Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1883-12-13
SCIENTIFIC MISCELLANY.

Alcohol has been found by Mons.
Muntz to be very widely diffhsed In
nature. IL exists In nearly all water,
including rain and snow, and 1t Is prob
able that the air contains much Of IL in
the state of vapor. Poor soil yields
traces of 1t, and rich mould has q con-
siderable quantity.
Lieut.. Dick, of the Russian army, has
Ccovered a new Illuminating powder,
which has attracted the favorable atten-
ton of the German Government. 1t
causes any objects to which it may be
applied to become luminous, and water
in glass vessel may be converted into
an Illuminating fluid by the addition of
some of the powder. The new illumi-
ANT consumes no oxygen, which fact
makes ii desirable for use in mining
operations. It's Illuminating power
lasts eight hours, when a new supply OF
powder becomes necessary.
The Paris Society of Agriculture and
Insectology, whose exhibition of pre-
served insect specimens has just closed,
proposes establishing menagerie of
living insects, and the city of Paris has
contributed a considerable sum in aid
VI tne PROJECT
The now famous fossil footprints
found last year at Carson, Nevada, and
supposed to have been made by prehis-
tOric human giants, are regarded by
Prof o. c. Marsh as probable tracks of
large sloth. 1t is stated, however,
that DR.. Hardness still insists that the
impressions We're left by species of
man, and that he finds his theory
strengthened by fresh discoveries of
tracks.
A Vienna scientist has perfected a
remarkable modification of the micro
scope, to which the name of gastroscope
has been given. 1t is to be used for
looking into the interior of the human
stomach. 1t consists of tube about 26
inches long and half an inch thick,
bent ut an angle of 150 degrees at about
one-fourth of its length from the lower
end. At its lower extremity Is an in
candescent electric lamp for lighting up
the stomach, and a microscope objective.
Prisms are arranged to reflect the image
bearing pencil Of light along the tube
and past the bend to the eye-piece.
Provision IL made for q circulation OF
water about the lamp to prevent incon-
fChiChl ASdtlHS
photography of the stars now forms
an important part of the work done at
the Harvard Observatory. A region OF
the heaVens Is degrees square is photo
graphed at q single exposure, and elgh-
teen OF these pictures may be taken on
single plate. A map is thus made Of
section of the stellar vault 80 degrees
long by As wide, showing stars down to
the fifth and sixth magnitudes. Small.
Ter stars, down to the eighth magnitude
are shown in photographs of smaller
areas. The magnitudes indicated by
The photographs do not always CORES.
pondto those recorded as the determi'
nations of eye observations. This il
due to the effects of different colOrs
among the stars. A red star, which
may appear very brilliant to the eye
produces only faint impression on the
photographers plate.
Late observations made at Lausanne
Switzerland, have shown that an init
mate connection exists between The
electrical condition of the atmosphere
and the weather; and it is thought tina
an intelligent use of registering electro
meters may enable meteorologists t.
forecast the weather several days In ad
vance. The electric tension of the ali
is strong during fine weather, but it
rapid weakening indicates the approach
of a storm.
@Prof. Edward Hall considers tina
throughout the early geological epoch
known as Archalan, Silurian and Car
hbniferous, the sea covered Nortl
America, the British Isles and Western
Europe, while large part of the Nortl
Atlantic area existed as dry land. HI
urges that if his conclusions prove to b.
well grounded the doctrine of the per
manency of oceans and continents, a
tested by the case of the North Atlantic
must be discarded.
A method of adulterating milk b.
adding to it solution of commercia
glucose has been exposed by Mons
Krechel in o communication to tn
French Academy of Sciences. AS tn
solution has the density of good milk
the adulteration is not detected by tn
ordinary testing instruments.