The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1882-04-29
For the CARBON ADVOCATE.
SCIENTIFIC NOTES.

SCIENTIFIC NOTES.
"A species of temporary color-tlind.
ness has been observed as the result o.
long exposure TO dazzling light.
The venerable French chemist and
instructor. NJ. Cbeureul, has Just cele.
brated his ninety sixth birthday.
Herr Kraus hns lately proved that
all plant organs swell and contract every
day. This phenomenon is due to varia-
tions in the amount Of water contained at
different Periods during the twenty -four
hours.
1t has been pointed out that the fir: =
GRANGE of violets differs widely. being in
fuenced evidently by the season and
temperature, warmth and shelter appear.
ing most conducive to sweetness.
"A new geyser has been discovered
near ST. Etienne, France. A vein of hot
water was tapped at a depth Of 5000 feet,
and the result is an intermittent fountain
100 feet above the surface Of the earth.
M. Blavisr attributes the disappear
ance Of the sardine from the coast of
Brittany, whire it was once che source of
large revenue. to a change in the direc.
tion of the Gulf Stream. Tho question
was deemed so important by the Paris
Academy of Sciences that a special COM
mittee has been appointed to investigate
the matter.
The sand of the Sahara desert is
sometimes heated to temperature of 200
degrees Fahrenheit by the vertical rays
of the sun. This gives rise to scoroh.
ing wind-the dreaded Simoon-which
is rendered still more terrible by the
burning particles of sand it carries along.
Iu 1913, Burkbara: recorded 122 degrees
in the shade during the prevalence of
this pestilential blast.
The sale of 800 telescopes in France
during the two years iding last October
is cited by NJ. Camille Flammarion MS
showing to some extent the remarkable
growth of astronomical taste in that
country. The demand for M. Flammari-
on's books is, however, a more striking
proof, two of them having quickly reach
ed An aggregate circulation of SO, 900
copies, while third has lately appeared
in its thirtieth edition.
DIR. Schweinfurth has succeeded in
freshening and preserving many of the
leaves and flowers from garlands found
on the breasts OF mummies discovered
last year at DER el Bahari. A small her
barium is thus formed from plants which
grew some thirty-fvs centuries ago. A
number of the species have been identi-
fed with those now found in the East
The ground in the Jura mountains
is in state Of movement, as is shown by
some curious observations pointed ont by
VI. Girardot. Villages that were invisi-
BILE to each other at the beginning of the
century, or even thirty or forty years ago,
are now visible. First the roofs appear
ed, and then the upper part of the walls.
Such ls the case with the villages of Dou-
cier and Marigny. near Lake Chalaiu.
Important changes have been noted even
within ten years.
For the photography of birds in their
different positions in flying, NJ. Marcy
employs an instrument, like rifle in
shape, giving twelve successive images
per second. each image bepg taken in
the l-700th part of a second. Iu bright
sunlight the time Of exposure is reduced
to the IL, 500th of a second. These views
furnish an analysis of the motion of birds
in flight which could not be obtained be.
fore the perfection of the process of in.
Simultaneous photography.
The story is told of the famous Ger
man scientist, Alexander Son Humboldt,
that, being engaged in experiments with
Gay Lussac in Paris aud needing large
number of glass tubes on which very
heavy duty was imposed, he instructed
the manufacturers to seal the ends Of the
tubes and label them German air" The
air of Germany was not on the list of
duty-paying articles, and the tubes duly
passed the customs officers without auy
demand.
The celebrated "KeDt's Hole" Of the
geologists is located near Torqnay, in
Devonshire, England. This remarkable
caveren, first scientifically explored in
ls24bya Catholic clergyman, has given up
remains of the mammoth, rhinocerOs,
hyena, elk and other animals now extinct
in England, together with many hinis
and other 7, lies of ancient man. The
earth in the cave has now been explored
to a great depth, and the finding Of bu.
man jaw far below the surface has added
q link 10 the chain of evidence establish
ing mans great antiquity.
"A new method of preserving meat is
to cause the heart Of the animal 10 Pump
boracic acid into the tissues. For ex-
ample, sheep is stunned by blow. and
blood being withdrawn from the left jng-
ulAr vein, strong solution of boracio
acid. kept at blood heat, is injected. The
heart of the still living animal quickly
pumps the antiseptie duid into all parts
Of the body, and the sheep is then killed |
by the butcher in the usual way. The
cost is slight, and the meat thus treated
will keep several weeks in the heat of
summer.
1t is very generally known that the
existence Of planet between Mercury
and the sun has long been suspected by |
aairOnomara hut A Lnoh AN ol,tack aviss. 7