The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1883-02-10
SCIENTIFIC MISCELLANY.

| Tho tide records os the goxsraHsent
surveyors of British Iias. q, covering u
period of twenty-three years, indicate
the existence of a fortnightly tide under
the Influence of the moon.
Mons. Spring, OF the Belgian Academy
of Sciences, takes exceptions to the gem
orally received views that the seat of the
electricity ofstorms is in the moist re-
gion of the atmosphere, and concludes
that it exists i'll the cold and dry super
stratum.
Death, in our view, takes place when
the action of the heart ceases, but to the
Chinese person is alive until the body
becomes cold. These two beliefs may
cause estimates of tile time of death of
any individual to differ by several hours,
which difference has given rise to some
very unsatisfactory evidence ut inquests
in Hong Kong, the Chinese idea having
been unknown to Europeans until very
recently.
Dr. Franzius finds that tie tooth most
often affected by decay is the third
nlolar, such cases forming one-llalf of the
total number. The teeth begin to decay
i'll IL certain successive order, the lower
third molar being first attacked, then
the upper, then the lower fourth molar,
and so on, the incisors and tho canine
teeth Of the lower jaw being the last
reached. The upper teeth are more dur
able than the lower in the proportion of
three to two. The right teeth show a
greater vitality than the left. The dura-
bility of teeth is less i'll light persons
than in dark, and less in tall than in
short persons. These results were OBJ
tanned by an examination of $50 Russian
soldiers of whom 258 had unsound teeth.
Mons. Pasteur lsls gained fresh laurels
by All investigation of 10 disease of pigs,
known as roughef or NAL rouge, which in
one valley of the Rhone has been fatal
to 10000 of the animals within year.
The investigator has reported to the
French Academy of Sciences that lie has
discovered the cause to be minute or
ganism, somewhat like that of chicken
cholera. 1t is different, however, in its
physiological properties, since it produces
no effect upon fowls but is quickly fatal
to rabbits and pigs. Experiments have
satisfied Mons. Pasteur that one attack
afforded protection against another, and
by inoculating pigs with organisms
weakened by culture 80 US to give rise to
q mild form Of the disease he has sue
ceeded in rendering tic animals secure
from further liability to the contagion.
Miadle-aged prejudice is severe against
plum-pudding, but the London Lancet
pronomnces it Il highly efficient food, and
declares that Il good wedge of cold plum
pudding is not an unwholesnme lnneh
for. young and growing lads when out
for days hunting or skating. Elderly
people, too, are often able to partake of
this ingredient of Christmas cheer it, n
manner which amazes their ni,idle-age.i
relations. The fact is, as has been poin-
ted out by Prof. Michel Foster, the tli-
gestive elements are long preserved, sa
that Il nlan who in the prime of his man
hood was martyr to dyspepsia BY reason
of the sensitiyeness Of his gastric nerves.
in his later years, when his nerves are
blunted, and when, therefore. his pepiie
cells are ai,ls to pursue their chemical
work nimlistufbed by nervous worries,
eats and drinks with the courage and
success vi i. boy.