Lewiston teller. [volume] (Lewiston, North Idaho) 1878-1900, 1883-09-20
SCIENTIFIC MISCELLANY.

cAtcuuiiiS IL As HVtf' tii't ''iN -"ih Va
membership in the American Association
for the Advancement Of Science has been
as great within the last four years as in
the previous thirty-one years.
In judging of the value of an article
of food, Herr Mayer would consider, as
the principal points to determine, its
harmlessness, its taste, and its physiolog-
ical utility In the first two respects there
is, he thinks, no aprrcciable difference
between genuine and artificial butter.
The third point depends chiefly on diges-
ton, and he has proven by experiment
that genuine butter is the more readily
digested of the two. The difference, even
in this respect, j. not great, but is espcc-
tally noticeable when the imitation butter
is used with potatoes.
The just completed mortality returns
for England in the year 1881 gives some
cases of extreme longevity. Twenty Eve
men and sixty six women were registered
as 100 years old and upward when they
died. Nine of the men were 100 FIVE
101, three 1902, one 1913, two l0l, three
105, one los and one 112 OF the wo-
men, twenty -four were 100, fifteen l0l, ,
eight 102, five 1903, six l0l, two l05,
three JOG and three 1907.
1t has been recommended by Mons
Schlumber that a bottle Of ammonia be
placed in each barrel of petroleum in oil
regions. If the ell should then ignite
from any cause the bottle would break
and the ammonieal yapors would at once
extinguish the fire. DR.. Petra Santa
proposes applying this plan of protection
from FIRE to collierios liable to FIRE damp.
BY imprcgnating textile fabrics with
an oil distilled from birch bark, Mons.
Piron claims to make them impermeable
to fresh or salt water, acids, alkalics and
mildew, without impafing their dexibility
and soltness The treatment prevents
rotting, and adds to the durability Of rope,
cordage, ETC., as well AS of woven fabrics.
The Importance to vegetation of an
abundant water-supply is shown by a con-
sideration of the amount of moisture
which is perspired by healthy plants. A
sunfower, only three and half feet high,
with 5,6l6 square inches Of surface ex-
posed to the air, gives off as invisible va
por from twenty to thirty avoirdupois
ounces Of water every twelve hours. This
is more than passes through the skin Of
man. Most of the common cultivated
plants--such as wheat, beans, peas and
clover--exhale during five months of
growth more than 200 times their dry
weight of water; while twice its weight
Of water passes from the Comedian cherry
in twenty-four hours.
Among the great rejecting telescopes
Of the world--completed or in progress
OF construction be mentioned the
following: The Lick telescope for which
an object glass 36 inches in diameter has
been commenced by the Clarks, of Cam
bridge, Mass; the Pulkowa telescope,
which boasts the largest lens thus far
completed-30 inches in diameter; the
Vienna telescope, with an object glass
OF "a inches the Mccormack telescope,
Of 26t inches; the Washington telescope,
OF rs inches; the Newall telescope, Of rs
inches; tho Princeton telescope, of 23
inches; the Buckingham telescope, of Il
inches; the Chicago telescope of 10! inch
cs; the Washburn and the Warner tele
scopes, of 16 inches each; and the Har
ward telescope, of Is inches.
STATURE" says Goeth, ''will be report |
cd. All things are engaged in writing
their own history, The planet and the
pebble 80 attended by their shadows;
the rolling rock leaves its scratches on the
mountain; the river its channel in the
soil; the animal its bones in the stratum
the fern leaf its modest epitaph in the
coal; the falling drop makes its sculpture
in the sand or stone. Not foot slips in
the snow or along the ground but prints.
In characters more or less lasting map
OF its march. The air is full of sounds
the sky Of tokens, the ground of all mem
oranda and signatures; subjects covered
with hints which speak to the intelligent.
AT high temperature bricks absorb
niteen or twenty per cent. Of asphalt, and
become converted into an elastic and very
durable material. In Berlin pavement
Of bricks thus treated has been laid in
street where neither granite nor compress
ed asphalt had hitherto withstood the
wear. |,
Bakers have been suspected of using
sulDhafe of coppar t, Mia. a, -,