The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1883-01-20
SCIENTIFIC MISCELLANY

1t is maintained by horde nskioid that
the aurora is q permanent phenomenon
in polar regions, appearing constantly
when the sun is below the liorizon and
tho moon invisible.
It was assec ted by 8 Brazilian delegate
to the Geneva S Sanitary Congress that
coffee is natural antidote TO alcohol,
aud that eho consumption of alcoholic
stimulants is comparatively small where
coffee is popular drink, as in his OWE
country.
A natural intermittent spring has
recently formed in the French Alps
Tho water appears at regular ,ntervals
of five and seven minutes, about ten
quarts being yielded each time. 4 sis:-
GUAR circumstance ia that one now of
water IS Ink ew arm and colorless, while
the mex discharge is cold and wine-red.
Scientific Investigation by Prot. Pom
tich, of Breslau, has verified the suspi-
cion that all common mushrooms are
poisonous. Washing ami boiling deprive
thom Of their poisonous qualities in 9
greater OF less dogree. Driod ,Guch-
roolns require at least a month ofdrying,
and are not really safe until after four
months.
Prof. EIoes Of heidelberg has found
good reasons fer believing that many
railway accidents have been due to t.e-
factiyo hearing oa the part Of engineers
Or others III c barge Of trains. Expert
medical testimony shows that railway
employees arc espoc i&ily liable to 2.fsc-
.ions Of tie ear,
DR., Burcq has suggested tfat solutions
Of copper salts be assa to inlp7egnate
clothing, furniture and building ma
terials ss a preservative against infec-
tioas diseaeas. He was led 70 offer this
suggestion by observing that workers in
copper-who absorb = considerable
amount of duet from the metai-enioy s.
quite general immu atty FROM cholera,
| typhoid fever and like complaints, while
copper salts protect various materials
from parasites.
| A report by Mons. Girard, director Of
tho Paris Municipal Laboratory, gives
some interesting information concerning
tho authorizations by which the French
| people are yictim.zed. The most exten-
sive imposture of this kind seems to be
| the adulteration of -four, which is mixed
| with ysrious mineral substances-often
Of a poisonous nature. It has been Ger
tainly ascertained that artificial acurs
are imported into France from Rotter-
dam, con tanning as much as 80 per cent,
of plaster and 90 per cent. Of sulplaate OF
| barytsi. Of 81 foags examined. at the
laboratory only Is proved to be genuine:
all the 6 thers being adnl.eratcd.
1t is a very general belief that during
a considerable fall q person must b.,
asphyxiated by inc rapid rush through
tho air, which constantly acc elefatea &c
the distance fallen ineraase,: Tho suicide
o:ss youns girl By ID leap from height
of abcnt Dis feet has raised a discussion
CT thia subject among eFfanch 8a;Nats
Dr.. Bronarda:i sagyes ted .liat aapslyxia.
| ton may have caused t he girls deatt
! before the ground vas reached. Mems
f! BonteGaps objects TO this view and points
out that tho velocity attain cd in such 6
fall must be sometimes sxce eded by rail
way trains, and yet engineers and sto kers
are never asphy1iated. Mons. Remy
states that in 1852 he was shown 4 native
of the island of Oahu who had fall en-
from a verified height Of about iQ0J feet
with but little injury his fall having
been broken aear the end 'sy 3 growth o
ferna AID oLler nl&s::s. .+na Yais:i. @
opinion seems &c favor TIE Fie@ thar, !.
asp!iygia eves results daring falls, shs
distance fallen must be very great.