The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1883-02-07
CURIOUS, USEFUL AND SCIENTIFIC.

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CURIOUS, USEFUL AND SCIENTIFIC.
From observations made in the Geologic.
al Gardens, London, it seems probable that
the extreme lease of life of the hippotamus
is thirty years.
This curious story occurs in Les Mcndes
of December 10. A man who was very
close TO tree struck by lightning asserts
that he was saved by crouching on the
ground and covering himself with a wooden
umbrella. Hey embodied in flames and
completely electrified but received no hurtl
A novel railwsy-wsgon has been in
vented and patented in Europe. 1t is sn
amphibious sort of thing. When II ceases
70 run on rails on land it is capable of
swimming on the water By means of pom
tons attached 70 both sides. 1t is provided
with q bow and stern piece before being set
sfoat, and on the latter the meter is placed.
Such means of conveyance might be very
useful in certsin places.
Additional tests made BIZ NJ. Bscle seem
to prove that low temperature has but little
| to do with the fracture of railroad tires.
Other things being equal, the tires are as
| strong, he says, in severe frost IS when the
temperature is normal; but low temperature
increases, OF course, the rigidity Of the road
and its inequalities, and so renders the shock
received by the tires very violent, producing
at times disasters which are attributed 10
changes in the metal.
The Lancet says SIT is high time that st.
tention were directed to the subject of mar
cotics generally, and the uae of CHORAL and
bromide of potassium in particular. Incsl-
culable injury is being done. and public opin-
ion is being grievously misled BY the toler-
! ance gwen to the use of sleeping draughts.
falsely so-csllsd. In regard to this matter
and that of the reckless use of hypodermic
injections of moiphla, the profession should
seek to form q deliberate Judgment, and
grsvely deliver itself. At the present mo-
ment we are under heavy responsibility,
| which 1t is idle to deny and vain to dis
own"
Geological examination of the delta of
the Mississippi shows that for a distance of
about 800 miles there are buried forests of
large trees. one over the other, with inter
| spaces Of sand. Ten distinct forest groWths
OF this description have been observed,
which it is believed must have succeeded
each other Of these trees, known IS the
bald cypress, some have been found over
% feet in diameter, and one contained
500 rings; IN some instances, too, hugo
trees have grown over the stumps of others
equally large. From these facts BIOLOGISTS
have assumed the antiquity of each forest
growth at 10000 years, or 100000 for all.
The total eclipse on the 9th of May next
viii last Elk minutes, and no longer; one
will probably occur within the next hun
dred yesrs. 1t will be partially visible in
many places, but few will see il in its entire
ty, IS its path lies almost entirely through
the ocean, touching land nowhere but sS 3
little island IN the south Pacific called
Caroline Island, which is out of the track
OF any established commerce or travel. The
French Government has determined to send
al expedition to that island. and il is probs-
BILE grand international gathering of as
tronomsrs will meet there to take part in
the scientific quest.
After all, NJ. Fave maintains there is moth
ing very difficult abou. understanding the
reasons why comets undergo sudden changes
Of form as they approach or recede from
the sun. Two causes are assigned. First.
attraction tends to decompose bodies of very
small msss and great bulk when they come
within lis influence. And comets are con-
cededly very light in comparison with the
quantity of matter they contain. Secondly,
there comes into play the action of solsr
repulsion, which arises from the incande-
scence of cometary materials when freed
| from great pressure and subjected to intense
heat What was relatively solid becomes
nebulous. But these theories do not appear
to cover the whole ground.
Sugar has been denounced by modern
chemists substance the effects of which
on dyspepiics are deplorsble. A writer in
the Medicln PrGcticisn does not partske OF
these fears. He cites the case of dyspeptc
doctor, who, for twenty years, had a terror
OF sugar, but who now consumes 81 ounces
daily without inconvenience. Entering the
field of experiment IN this direction he
found that deg ate SO grains Of sugar
witt 200 hundred of other food. and two
hours after its stomach showed but little
food; the mucous lining Of the stomach was
red and highly congested. and the coDges-
tion of the liver was notable. An animal,
opened after eating 200 grains of food and
no sugar, showed 30 to 100 grains of food
undigestet. Sugar, then, favors the secre-
lion of the gastric juice.