Lewiston teller. [volume] (Lewiston, North Idaho) 1878-1900, 1883-08-02
SCIENTIFIC MISCELLANY.

Books are, of course, much read by the
iick. and this fact the London Lancet
points ont, makes the difference of dis
disease through the medium OF
libraries a very considerable
pne. The invisible particles which carry
he infection or contagion may harmless
" lie between the pages of bound book
for weeks, months, or even years, to be
dislodged at some propitious moment
when the volumn chances to be handled
BY = propitious person. Among the
maladies most liable to be communicated
by this agency may be mentioned measles
scarlet fever, diphtheria, ordinary sore
throat, whooping cough, and bronchitis
md other chest affections.
The worlds supply Of amber seems to
be incxhaustible. The "blue earth OF
most important support
Of the supply-extends along the Baltic
for almost GO miles, and possesses
breadth of about IL miles and an aver
age thickness Of 10 feet. Runge esti-
mates that every IL cubic feet Of this
earth contains a pound Of amber. This
gives a total Of some 9,6OO,OOO,OOO
pounds, which, at the present rate of
quarrying, is sufficient to last for 10000
years. Amber is the fossilcd gum Of
trees Of past ages, and, on tho SUPPOSE
tons that these trees had the same re-
sin-producing capacity as the Norway
spruce, and that the amber was produced
on the spot where it is now found. Go
expert and Menge, in new German
work, estimate that 300 forests genera
tions Of 100 years each must have grown
on the Samland blue earth to give it its
present richness in this product. 1t is
much more probable, however, that the
amber came from large area and has
been collected in its present condition by
the action Of water. 1t is also probable
that the trees were more rcsinous than
the Norway spruce.
Recent observations have proven that
much Of the light from stars is lost in
passing through the earth's lower atmos'
phere, a. it is found that the stars appear
brighter when seen from the submits Of
lofty mountains than when surveyed
from lower levels, and as a consequence.
many more Of them are visible from thu
elevated stations In connection with ,
project for new French observatory OF
the Pic du Midi, General Dc Nansout,
reports that from the proposed sight o
the building fifteen or sixteen Pleiadc
are visible to the naked eye, while tn
stars shine 30 brilliantly that it is easy t
read by their light alone.
at startles most people, observes Mr.
r. A. Proctor, "to be told they never re
the stars, and yet in an important sens
this is quite true. The human eye, or
telescope, forms an optical image witt
the light rays received from the stars
bat not picture. The stars are too ia
of for their light to bring to us tn
smallest visible representation Of thei
surface, and the discs which well-cor
rected telescope shows are only optica
images. II, on clear, calm night
when the are is steady,.a telescope j
pointed at planet, it forms real pic
ture, though the distance Of the objec
prevents details, even Of considerable siz
from being seen. If, after using an eye
piece that magnifies fifty times lineal
another Of twice that power is employed
the planets disc will look twice as broad
Try the same experiments with brigh
star, and. if the air is clear, and quie
enough to produce no confusion, the sta
disc viii not be bigger by the highe
power"
A chemical journal states that raspber
y jam, without raspberries, is now mad
from some Of the products obtained from
eoaltar.
Mr.. c. Fasoldt states that he has see,
under the microscope lines ruled 100, OO'
70 the inch Such lines have widtl
individually Of only about one two-hun
dred-thousandth Of an inch.
A committee Of the French Parliamen
Mas recommended increasing the pension
granted Mons Pasteur for his scientifi
labors to $4,000, with revesiou to tn
wife and children.
A novel open-air service was held Of
recent Sunday, at Stocton, village o
Worwickshire, England. The ceremon,
had for its object the conservation Of
great granite boulder, which the villager
HAD -