The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1883-03-31
SCIENTIFIC MISCELLANY.

the great comet of 1882 completes its
revolution around the sun once in about
843 years.
According to an assertion made to the
French Academy of Sciences by Mons.
Bouley, the American pork imported into
France almost Invariably contains tri-
chinae. "
According to Mr.. J. K. Laughton, of
tile London Meteorological Society,
measurements now made of the force and
velocity of the wind are very unsatisfac-
tory on account of the lack Of standard
thermometer.
A prize Of $500 has been offered by
the Prussian Society for encouragement
of Industry for the best account and es-
| timation of the methods of working coal
mines, including modes of ventilation
| and precautions to insure the safety of
miners. = '''
Esquimau1 are said to be able to see
| objects ut a much greater distance than
Americans or Europeans, and this re-
markable keenness of vision enables
them to spread intelligence by means of
sign telegraphy over hundreds of miles
i'll a single day.
By Welding together iron and steel
Mons. Keil has obtained a product which
is stated to possess the characters of both
metals. This SC. called steel-iron has
been prepared in five ways, viz: steel by
the side of iron, steel between two LAYERS
of iron, iron between two layers of steel,
core of steel surrounded by iron, and Il
core of iron surrounded by steel.
European observations seem to indicate
that the condition of the soil and the
atmosphere has much to do with the
development of cancer, the disease being
extremely prevalent in low, aIluval sit
nations, and seldom seen in dry uplan9s
1t is reported that the italian exploring
party lately returned from tie sonth
Pacific found many human bones Of great
size in Patagonia, Indicating tile forme:
existence of a race Of giants in that
country.
Messrs. Tissandier have constructed an
electromagnetic engine, an aerial screw
propeller and a bichromate battery which
they propose to use f,r directing large
elongated balloon. By u trial of this
apparatus in their workshop at Point dn
Tour, France, the constructors have
shown that it will yield the work of
twelve to fifteen men for a period of three |
hours, while its weight does not exceed
that of three men. The Messrs. Tissan- ]
rational experiments in the air, and they
do not expect to propel it against strong
winds.
Mons. Samson has investigated the ex-
citant property Of oats, and finds it to be |
due to a nit:ogenized substance which |
he names avenine." This principle ex-
lists, i'll varying proportions, in all oats,
but, lis rule, it is contained in greater
quantity by the dark colored than by the
white varieties. Crushing or grinding
the grain weakens considerably it's ex-
citant action upon horses, probably
by altering the exciting substance.
No excitant action is sure to he produced
by oats containing less than nine tenths
Of one per cent Of avenine, but with a
greater proportion of the latter the
effect is certain.
From report given by Dr. D. Z. SAL
mon, of the Department of Agriculture,
III reply to inquiries from abroad, it ap-
pears that charbon- fever is not known to
be very destructive to the domestic
animals of the United States, its ravaces
beng most severe in the lower Missis-
'ippl valley, where it causes heavy losses
II stock at times. especially after great
nundations. DR.. Salmon does not be-
leve that the Introduction of Pasteur's
method of protective vaccination could
re made success as a business venture.
i'll Europe has shown that
he susceptibility of animals to the virus
aries greatly in different countr les, and
before the plan of vaccination can be
td"pted here expensive experiments
must be made to determine the proper
trength of vaccine for American animals.
government laboratory for the prepar-
ton and free distribution Of yaccincs of
liarbon aud other contagious diseases of ,
nlmaia would, it is suggested, be de- 5
irable. '