Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1882-12-08
SCIENTIFIC

A Neapolitan gardener, after years
of experiment, has produced a camelia
with o delicate perfume, and he thinks
it probable that these Covers may in
the near future be so cultivated as to
rival the rose in the fragrance OF its
odOr.
A new theory of the so-called fas-
cination of birds by snakes is that the
bird mistakes the snakes tongue,
which the reptile keeps in rapid and
constant motion, for a lively worm,
and watches it inteutly with the antic.
ipation Of devouring it.
Two Leipsic chemists have devised
proc IS for obtaining sugar in a per-
maueatly liquid form This result is
said to be effected by adding to a puri-
fed sugar solution a small quantity of
oitric acid, which combines with the
susAr and deprives it of its tendency
TO crystagize.
Some experiments by NJ. Gautier
appear to prove that human saliva
pos sesses,i in a milder degree, the same
poisonous property as hat Of serpents.
The human saliva injected under the
skin Of a bird caused death, with
symptoms very closely resembling those
resulting from serpent bites.
Late investigations Of German sci
entists have shown that the electric
light is not only healthier than other
methods Of illumination in leaving the
air purer, but hat it increases the
power OF vision in some respects. es-
pecially in Distinguishing colors. Red
blue, green and yellow are much more
distinct under this light than By day
light.
Nj. Pasteur has resolved to extend
his studies 10 vaccination to yellow
fever, with a view of determining
whether or not the disease is due tc
parasites and can be guarded against
by ~inocculation. A broad field Of
investigation is open to Pasteur, as il
is suggested by his discoveries thus
far that all contagious maladies
may be due to parasitic groWths
the virulence OF which may be reduced
by his method OF inocculation as to
render this class Of diseases n longer
amatter Of dread.
Dir. G. Shaler Smith has given the
results of extensive observations in
relation to the pressure exerted by
the wind. The most violent gale re
: corded by him was at East st. Louis.
in 1871, when the wind over urued a
locomotive, the force developed 10 go
doing being no less than SO pounds
per square foot, AT st Charles a iail
was destroyed in 1877, the pressure
required being 81 pouods per square
foot. At Marshield, in 1880, a brick
mansion was leveled, the force ueces-
sary being SO pounds per square foot.
Below these extraordinary pressures.
Mr.. Smith instances numerous cases
OF trains blown of rails, and bridges.
etc, blown down by gales of "a to 81
pounds per square foot. In all the
examples the lowest force required to
do the observed damage has been
taken as the maximum power of the
Wind, although, Of course, it may
have been higher.
Enthusiasts who make a special
study OF u spots aud attendant
phenomena believe that the corner
stone Of a new science is being laid by
discoveries pointing to an intimate
connection between solar and terres-
trial %meteorology. Just what the
connection is they are not yet able to
clearly defne, although electricity is
suspected Of being the agent through
which the effects are manifested upon
our planet. 1t is known that the
gaseous envelope of thesun is affected
BY erUptions Of such prodigious mag
nitude as to be utterly beyond our
power Of conception, these disturb
ances appearing to US in the form of
rapidly changing spots and protuber-
ancos. The eras Of the spots, or u
storms, occur at remarkably regularly
intervals, a complete cycle Of the
various stages Of activity from maxi
mum to minimum and again to maxi.
mum being performed 10 about eleven
years, the so-called sun spot period.
The 80 spot physicists claim a coin
oidence of the periods of mari
mum spots aud years of great atmo. I
Sphere aud physical disturbance in
the earth. The present has been a
year Of great solar disturbances. while
u has been marked by violent storms
and earthquakes upon our globe
Further than this, these scientists
claim to have recently detected by
simultaneous observation minor atmo
sphere changes as the result Of cor
responding movements in the sun
Many difficulties attend thee oby-r
ystions, but the Astronomer Roysl
tor Scotland aud others believe that
the state Of the sun will some day be
come an important factor in weather
forecasts and like calculations.