The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1883-01-06
SCIENTIFIC MISCELLANY.

9S
A new form of phosphorus termed
white phosphorns-has been discovered
by Prof. Remsen, Of the John Hopkins
University.
Observations on Russian railways dur
ing period of six months showed that
seyenty-seven per cent. of the fractures
of tires occurred when the temperature
was below zero, and only nineteen per
cent. at q higher temperature.
Prof. George L. Goodale stated IN re-
cent lecture thatea snnfower three feet
and . half high presents an ,evaporating
surface of thirty-nine square feet, aud
that the roots of such . sunflower have
au aggregate length OF 1448 feet. Ac-
cording to the same well known bota-
mist, grasses and like plants exhale
about their own weight of water on o
hot summer day.
Mons. Perreaux has constructed al
apparatus for microscopic measurements
which is capable of measuring cue 150Oih
part of millimetre. The instrument is
SO delicate that it Gnu only be used at
certain hours of the night when the jar
of passing vehicles has ceased. Those
not familiar with the metric system will
get a better idea of the minute measur-
ing powers of this apparatus when it IL
considered that millimetre is only
about one twenty fifth of our inch.
Kocll's discovery of the true nature of
tubercular consumption has naturally
raised the hope that some means may be
found to destroy in the system sthe Or
ganisms producing the disease. Mons.
De Korab has recently described to the
Paris Academy of Sciences All interesting
experiment bearing on the subject.
Tubercular matter from guinea pig
was placed in ton tubes under favorable
conditions for development. Inta three
Of the tubes helenine was intfuducsd.
At the end of . week the mattax acted
upon by the lielenine had lost it's infes-
tive power, while that in the other tubes
still readily produced tuberculosis.
A very faulty lightning conductor may
sometimes protect building. Mons.
Him tells of such case which lately
occurred ut Coln,ar. A thin ireE rod
about twenty-six feet long had conioal
brass point screwed on the top, and was
connected below, by means Of series of
pieces Of thin wire having terminal eyes,
with q block Of iron about twenty inches
long in the ground. During . violent
thunderstorm lightning melted the brass
point, but the current seems to have no.
where left the conductor. Mons. Him
insists that the mere fact Of . lightning
discharge on the point Of q conductor is
proof of very imperfect construction; as,
during more than forty years Of obssrya-
ton, he has never seen lightning strike
.one Of the forty or fifty liyhtnin, rods Of
lilo factories of Logslhach, altllfugh lie
! las found that currents are almost con-
stantly passing through the rods in the
presence of thunder-storms.
| Aluminium, /. bluish-white metal pos
sessing valuable properties, constitutes
Il large portion of the earth's crust, oc-
curing in 1875 different species of miner
ais. Despite its abundance, however, it
is rendered very expensive by the diff
Guilty of separating it from its COM
pounds-a process involving the use of
eodium or potassinm-both costly sub
stances. Several attempts, of doubtful
success, have bcen made to obtain alu-
minum by means Of the ordinary fednc.
ing agents, hydrogen and carbon. A
pntcnt has recently been taken ont in
England for new process of this kind
in which alnmina-the oxide Of the
metal-and carbon arc submitted to 8
temperature Of ignition in o close vessel
and subjected to the action Of carbonit
| acid; carbonic oxide being formed, ant
the alumina reduced in whole or in part
| 10 the metallic state. As soon rs it car
be cheaply procured, aluminium mns
take an important place i'll the arts
and the man who makes it inexpensive
will undoubtedly find fortune within
his grasp.
The name commensals," menilin.
eaters at the same table, has been APP
piled by naturalists to creatures Of DIFF
fsrent kind which live together but d.
not prey on each other. A newly 70
corded case Of comilensalism 10 that of
curious lizard called tuatara-foHnd il
the Chicken Islands, near New Zealand
and certain species of petrol. In bur
row usually dug by the tuatara. boil
lizard and bird build their separate
nests, and live in apparent harmony
They mutually profit by this intimacy
as the lizard yaliantly defends the Gu
trance to the bnrrow while depending
upon its companion for q large part o
its foetl. It is we'll knewn that fh
underground home Of the North American
prairie-log is often shared by the rattle
snake and the bnrrowing owl; and
rabbit like viseaeli:, has q messmate in
little bnrrowing owl, in South america
Commensalism is, however, very rar
among the higher animals. A few CT
amples have been recorded among IN
seets; but the phenomenon is mncl, NOR