The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1883-01-06
For the CARBON ADVOCATED
SCIENTIFIC MISCELLANY.

The energy of the human heart, work
ing day and night while life lasts, Is
enormous. During an average working
day good climber can only raise his
own weight 1000 feet an hour, while the
work of the heart is estimated to be equiv
alent to raising its own weight(10 ounces)
1850 feet high in an hour. This is
about five times the energy of the most
powerful steam engine ever made.
MIR. F. G. Whitehouse contends that
the cavern of tho Island oil Stats, inolud-
ing the famous Fingal's Gave, are critic
ial, and created by the hand of man at
some very early period. He bases his
theory on the Gothic shape of the roofs,
the sheltered location of the caves, the
lack of evidence of erosion of the rocks
by water, and the insufficient mechanical
power of the sea-wayes at that island to
excavate such caves.
According to Prof. Loomis, about
one-tifth of the entire land surface of the
| glooe has an annual rainfall of less than
ten inches, and still larger part has
rainfall so small as to make it valueless
for purposes of agriculture except in the
limited districts where irrigation is prac-
ticable. In North America an almost
rainless region is found, in Southern Cal
ifornia aud Arizona, and in large dis
trict about Slave Lake the yearly precip-
itation of water is only about ten inches.
During recent discussion at the
Philadelphia Academy of Natural Scien-
ces it was doubted that the odors of in
sects are emitted as protection from the
attacks of enemies, Gs is generally be-
lieYed. At least some of the odors are
very agreeable to man, and it is by no
means certain that scents repulsiye to us
are not delightful to the most common
enemies of the insects emitting them.
DR.. Joseph Lsidy spoke of some ants hav-
ing the fragrance of Eucalyptus tres
growing near their nest instead of the
usual peculiar udor OF formic acid.
Prof. Young. in the light of Meyer
calculations, regards it MS highly proba-
ole that the comet of 1889 was return
of that of 1913. Concerning the comet
of 1868 too little is known to form the
basis OF theory us to its identity. He
is quite certain, however. that the comets
of 1880 and 1882 are not the same, as they
have periods too great TO be consistent
with such a view. He thinks it n4oIe
likely that they are twins moving in near.
ly identical orbits. with perhaps com.
mon origin in some ancient disruption,
like that which divided Biola's comet in
1876.
An interesting experiment has been
made in Paris by Mons. Margin. A
Swan incand. scent electric lamp was at
tached to the inside of q paper balloon
about eight feet in diameter. The bal
loon was then filed with hydrogen gas
aud allowed to ascend. being held cap
tive by rope containing two copper
wires. On lighting the lamp by passing
an electric current through the wires
the whole balloon appeared like globe
of fire. BY systematic Interruptions o
: the current il was shown that the dot,
= and dashes of the Morse code could bl
initiated, and the value of such method
; of signaling in military operations vii
be seen when the distance to which H.
Eliminated balloons could be made yisi
bio is considered.
"A report by Mons. Girard, director
of the Paris Municipal Laboratory, give.
some interesting information concerning
= the adulterations by which the French
people are victimized. The most exten.
sive imposture of this kiud seems 10 be
the adulteration OF four which is mixed
with various mineral substances-oiteu
of poisonous nature. 1t has been Ger.
tainly ascertained that artificial Aours are
imported into France from Rotterdam,
containing as much as so per cent. o
! plaster and 20 per cent, of sulphate OF
barytA. or 81 flours examined at the
laboratory only IS proved to be genuine,
all the others being adulteratsd.
Mr.. Grant Allen has drawn this im-
: aginhry picture of man as evolutionists,
. suppose him to have existed in miocene
times: "a tall and hairy creature, more
or less erect, but with slouching gait,
/ black faced and whisksred, with protrud'
3 ing jaws, and large, pointed canine teeth
/ those Of each jaw fitted with an inter
( space in the opposite row. These teeth
! as Mr.. Darwin suggests, were used in th'
eombats Of the males. His forehead wal
4 no doubt low and retreatiDg, with bon!
5 bosses underlying the shaggy eyebrows
/. which gave him fierce expression some
y thing like thar OF the gorilla. But alreAd'
!. ~ all Likelihood. 10 Lad ls4rAed to eai