The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1882-03-31
Scientific Gossip.

The PrusSian Government is to buy
this year 20,300 tons of iron railroad
sleepers at q cost of S35 ton.
Lighting of railroad trains generally
in Germany by means of electricity is
considered to be merely question Of
time.
Special poisons are secreted by the
toad, salamander, newt, frog, etc. M.
Paul Bert has collected a liquid fromthe
glands on the neck of the frog, which
caused the death, with convulsions, of a
sparrow towhich the substance had been
administered.
Tannin of wines, derived from the
seeds and stalk of the grape, when
treated with ferric chloride gives u
greenish black coloration. When any
other color presents itself some astrin-
gent substance not to be found in pure
wine has been introduced into the
liquid.
Some observations were lately made
in q balloon by M. de Fouviele ON an
Opaque cloud which covered the region
of Paris for several days. The cloud
was hardly 800 meters thick The up
per part of the guide rope was covered
with hoar frost The mean temperature
of the cloud was degrees.
Experiments on the petroleums of the
Caucasus by M. Schutzenberger go to
prove that petroleum, aniline and BEN
zol, when distilled in contact with sodi-
um and kept in the dark, give. on analy-
sis, 101 to 10l.5 of carbon and hydrogen,
but if exposed to the light for two hours
the yield is only 100 per cent.
In coppering cast-iron NJ We'll Uses q
bath of copper sulphate rendered strong
ly alkaline with an organic acid, added
to prevent the precipitation of copper
oxide. To effect the same object, MN.
Mignon and Rouatt employ distinctly
acid solution of double salt of copper
and any alkali with an organic acid.
Mr.. John Shields says he has succeed
ed ''in laying down in q permanent
form outside. the North Harbon at
Peterhead, Scotland, an apparatus for
throwing oil upon troubled water, there
by making the entrances to the harbo1
safe in any weather." lie ewill have OPP
portdntity enough there to prove how
far his contrivance is of any value
A new and interesting proof that the
earth is round has been presented by M.
Dufour in paper lately read before tho
Helveric Society of Natural Sciences. In
calm weather the imagesof distant OBJ
jects reflected in the Lake of, Geneva
showed just exactly the same degree Of
distortion which calculation would pre-
dict through taking into consideration
the figure of the earth.
Some people have maintained thatthe
close confinement of dogs is a fruitful
cause of rabies. They say that if dogs
were not'chained up or muzzled hydro
phobia would soon disappear The OBJ
servations of the late Col. L. G. Fraser
in Western India are altogether opposed
to any such views. He found that jack
ais frequently suffer from this disease,
and pariah dogs also, and the latter at
least have been known TO communi-
cate the terrible malady to human be-
ings. ,s y.
From statistical tables compiled by
the Prussian Government it appears )
that the interest paid on capital in
vested in railroads is higher in France
than anywhere else except Arneri-
ca. In France the average percent
age yielded was '4.53 per cent; in
Germany, All; in Austria, y.4; in(5rcat
Britain, $40; in Russia, 2.3; in Italv, 2.b. {.
In the United States the capital expehd- Z
ed yielded on an average. a return Of 4.6
per cent; in Canada, only 1.S; and in
the British West Indies, 3.4.