St. Landry democrat., 1883-08-25
SCIENTIFIC MISCELLANY.


form of a date palm which
changes its position morning and eve
ming. The tree is eleven feet in height,
and in the afternoon is inclined so near
the ground that children may pluck it's
fruit from branches which in the morn
ing are far above their reach.
Mons. Vallin has made some expert I
eznents upon the virus of tuberculosis to
determine the action of various disin-
fectants. With the tubucular sub
stance he obtained, the disease could
be readily produced in animals, but ex-
posure to sulphur fumes, boiling water
or a solution of corrosive subiimate |
destroyed the power of tire virus to pro-
siuce such an effect. The result of the
experiments prompts Mons. Vallin to
suggest that it would be wise precau-
tions to give prisons, barracks hospitals
and schools yearly purifying by sui
Dhurous..fumigatien.
The Desert of Sahara, according to
AN address by Prof. Guido Cora to the
Italian Geographical Society, has to-
tai area of 100000 square miles, not
suore than one-ffth OF which is COW
cred by sand. The mean elevation of
the desert is from 1900 to 1850 feet
above sea-level, but its mountain
chains attain height of from $3.50 to
$500 feet. In some parts rains occur
only snce in some twenty years, while
~ others there is a regular rainy sea-
sou. While the temperature rises to
.122 degrees, it sometimes falls below
30 degrees, and snow and ice cover the
highest mountain SUBMITS during sew
eral months of the year. The animals
and plants are of much interest and inn
portance. The human population num-
bers some 100000, and the desert con-
tains towns of from 5000 to 10000 in
habitants.
Sir William Thomson finds that sun
light has about 10000 times the lnten
sity OF the light of the full moon at any
place on the earth, and about $4,000
times that Of candle flame. The latter
result differs widely from that obtained
by Arago, who found the light of the
sun to have about $1,000 times the in
tensity of candle-fame.
If the assumtion that pitcher plants
eat the. insects caught by their leaves is
correct, there is no reason why the
plants Should not, like meat-eating ans
mails, experience ill-effects from over
gorging themselves and by an exhi-
bition of Sarracenias before the Lon
don Royal Horticultural Society, Mr..
Veitch has shown that moderate eating
seemed to benefit them, while injury
resulted when dead insects accumula
lated on the leaves.
Mons. LIE Bel has discovered a small |
organism in the urine of persons hav-
ing measles, and peculiar to that di-
sease. Herr Tschamer had previously
found an organism which he believed
to Belong not only to measles but to
Scarlatina and diptheria also.
Mons. Bacles's investigations have
convinced him that changes Of temper
ature have little effect upon the strength
of railway tires. If accidents to tires
are more frequent in cold weather than
at other times, it is due probably to the
Msrsase of rigidity and irregularity of
the foad, which adds to the violence Of
the Shocks received by the tires.
Prof. Z. WollDy concludes that a |
layer of farmyard manure spread upon
fand protects the soil from excessive al I
carnations Of temperature. but acts in
juriously upon wet soils by checking
evaporation.
The advantage of planting trees in
the streets and open spaces Of towns
has been recent topic of discussion
among Swiss scientists. In the opinion
of DR.. Piachaud, the trees impede the
circulation OF the air to such an inju-
.rious extent as to more than counter
balance any good effects they may pro-
iuce. To this view Prof. Goret re-
plies that trees temper the heat and
serve as protection from dust, while
the evaporation from their leaves helps
ito keep the air cool and moist. Hecon-
lends also that the roots of trees absorb
much filth which would otherwise rem
der the subsoil Of streets dangerous
breeding places of disease.
DIR. Alex. Mayer proposes the use of
burial cases of glass in place of the or
dinary wooden cofins. Such cases,
ryben hermetically sealed, would effec-