St. Landry democrat., 1883-03-10
SCIENTIFIC MISCELLANY.


From experiments made with various
.iisinfecting substances upon vaccine
virus, DR.. G.. M. Sternberg. .. S. A.
surgeon, has concluded that chlorine,
.sulphurous acid and nitrous acid
are reliable disinfectants in the propor-
ton of one volume to one hundred vol
umes of air. In moist atmosphere a
considerably smaller proportion might
$be effective. He considers the use OF
.carboIic acid as disinfectant to be I'M
practical on account of the high cost OF
pure acid and the large quantity neces-
sary to ensure thorough results.
An English clergyman, Rev. W.
Hougllton, has made a study of'the
stomachs of fishes with view OF
learning the relations which exist be-
tween the food of the various species
and the quality of their flesh, as well as
the bearing Of their food supplies upon
distribution and migration. His inves-
legations have thus far been chiefly
confined to North Sea fishes. He finds
that whitehall aud mackerel live large
Ey upon small crustaceans, and believes
that the rich quality of the herring's
flesh is due to the same nutricious
food.
The soy bean (Soja hispida) ap-
proaches more nearly to animal food in
its proximate composition than any 9th
,er known vegetable production, being
singularly rich in fat and albuminoids.
This bean forms an important article Of
food in Japan and China, where a dozen
or more varieties are known. Of late it
has attracted considerable attention in
Europe, and numerous attempts have
been made to acclimatize it in several
European countries, some OF the expert
lments being reported tolerably success
ful.
Att meeting Of the Association of
Swiss Geographical Societies lately
held in Geneva, Herr Riniker advanced
the opinion that forests may serve as a
safeguard against hailstorms. In sup
port of this theory he adduced a re-
snarkabie observation to the effect that
hail was unknown in the valleys at the
the foot of the wood-covered Linden
berg mountains until too wide gaps
were'made in the forest about twenty
years ago hailstorms then became fre-
squent, but ceased to appear after the
open spaces we're closed by a new lot of
trees. As an explanation of the phe-
nomenon, Herr Kiniker suggests that, as
hailclouds are saturated with positive
electricity and trees conduct from the
earth negative electricity, the meeting
of the two currents developes sufficient
heat to either prevent the formation of
failstones or to melt them in the
clouds.
At the summit of the Riffel $500 feet
figh) Capt. Abney has found the spec
trum of the sun to be the same as in
London, but there is vast diminution
of light as well as of aqueous vapor.
The quantity Of alcohol and benzine in
the atmosphere was found to be much
greater at that altitude than at sea-
sevel, which leads Capt. Abney to con
clude that these substances come to us
from space.
The fifteen years. research Of the
British Associations Committee on
Underground Temperature shows, as
the main result attained, that the tenn.
perature, on wide average, increases
.downwards at the rate Of one Fahren-
heit degree for every sixty -four feet.
1t has been demonstrated at Havre
&hat the use of the telephone between
ships in the harbors and the town is
practicable even in rough weather.
With new apparatus for ascertain
ing the velocity of railway trains, a
frain weighing one hundred and twenty
i've tons and travelling at q speed Of
forty-fye miles an hour has been found
TO run few feet more than five miles
after steam had been shut off. The
track was level and the day calm.
A study Of old records has shown q
Roman sanitary engineer that the mala-
rial region now surrounding the city of
Rome was once healthy and populous.
and his Investigations have convinced
him that restoration Of the ancients'.
system of deep-draining would free
these lands from their fever faint.
The constant appearance Of a minute
quantity Of copper in bread led d 1
European chemist to make a careful ex-