Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1883-08-29
THE WORLD OF SCIENCE.
Latest Results of Scientific Spec
ulation and Inquiry Through
out the Globe.
From Myersdale Commercial.

perlmentlng with It's various salts upon
dogs and upon himself, Mons. Galippe
has concluded that it cannot cause fatal
poisoning.
On February 10th Meteoric stone
weighing a hundred pounds fell near
the Italian village OF Alfanello, caus-
ing a shock like that of slight earth
quake. The stone entered the ground
some seven feet.
According to Tyndall, not more
than one-hundredth part of the heat
evolved in an ordinary gas-fame is con-
verted into light To increase the il
Eliminating power means must be
sought to raise the temperature of the
carbon particles to which the light is
due.
One of Prof. Simon Newcomb's
latest papers is discussion Of all the
transits of Mercury hitherto observed
in which be decides that Leverrier's
theory of the existence OF unknown
planetary bodies nearer the sun than
Mercury is extremely improbable.
The practice of keeping night lights
in childrens' bedrooms is pronounced
very injurious by DR.. r. H. Bakewell.
Instead of allowing the optic nerves
the perfect rest afforded by darkness,
the light keeps them in perpetual stim-
ulation, with the result of causing the
brain and the rest of the nervous sys-
| tenn to suffer.
The question is now asked whether
| the increasing transfer of iron from the
earth's interior to it's surface, ican have
any influence upon the weather 1t
seems that, at least, the vast masses of
iron that are being spread out in rail
ways, bridges, etc, must affect the
electric currents which move about the
earth.
DR. Genzmer states that the sense of
touch is present in infants at birth, al
though the faculty of feeling pain is
slowly developed and is clearly indicat-
ed only after the child has reached the
age of four or five weeks, smell and
taste are distinguishable in newborn
infants; hearing is perceptible in the
first, or-at latest the second day of
life; light is quickly perceived immedi-
ately after birth bet evidences of COM
plete visual power do not appear for
four or five weeks, and it is only after
| four or five months that colors are
clearly distinguished.
A striking illustration of the value
Of sytematic exercise in expanding the
chest has been given by DR.. Cathcart,
OF Edinburg AT certain boys school,
where regular exercise was compulsory,
it was found that new pupils fourteen
years Of age had an average chest
measurement of 1913; those OF fifteen
measured 301G; of sixteen, 80: of
seventeen, 1916, and Of eighteen, 80 5.
Pupils of the same ages who had been
at the school for a considerable time
measured 306, 32l, 342, 1873, and
36.8
Various travellers have observed in
| deserts, on mountains, in forests and
in valleys. peculiar and impressive
| sound like the tolling of distant bells.
The phenomenon Is doubtless produc-
| ed by air currents but in some instances
in has appeared to be due to the fric-
ton of particles of sand rolling under
the feet. To prove the correctness of
the former view, Mons. Forel has made
a very pretty experiment, in which he
has, as he believes, reproduced the
phenomenon artifcially. Taking his
rifle into the open country when brisk
breeze was blowing, he held the gun
in the wind at an angle of about forty
five degrees, and soon succeeded in get
ting sound which shepherd near by
declared was the ringing of bells in
neighboring village.
In view of the late uses-or misuses
made of dyn amite, and the inaccuracy
of many statements concerning it, Prof.
Proctor's Knowledge reminds its read
ers that "the base of this extremely
powerful explosive is nitro-giycerine--
sometimes known as nitroleum-which
is an amber-like fluid discovered by
Sobrero in l847 Nitro. glycerne itself
is made by adding glycerne in a man
ner not necessary to particularze, to a
compound formed of one part of nitric
acid and two parts of sulphuric acid.
This terrible agent is known as glonon
oil, and is a yellow oily liquid, of
specific gravity ranging from 1925 to
Is. 1t has a pungent taste, and but
one drop placed on the tongue induces
intense pain of the spine. Sobrero,
when he discovered this fluid, was a
student at the famous Pelouze observa-
tory, Paris He did nothing to de-
velop his discovery; but Alfred Noble,
a Swede, being in want of new blast
ing agent, experimental with the new
liquid known to be higher explosive,
and by adding other ingredients OBJ
tanned the wel-known dynamite. This,
as usually manufactured, Is composed
of infusorial earth, porcelain earth, coal
dust, siliceCus ashes, etc, and all this
base has to be saturated in u certain
proportion with the nitro -glycerne.
The process of manufacture is danger.
Gus, and the cost about four times that
Of gunpowder, while its power is, per-
haps, ten times greater Besides dyna-
mite other explosive compounds have
been made from nitro-glycerine, such
as dualline, q combination Of wood
gunpowder soaked with this terrible
oil, while lithofracteur consists of fifty
two parts Of ntro-glycerine, thirty Of
siex, twelve of coal dust and two OF
sulphur. Then there are varieties
known respectively as colonia powder,
lignose, sebastIne, heracline, and full
minatine"
Dr. w. II. Stone pronounces STAN
mering disease of modern civilization,
and states that Livingston never met
with it among the savage tribes of
Africa. Statistics show that in civiiz-
ed countries two persons stammer in
every thousand.
| MI 1..-..