The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1883-03-23
SCIENTIFIC MISCELLANY.

Eastern Scientst.l
| A Finnish mcteorologist, Prof Lemstrom
announces that he has made remarkable
experiment, in which he placed on the ape1
| Of o hill galvanic battery with conductor
| covering an area of about 10000 square
| feet. The cone became surrounded by 4
| halo which family but perfectly yielded the
spectrum of the aurora. and the expert
menter regards this result, with some sub
sequent ones, as direct proof Of the cleo
trical nature of the mysterious light which
SO often dances in northern skies.
Mon. Samson has investigated the ex-
citant property of oats, and finds it to be
due to nitrogenized substance which he
names "aveninc." This principle exists,
in varying proportion, in all oats, but, as
rule, it is contained in greater quantity
by the dark-colored than by the white va.
rieties. Crushing or, grinding the grain
weakens considerably its sxcitant action
| upon horaes. probably by altering the ex-
citing substance. No excitant action is
sure to be produced by oats containing less
than nine-tenths of one per cent of avenine.
but with greater proportion of the latter
the effect is certain.
A prize of $l5Os has been offered by the
Prussian Society for encouragement OF IN
dustry for the best account and estimation
of the methods of working coal mines, in
Guiding modes of ventilation and precau-
tions to ensure the safety of mines.
Europeon observations seem to Indicate
! that the condition of the sail and the at
mosphere has much to do with the develop
ment of cancer, the disease being extreme
| ly prevalent in low, alluvial situations, and
seldom seen in dry uplands.
1t is reported that the italian exploring
party lately returned from the South Paci-
fic found many human bones of great size in
Patagonia, indicating the former existence
Of race of giants in that country.
From report given by DR.. D. E. Salmon,
of the department of Agriculture, in reply
to enquiries from abroad, it appears that
charbon fever is not known to be very de-
structive to the domestic animals Of the
United States, it's ravages being most severe
in the lower Mississippi valley, where it
causes heavy losses of stock at times, espec-
tally after great inundations. DR.. Salmon
does not believe that the introduction of
Pasteur's method of protective vaccination
could be made a success as business ven
ture. Experience in Europe has shown that
the susceptibility Of animals to the virus
varies greatly in different countries, and
before the plan Of vaccination can be adop-
ted here expensive experiments must he
made to determine the proper strength of
vaccine for American animals. A govern
ment laboratory for the preparation and free
distribution of vaccines of charbon and 9TH
er contagious diseases of animals would, it
is suggested, be desirable.
Esquimaux are said to be able to see OBJ
iects at a much greater distance than Amer
leans or Europeans, and this remarkable
keenness of vision enables them to spread
intelligence by means of sign te.egraphy
over hundreds Of miles in single day.
According to Mr. J. X. Laughton, of the
London Meteorological, Society, measure
ments now made of the force and velocity
of the wind are very unsatisfactory on ae-
count of the lack of standard thermometer
By welding together iron and steel Mons
Kiel has obtained product which is stated
to possess the characters of both metals.
This so-called steel-iron has been prepared
in five ways, viz: Steel by the side of irona
steel between two layers of iron, iron be-
tween two layers of steel, core of steel
surrounded by iron, and core of iron sur
rounded by steel
Messrs. Tissandier have constructed an
electromagnetic engine, an aerial screw
propeller and a bichromate battery which
they propose to use for directing a large
elongated balloon. By trial of this appa-
ratus in their workshop at Point du Tour,
France, the constructors have shown that it
will yield the work of twelve to fifteen men
for period of three hours, while it's weight
does not exceed that of three men. The
Messrs. Tissandier propose to use their
balloon for rational experiments in the air,
and they do not expect to propel it against
strong winds.
At point between forty-three and fifty
fathoms beneath the surface of the sea.
Secchi, Pourtales and Bouguer have found
that all traces of light cease, the most deli
cate chemical tests remaining unaffected
when sunk lower in the water. Prof. T.
Fuchs finds in this limit of light penetra-
tion a division line which separates all
oceanic life into two great classes, one of
which seeks the light, while the other re.
mains in a region of total darkness. The
fauna of light inhabits the shallow water
near coasts, and is not abundant at great
er depth than thirty fathoms; while the
species of darkness live in the deep sea, and
are never found much nearer the surface
than fifty fsthoms during daylight, although
some Of them rise to the surface at night