liens and panthers
killed in Algeria is dim nishing very
rapidly every year, and these animals
will probably soon disappear entirely
from that country.
IN bis tribute 10 the memory of
Darwin, Huxley says: "Acute as were
his reasoning powers, vast as was his
knowledge, marvellous as was his ten
acious industry under difficulties which
would have converted nine men out of
every ten into aimless invalids; it ~as
not these qualities, great as they were,
which impressed those who were ad-
mitted 70 his intimacy with involuntary
veneEa'ion, but . certain intense and
almost passionate honesty by which all
his thoughts and scti DOS were irr.diated
~ BY central ire"
1t is proposed to try novel expert.
ment at Paris by producing q series Of
scientific dramas at one Of the theaters,
With the ooj-ct Of combining amuse.
mont with instruction. Three plays
have already been provided. and their
titles clearly indicate the direction in
which the audience is to he instructed.
The titles are: "Denis Pepin, or the
Inventiun Of steam "Krpler. or Al.
A. IL