The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1882-07-08
For the CARooN ADv6oATE.1
SCIENTIFIC MISCELLANY

In July and August a French COM
mission is to explore the ocean bottom
along the coasts OF Spain, Portugal aud
Morocco.
According to Ralph Abetcfombie, r.
r. s., an English meteorologist. mere
wind occurs by day than at night in places
having the same barometric pressure
-Eronautical Society of Great Britain
proposes holdidg an exhibition next year
to show what progress has been made
towafd solution of the problem Of serinl
navigation.
Fossil remains lately found In France
prove that group of mammals which
existed in the late Eocene period united
many of the characteristics of pigs with
those of monkeys an association of
characters of peculiar interest TO students
of evolution.
The London Society of Telegraph
Engineers and of Electricians bave de.
cided to offer annually three PRIZES for
the best original papers on telegraphic or
eleofric subjects sent in by any PERSONS
not members of the council of the Society
The prizes will consist If scientific books
or apparatus, the first prize having value
Of el0 ana the other tive of e5 each. The
FIR t awards will be made for papers sent
in before the end OF May next.
Gas and electricity have combined
to produce light in new system. A snip
of platinum foil is 30 arranged in con.
nection with burner as to be bea,t d
when the gas is ignited, the platinum
then Offering so much resistance to an
electric current passed through it as to
be raised to incandescence, and in turn
giving to the gas a very high temperature
aud catising it to be entirely consumed.
BY the aid of a small current very bril-
liant light is said to be produced with
great economy of gas.
A very curious phenomenon is in
progress on the eastern coast of the Cas-
plan Sea. The Eara Boghaz is an estu-
ary nearly separated from the main body
OF the Sea by a bank through which there
is an inlet. The evaporation from this
gulf is so great that II current sets in from
the main body of the Caspian; and as
there is no Return current the water of
the gulf becomes more and mofe salifer.
Gus, and deposit of salt is in course of
formation. In time this gull will be cut
off from the Caspian, and will then be
dried up and become an extensive salt
bed.
Experimenting to determine the or.
der in which the action of the various
organs of the body ceases in ssphyxia,
NJ. Plot hao concluded that the exact in.
slant Of death Is very difficult 10 deter
mine. The movements of respiration
first cease to be apparent, then the bea'.
ing OF the heart becomes less frequent;
the pupils Of the eyes dilate excessively
and the corhea becomes insensii le; but
these are only apparent signs of DEATH
for after they have appeared in dogs the
animals have been restored to life by ar
tiicial respiration.
Renewed lnfifmation of the infec-
tious character of consumption has been
obtained by NJ. Gibeux. In the eperi-
ments made, air which had been expired
by consumptive animals was introduced
twice day for l05 days into a wooden
case containing young rabbits. the case
being closed each time for two hours to
prevent access OF other air. The result
was the formation of tubercles in the
lungs of the rabbits. Oth,r rabbits,
similarly treated, except that the Infected
air was passed through corbolzed wad-
ding, remained entitfly unaffected.
Vessels in the Atlantic. near the
Cape Verde archipelago, occasionally en-.
counter showers OF fine dust which so
often have . reddish appearance that