Lewiston teller. [volume] (Lewiston, North Idaho) 1878-1900, 1883-04-26
SCIENTIFIC MISCELLANY.


it to be his increasing conviction that
there are earthquakes of so slow period
that neither observers nor ordinary instru-
nents record them. lie is urging upon
che Japanese Government the Importance
Of establishing a series of obscrvatories
for studying earthquakes and allied phcn-
omena.
The accidental discovery has been made
by French surgeon that lowering the
head and raising the feet of patients who
have been treated with chloroform will
cause speedy return Of consciousness,
and it is thought that an observance of
that simple fact will greatly lessen the
danger attending the use Of anesthetics.
An English tramway has commenced
running by electric accumulators-or
storage batteries" "a car capable Of car
rying forty-six passengers. The accumu-
lators-ftty cells Of eighty pounds each
are placed under the seats Of the car,
and so arranged that any part of the cur
rent required may be used or the whole
of it may be switched off The car is
provided with electric bells and four in
oandcscent lamps, all operated by the cur
rent which drives the motor A full
charge of the accumulators runs the car
when heavily loaded, seven hours, equal
to half a day of tramway service.
Baron Nordonskjo!d considers that vast
regions covered with perpetual ice are a
physical impossiblity on our globe south
Of the eighticth degree of north latitude.
His proposed exploration of the interior
Of Greenland is expected to give evidence
confirming this view
In recent lecture, Rev. W. II. DIAL
linger, F. r. s., remarked that modern
inquiry had shown that two microscopic
organisms may have the same forms but
totally unlike functions-the one being
harmless and the other deadly. This ex-
plains how it is that putrefactive germs
may be everywhere present without al
ways causing disease.
There are good reasons for doubling
that the Australian Eucalypti--or "fevcr
trees-exert any greater influence upon
the healthfulness Of marshy tracts of
country than do other trees. Rev. j. f..
Woods, Queensland botanist, refers to
. certain mining district which is famous
for fever and ague and despite the fact
that species Of Eucalyptus abound in the
locality.
As marine plants do not exist at depths
Of more than $50 feet, or thereabouts, M
A. Milne Edwards concludes that the
plant-eating animals of the deep-sea waters
must live upon food produced at the sur
face and gradually dropped into the
depths beyond the region of plant growth.
Prof. Binz, of Germany, asserts that
chloride Of lime has given good results as
an an antidotc to snake-poison when in
troduced under the skin near the wound.
In cases where the patients failed to re-
cover, the fatal effect of the poison was
evidently retarded by the chloride Of lime
solution.
Spectroscopic observations OF comets
have yielded results which, in Berthelot's
opinion, indicate that the light of those
bodies has an electric origin.
Mr.. A. A, Common, the English as
tronomer, believes it to be possible to
photograph stars not visible to the eye in
the telescope with which the photographs
are taken.
Among the grants Of the Swedish
Government this year is one Of $500 to
an entomologist, whose duty it will be to
advise farmers as to the best means Of de-
stroying troublesome insects.
Carefully recorded observations extend
ing over period of twenty years have
shown DR.. c. G. Abbott that the autumn
a storing of nuts by squirrels, the build
ing Of winter houses by muskrats, and
other habits of these and other animals,
or the absence of such habits, have no re-
lation to the mildness or severity of the
winter which follows. 1t thus appears
that such creatures are no more reliable
as weather-prophets than the human charl-
atans who claim to foresee storms months
in advance. and another widespread and
deep-rooted notion is proven to be ground.
less.
Comparatively few plants were known
to the ancients, progress in botanical
knowledge having made wonderful addi-
tons to the catalogue in recent years. Ac-
cording to German authority, Hippo
crates described 234 species. Theophrastus