The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1883-05-11
SCIENTIFIC MISCELLANY.

Written expressly for the GAZETTE by = celebrated
astern Scientist.
A novel industry is being developed in
Germany. 1t appears that for some time
Krupp, of the great iron works at Essen,
has been making regular business of pro-
ducing and selling liqui6ed carbonic acid.
The gas is condensed and iquiied under
pressure of about $4,000 pounds to the
square inch, and is coming into extensive
use for various purposes. one of its principal
applications being the compression of steel
castings. In Berlin the fire engines are
each supplied with a large vessel contain
ing the condensed gas, which is allowed to
flow into the engines on arrival at fire,
and by it's expansion in returning to its
normal state pumps water upon the flames
until a sufficient steam pressure is obtained
to do the work.
Doubtless the most effective plan of avoid
ing injury from tobacco is to avoid using
that substance; but those who consider ''the
need" an indispensable luxury may be in
terested in the statement of Mons. Armand
that the injurious effects of nicotine can be
counteracted or destroyed by moistening
the tobacco leaves when in course of pre-
paration with strong infusion of water
crosses.
In the treatment of certain skin affec-
tions, Prof. Kapose of Vienna places the
patient on bed where the body is immersed
in water and allows him to remain for fifty
or hundred days. A French medical
journal pronounces these long baths very
successful.
Previous to the sixteenth century men
knew that the rubbing of certain substances
gave them the property of attracting and
and then repelling light bodies, and that
formed the worlds stock of electrical
knowledge.
Mons. Fourmant has proven that pork
containing trichinae may still be dangerous
after having been kept in salt for fifteen
months.
From results obtained with various ferti-
lizing substances Prof. Atwater has drawn
the following conclusions: Corn needs little
nitrogen besides what it can draw from nat
ural sources, while its yield Ii largely in
creased under the influence of mineral fer
tilizers-the most effective being those in
which the chief component is phosphoric
acid or potash, according to the soil and the
season. Potatoes respond uniformly to all
the fertilizing Ingredients; and they are less
able than corn to gather from natural sour
ces. The same appears to be true for turnips.
Not enough experiments have been made
with other crops to justify conclusions con-
corning them. Practically the largest aver
age yield for all crops is secured by the use
of fertilizers containing all the essential ele.
ments of plant food Used alone, nitrate of
soda is rarely useful, sulphate of lime fre-
quentlY, murate of potash very often, and
the superphosphates generally. Soils vary
in their capacity for conveying food to crops,
and careful observation and experiment are
necessary to determine the needs. of a uar-
ticular soil.
Mons. Seidlitz has noticed disease pecu,
liar to the people of a certain locality on the
the northern slope of the Caucasus. The
disease is of a hysterical character, and the
men and women affected bark like dogs.
The natives consider it as the result of be-
witching, in which plant known as the
barking grass is used by the bewitchers.
British surgeon in the Indian service
recommends that quinine be taken in strong
coffee as the disagreeable bitter taste is thus
concealed.
The usual method of determining the tenn.
perature of a room by thermometer hung
upon the wall gives very uncertain results,
as Mons. CASTOR Tissandier has shown that
rooms apparent temperature may vary