The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1883-03-09
Wleeklp G arrallts Gazette,
FRIDAY MORNING, MAR. Q, 1853, !.
SCIENTIFIC MISCELLANY.

changes its position morning and
evening. The tree is eleven feet in,
height, and in the afternoon is in
clined SO near the ground that chill
dren may pluck its fruit from branch
es which in the morning are far
above their reach. .
Mons. Vallin has made some ex-
periments upon the virus of of tuber-
culosis to, determine the action, of
various disinfectants. With the tu-
bercular substance he obtained, dis
ease could be readily produced in
animals but exposure to sulphur
fumes, boiling water or a solution of
corrosive sublimate destroyed, the
power of the virus to produce such
an effect. The result of the expert
ments prompts Mons. Vailin to sug-
gest that it would be wise precau-
tion to give prisons, barracks, hos
pitfalls and schools yearly purifying
by sulphurous fumigation.
The Desert OF Sahara, according
to an address by Prot. Guido Cora
to the Italian Geographical Society,
has total area of 100000 square
miles, not more than. one-ffth of
which is covered by sand. The mean
elevation of the desert is from 1900
to 1850 feet above sea-level, but its
mountain chains attain a height of
from $3.50 to 5000 feet. In some
parts rains occur only once in some
twenty years, while In others there
is a regular rainy season. While
the temperature rises to 1872 degrees,
It sometimes falls below 20 degrees,
and snow and ice cover the highest
mountain SUBMITS during several
months Of the year. The animals
and plants are of much interest and
Importance. The human population
numbers some 100000, and the
desert contains towns of from 5000
to 10000 Inhabitants.
Sir William Thomson finds tn at
sunlight has about 10000 times the
Intensity of the light of the full moon
at any place on the earth. and about
$4,000 times that of candle-hame
The latter result differs widely from
that obtained by Arago, who found
the light Of the sun to have about
l5,oootines the intensity of candle
flame.
1t the assumption that pitcher
plants eat the insects caught by thel
leaves is correct, there is no reason
why the plants should not, like mea
eating animals, experience ill effect,
from over-gorgiug themselves; anc
by an exhibition Of Sarracenias be-
fore the London Royal Horticulture
Society. Mr.. Veitch has showr
that moderate eating seemed to ben
eft them, while injury resulted wher
dead insects accumulated on th,
leaves.
Mons. Bacle's investigations hav,
convinced him that changes of tenn
perature have little effect upon tn
strength ofrailway tires. If accident
to ties are more frequent in colt
weather than at other times, it is du
probably to the increase of rigidit,
and irregularitY of the road, whic1
adds to the violence of the shock
received by the tires.
The advantage of planting trees il
the streets and open spaces of town
has been recent topic of discussion
among Swiss scientists. In the opin
ion of DIR. Piachaud, the trees i'm
pede the circulation Of the air t.
such an injurious extent as to NOR
than counterbalance any good effect
they may produce. To this vie>
Prot. Goret replies that trees tempe
the heat and serve as a protection
from dust, while the evaporation
from their leaves helps TO keep tn
air cool and moist. He contends ais
that :he roots of trees absorb muc
filth which would otherwise rende
the subsoil of streets dangerous breed
ing-places of disease.
DIR. Alex Mayer proposes the us
of burial cases of glass in place of th
ordinary wooden coffins. Such case
when hermetically sealed, would ef
fectuaily prevent the escape of un
wholesome gases to pollute the ai
of cemeteries. By replacing the a
in the cases with an anti-putrid ga
the bodies might be indefinitely pre-
served from decomposition, all til
advantages Of embalming being In
expensively secured. Hermetioal
sealed caskets are much more like
to meet with widely extended al
proyal than are crematory furnace
Noticin0 that the little snide