Lewiston teller. [volume] (Lewiston, North Idaho) 1878-1900, 1883-08-23
SCIENTIFIC MISCELLANY.

vacuum Mons. Muller obtained product
which can be kept for many months in
dry atmosphere, and which he thinks
will be of considerable value for making
pastry and other kinds of food.
A Brazilian physician, Dr. Frcize, has
discovered in the blood OF yellow fever
patients a minute parasite which he be
ieyes is the cause Of the disease.
From the last report Of the British
consul at Tientsn it appears that China
has but one colliery in complete working
order. 1t is located at Kaipn-, not far
from Pcking. The coal supply is con
sidered ample, as the coa-bearin- stratum
is supposed to be about one thousand
feet thick, with thirteen seams. A rail
way six and half miles in length-thc
only one in all China-carrios the coal
from the mine TO canal where the loads
are transferred to barges.
Articles made Of rubber often de-
teriorate rapidly. Mr.. Herbert Mcleod
has determined experimcntally that the
change is due to the combined influence
Of light and oxygen, but that ntith,r of
these agents can produce any alteration
without the aid of the other.
In a recent lecture Prof Flower, F. Il.
s., remarked that the whales of our time
are the largest of known creatures, past
or present. Instead Of living in an age
Of degeneracy of physical growth,
We are therefore in an age of giants; but
it may be at the end of that age, for the
whales-like other existing great animals,
are fast approaching extinction.
A series of experiments has been made
by Messrs Vigicr, Labordc and Rondean
upon the effects of compounds of boracic
acid when used for preserving food. The
results prove that pure bordcic acid i,
not injurious, even in large dos ,s, but i,
must be quite free from salts of amunia
and lead, and from carbonitc of soda, the
impurities generally present in CONNER
oial borax. Bofacic acid is so long re.
tainedIin the system that it is believed to
be well adapted to combat infectious dis
eases.
Mr.. James Pearson, J. r. A. s., states
that singular circumstance takes place
in the tides of the solcnt, the narrow
channel separating the Isle Of Wigh,
from England. The first tide arrives
from the westward and brings high waite,
after which it begins to ebb. But socr
after this the portion of the tide which
had been circulating round the Isle OF
Weight finds its way into the same basin
and tho water begins to rise again, thus
exhibiting the phenomena Of four tides
in day.
Remarkable disturbances have been
reported from mountain near Czerno-
witz, Austria. The ground around IN,
mountains base has opened in wide and
deep chasms, and many buildings nea,
the spot have been thrown down,
Herr Helforich reports case in which
the removal of tumor from woman.
arm took away nearly the whole uppe,
half of the biceps muscle A large
piece of the biceps from the leg of dog
was promptly and carefully transplan,ed
in the cavity. At the end of three
months the trsnspanted muscle reacted
naturally under the influence of electricity
while the movements Of the arm were al.
most normal.
Among the photographic operations
attempted by the British navy in lss2
was a survey Of the coasts of Corea, the
little Asiatic country whose opposition t.
foreign civilization and commerce has
caused it to become known AS the hermi,
kingdom. A report Of the survey shows
that the best anchorage near Seoul, the
capital, is twenty-three miles away from
that city, and can only be reached
through labyrinth of islands extending
fifty miles out from the pert.
Seventy-nine geographical societies,
distributed throughout the world, were
in existance at the beginning of this year
with total membership of $4,000.
The Chinese make use of fire-crackers
for Frightening away the demons by
which sick person is supposed to be tor
nented, or which crowd around people at
the beginning of year, it being a popu-
lar belief among this superstitious race
that the evil spirits everywhere inhabi,-
ing the air are distressed by cracking
noises attended by fire and smoke
In paper read before Geneva Hy-
genie Congress, DIR. Daily has maintained
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