Lewiston teller. [volume] (Lewiston, North Idaho) 1878-1900, 1883-12-20
SCIENTIFIC MIscELL ANY.

is now being made to cope with this dread
disease. The questions as to its contas-
iousness and hcredi.y are being systeniat-
isally studied in Australia, as well as III
Germany and England. A circular has
been sent to 5000 physicians of Aus
tralia, requesting them to give particulars
Of any cases which they considered to
have proved the contagiousness Of the
disease, particulars of eases of supposed
hsredity, and of cases believed to have
been completely cured.
Prof j. Koinig proposes to purify
town sewerage, and the waste waters Of
slaughter houses, dye works, breweries,
etc., by allowing them to trickle over
network of wire, thus exposing large
surface to the oxidizing action of the at
nosphere. He recommends that the
soarser impurities should first be remov-
ed by means of settling tanks.
Prof. A. Graham Bell contends that
deaf-mutes should be taught the use Of
tho vocal organs and the reading of the
lips, and should be educated in the pub
lie schools. The practice now pursued
Of placing the deaf children in schools
apart from children who hear he believes
Is distinctly tending to the development
Of deaf race Of people.
In experiments in scientific agriculture,
Prof. w. II. Jordan has found phosphor-
10 acid from bone-black superphosphate
to increase the yield Of wheat more than
any other plant food. The addition Of
potassa, and especially Of potassa and
nitrogen, gave an increase Of grain, ant
still more Of straw. Farm yard manur,
produced less decided increase Of thu
crop than complete dressing with arti
fcial manures. Lime, ground limestone
and gypsum had little or no effect.
According to DR.. John G. Peters, vet
Urinary authorities have recognized scar
let fever q q disease Of horses from
period IS early as the year 1914. Thes
animals and human beings are affected
differently. In the former the disease
proceeds out Of some previous ailment
while in mankind it always occurs by its
sH. In horses it is mild, but in human
beings it is often most malignant; an
symptoms which in the one case are CON
mon and give no uneasiness, in the othc
are sure precursors Of death.
II is stated that more than Is per cen
Of the samples examined last year, und'
an act Of the British Parliament relatin
70 the sale Of food, proved to be impur
milk 1000 samples were tested, an
about 81 were condemned.
An interesting acoustic apparatus, Gale
the Neutrality-suspicious." was show
q the Munich electrical exhibition. Th
instrument consists Of tin disk fixed ,
the bottom Of hollow cone, and havin
above it an electromagnetic and beneat
it mercury cup into which dips mi
tallic point. When the electric currer
passes, the electro magnet attracts tn
disk and breaks the contact with the me
curry, the current ceases to pass, and Ii
contact is restored, 40 that the disk is 8,
in rapid motion, and may make from 40
70 440 vibrations per second. An inten'
sound is procured, which it is though
may be made sufficiently loud to serve
. feg-signal.
From an investigation covering Il
observations made in the course of thr,
years, Prof. A. Hall, of Washington, HI
calculated that the mass of the sun is
1922 times that Of the planet Saturl
the second in size of the great planets
our solar system.
While many sea-serpant stories ha,
had their origin in illusion, and othe
in fiction, Prof. Proctor considers tn,
such explanations can hardly be apple
to some Of the accounts which have bee
given concerning the appearance of strans
marine monsters. He says: ''The fa
really is that 30 far from the belief bein
absurd that creatures hitherto unknow
exist in the depths of the sea, the wond,
rather would be if men knew all, or eve
half, Of the inhabitants of the ocean.
is astonishing how few of the denizel
Of the deep ever show themselves. In
sea journey lasting many weeks one ma
see shoal or two of porpoises, or wha
or two, or the spouting of whales in Ii
distance, few sharks, flying fish and {
forth, but not one in million even of til
sea creatures which have been near tn
ship. For one sea creature which hs
occasion TO come near the surface ther
are millions which never show the,nselro.