The Newberry herald. [volume] (Newberry, S.C.) 1865-1884, 1882-04-13
miscellaneous.
%
For THE HERALD.
SCIENTIFIC MISCELLANY.

/ SCE EN- r Az baRSC EA1LEAN " H
In o recent lecture, Prof. Ed
ward Frankland stated that six
millions Of tons Of coal are prob
ably burned in London during the
winter months, and the quantities
Of steam, SCOT, tar and sulphurous
acid discharged into the air as
products Of this combustion are
enormous, These products unite
to form the London logs. Steam
supplies the basis Of all fog,
and the vapor particles become
covered with tar, which renders
them more permanent dirt is
necessary to produce fog, while
suIphurous acid promotes it. DR..
Frankland illustrated these points
by experiment. To prove the
effect Of dirt in the air he filled
| q large flask with moist air freed
from dirt by fltering, then cooled
the flask, when slight mist was
formed which disappeared in a
moment; repeating the export
ment with air containing its nor-
NAL charge Of dirt, the fog was
much more dense and lasting.
Tarry matters render fogs per-
sistent by retarding evaporation.
Ho believes that the general
substitution Of anthracite for
bituminous coal would do much
toward freeing the metropolis
from its fogs, as the discharge
Of tar and SCOT into the atmos-
phere would thus be vastly les.
sened.
A very general idea is that a
tendency TO certain diseases is in-
dicated by certain types Of faces,
as is shown by the frequent use of
such phrases as 'consumptive-
looking Tho subject has been
investigated by Drs. Galton and
Mahomed, whose conclusions thus
far fail to support the belief that
certain physical characteristics
prove a special liability 10 con.
sumption or other disease, al
though it may perhaps be shown
that the effects Of the disease
when commenced may be iulu-
enced by such.
Prof. Boyd Dawkins, in depict
ing the appearance of the world
befos4 man, recently described
America in the eocene and mio-
Gene periods as being connected
with Europe by o heavily wooded
barrier of land stretching past the
Farce Islands while the alligators
and fishes Of Europe were indls-
tinguishable from those Of this
continent.
A Spanish physician, DIR. Olive,
makes use Of powdered cobwebs
as remedy for fevers.
| Seasons Of low water in the
lakes Of Switzerland offer favora.
bio opportunities for adding to our
knowledge Of the anciopt lake
dwellcrs. The water Of Lake Con
stance has lately been lower than
at any other time since 1905, and
advantage has been taken of it to
examine q number of lacustrine
dwellings, with the result of num-
erous discoveries Of implements.
An interesting experiment is
said to have been made with q
hlbornating hedgehog, il which
the brain of the sleeping animal
was removed, then the entire
spinal cord, but for two bours
hardly any change was noticeable
in the action Of the heart and q
day afterward that organ con-
tracted when touched by the op-
orator.
During an address by Prof. W.
E. Ayrton on the storage of
power the lecture theatre was
lighted, q circular saw driven
and an elevator operated by
means Of electric energy which
had been stored the previous day
in Faure accumrlatirg batteries.
The total quantity of energy was
5O,0O0,0OO foot-pounds-a little
more than twenty-five horse-pow,
er exerted for one hour. A sin
gle cell, containing 81 pounds OF
lead and red lead, is found To store
100000 foot-pounds Of energy.
Paper made from strong hbres
can now be compressed into a
substance so hard that nothing
b,,4 = Lo J;o,oor1 nm corotnb II