Lewiston teller. [volume] (Lewiston, North Idaho) 1878-1900, 1883-02-01
SCIENTIFIC MISCELLANY.

the action of the heart ceases, but to
the Chinese \ person is alive until the
body becomes cold. These two beliefs
NAV cause estimates of the time OF
death of any individual to differ by
several hours, which difference has Civ
en- rise to some very unsatisfactory
evidence at inquests in Hong Kong,
the Chinese idea having been unknown
to Europeans until very recently.
The suicide of the scorpion has been
q uch-discussed topic The statement
is we'll attested that scorpion encles
ed in ring Of red hot embers will,
after futile attemps to escape, kill it's
elf by thrusting its sting iuto its own
head. In spite Of the torroborating
testimony this assertion is often doubt
ed, but recent observation by Prof.
Lancaster seems to establish its prob
ability and throw new light on the
matter Having occasion to chloro-
form scorpion he noticed that as soon
as it began to feel the effect OF the stu
pefying vapor it made repeated thruss
with its sting in Straight forward di
rection, but these blows became gradu-
ally as i'll directed and uncertain that
at last one caused the tip Of the sting
to touch the insects body. In this
case the skin was not penetrated, but
it is easy to believe that occasionally
such a misdrected blow on the part of
half sulIocated scorpion may have
been seen to inflict a mortal wound
upon the scorpion itself
The researches of Messrs. Ritchet
and Rondcau indicate that artificial
respiration may be valuable agent in
the resuscitation of persons who have
been exposed to cold until life is nearly
extinct.
1t is asserted by DR.. Merkel that a
persons height after nights rest,
measured before rising from bed..is two
inches greater than in the evening,
measured standing On first rising, a
sudden shortening takes place at the
joints Of the legs. The sinking at the
ankle is one third of and inch; at the
knee, one twelfth to one eighth of an
inch. The contraction in height is con.
tinued through the day by the gradual
yielding Of the arches Of the feet and
Of the discs of the spine.
Mons. Spring, of the Belgian Acad-
envy OF Sciences, takes exception to the
generally received view that the seat
Of the electricity Of storms is in the
moist region of the atmosphere, and
concludes that it exists in the cold and
dry super stratum,
DIR. Franzius finds that the tooth
most often atiece by decay is the
third molar, such cases forming one
half of the total, number The teeth
begin to decay in certain successive
order, the lower third molar being first
attacked, then the upper, then the
lower fourth molar, and so on, the III
cisors and the canine teeth of the lower
jaw being the last reached. The up
per teeth are more durable than the
lower in the proportion of three to two
The right teeth show greater vitality
than the left. The durability Of teeth
is less in light persons than in dark
and less ia tall than in short persons
These results were obtained by an ex
animation of $50 Russian soldiers, Of
whom 25S had nusound teeth.
The tide record Of the Government,
surveyors of British India, c veripg 8
period of twenty three years, indicate
the existence of a i rtnishtly tide uu
der the influence Of the moon.
Mons Pastur has gained fresh laurel,
by an investigation of disease Of pigs
known as rouget or nal rouge, which
in one valley Of the Rhone has beer
fatal to 10000 ot the animals with;r
yenr. The Investigator has reported
to the French Academy # Science:
that he has discovered the cause to b,
minute organism, somewhat like ka'
Of chicken cholera. 1t IS dilerent
however, ia is physioio.icai properties
since 1T produces no effect upon fo"l
but is quickly fatal to rabbits and pi-s
Experiments have satisfied Mons
pas'eur that one attack ii',rds protcc
ton against another, and by inoculatin:
pigs with organisms weakened by cul
ture SO as to give rise TO mid forn
of he disease he has succeeded in ren
deri' the animals secure FROM furtl el
l;..bi ity to the contasion.