Lewiston teller. [volume] (Lewiston, North Idaho) 1878-1900, 1883-08-30
SCIENTIFIC MISCELLANY.

the Harvard Observatory. A region
Of the heavens fifteen degrees square is
photographed at single exposure, stars
down to the fifth and sixth magnitudes
being shown; and eighteen of these pic
lures may be taken on single plate,
forming map of a section of the stellar
vault 80 degrees long by As degrees wide.
Smaller stars, down to the eighth magni-
tude, are shown in photographs of smaller
areas. The magnitudes indicated by the
photographs do not always correspond to
those recorded as the determinations of
eye observations. This is due to the eff
fects Of different colors among the stars.
A red star, which may appear very bril-
Liant to the eye, produces only a faint i'm
precision on the photographers plate.
Mons. Cornevin places the time Of the
first appearance of the horse us domes-
tic animal in the bronze age contempor-
aneous with the bronze bit. Mons. Pietre-
ment and Mons. Pictet proved that the
horse had been utilized in Asia while
Europe was in the stone age, and Mons.
Faure objects to Mons. Cornevins con-
clusion with the remark that, while the
bronze bit is good proof of the domestica-
ton Of the horse, the latter may have
been tanned long before bronze was known.
Whichever view may be the correct one,
it is certain that man has enjoyed the
services of the horse for pretty long
period.
The total number of species of flower.
ing plants in the world is roughly esti-
mated by Bcntham and Hooker to be
$500.
In the opinion of DR.. Burg, copper in
the body exerts productive influence
against infectious diseases. This view
has received renewed confirmation in the
results Of an inquiry concerning the death
rate among copper-workers during the
last epidemic Of typhoid in Paris. To
test his theory that copper prevents the
development Of the microbes OF infec-
tious diseases. Dr.. Burg proposes study
ing the action Of copper salts upon the
microbes cultivated by Mons. Pasteur.
Herr Heinrich has made some expert
ments with peat, in which he obtained
the largest crop when the peat derived
from the soil sixty per cent. of the total
quantity of water which it was capable
of containing. No crop was obtained
when the moisture Of the peat fell below
twenty per cent. Of it's water capacity, OK
cept in sand, where small yield was &C.
cured which contained not more than ten
per cent. Of the water it could have con-
tanned.
AT the Paris Observatory Admiral
Mouchez has been experimenting for some
weeks with small captive balloon for
obtaining records of meteorological phe-
nomcna at some distance above the Garth
The real value Of the balloon to science
has not yet been determined, as balloon.
ing for scientific purposes is quite new
subject Of study.
An Irish physician, DR.. Henry Mao
aulay, has made the unique suggestion
that the intense heat of the sun in tropi-
cal countries be used as an agent for
cooling buildings He would use Mou.
chot's sun engine for pumping cold air
into factories, dwellings, ETC., as in this
way the temperature of the rooms may
be reduced from 100 degrees to 60. This
plan is only available when ice may be
obtained.
The hussian Geographical Society has
received list Of the localities along the
coast of Northwestern Siberia where hu-
man beings may be found at different
seasons of the year. 1t is hoped that
the use Of this list by future explorers
may enable them to escape the sad fate
OF Lieut.. De Long and his companions.
According to a writer in Partisan
journal, 1onquin, province of Anam in
Southeastern Asia, possesses a remarka-
bic mineral wealth. The production of its
gold mines, this authority states, can be
made to rival that Of California and Aus
trailia; while its coal mines are even more
than the gold mines. Silver
copper and tin are also abundant, and
zinc, lead, iron and bismuth are known
4 catalogue is being prepared Of the
stars which were observed from the Paris
Observatory during the As years from
1887 to 1881. The stars to be included
IN this list number about 10000.
A composition has been produced by
Messrs. Dankworth and Landers, of St,
Petersburg, which possesses the proper.
ties Of India rubber, and is suitable for
most Of the purposes for which that sub.
stance Is used. The new product is com. |
posed OF wood and coal tar, linseed oil, |
spermaceti and sulnbur wb;oh