Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1883-01-25
SCINTIFIC MISCELLANY.

the Chinese person Is alive until the
: body becomes cold. These two beliefs
may cause estimates of the time OF
death of any individual to differ by
: several hours, which difference has
given rise to some very unsatisfactory
evidence at inquests ia Hong Kong,
the Chinese idea having been unknown
to Europeans until very recently.
The suicide of the scorpion has been
much=diseuSsed topic. The state
ment Is we'll attested that scorpion
enclosed in "a ring of red-hot embers
will, after futile attempts to escape,
kill itself by thrusting it's sting into
its own head. In spite of the cor
roborating testimony this assertion is
often doubted, but a recent observation
by Prof. Lancaster seems to establish
its probability and throw new light on
the matter. Having occasion 30 chlo-
roform scorpion As noticed that as
sGan as IT began to feel the effect of the
stupefying vapor it made repeated
thrusts with its sting in a straight-for-
ward direction, but these blows be-
came gradually so ill-directed and un-
certain that at last one caused the tip
of the sting to touch the insects body.
In this case the skin was not pene-
trated, but it is easy to i.elteve that oc-
casionallY such a misdirected blow ON
the part ofa half-suffocated scorpion
may have been seen to inflict a mortal
wound upon the scorpion itself,
The researches of Messrs. Richet and
Rondeau indicate that artificial respi-
ration may be q valuable agent in the
resusoitatiOn of persons who have
been exposed to cold until life is nearly
extinct.
1t is asserted by DR.. Merkes that a
| PERSONS height after q nights rest,
measured hefore rising from bed, is
two inches greater that 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 Qnesthird Of an inch; at the
knee, one-tweifth to one-eight of an
inchi at the hip, two-flfths of an inch.
The contraction in height is continued
through the day 10y the gradual yield |
ing of the arches of the feet and of the |
discs of the spine.
Mons. Spring, of the Belgian Acaz
denny 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 1t exists in the cold |
and dry super-stratum.
DR.. Franzius finds that the tooth |
most often affected by decay is the
third molar, such cases fornips one@
half of the tQtal pumoer. The teeth
begin so decay in certain successive |
order, the lower third molar being |
first attacked, then the upper, then
the lower fourth molar, and so on, the !
incisors and the canine teeth Of the
lower law being the last reached. The
upper teeth are more durable than the
lower in the proportion of three to two.
The right teeth show a greater vitality
than the left. The durability of teeth
is less in light persons than in dark,
and less in tall than in short persons.
These results were obtained by an ex- /
animation Of $50 Russian soldiers, of
whom 259 had unsound teeth.
The tide records of the government |
surveyors of British India, covering
period of twenty-three years, indicate
the existence of fortnightly tide un-
der the influence of the moon.
Mons. Pasteur has gained fresh lau-
rels by an investigation of disease of
pigs, known as rOuget or NAL rouge,
which in one valley of the Rhene has
been fatal 10 $4,000 of the animals
within year. The investigator has
reported to the French Academy of
Sciences that he has discovered the
cause to be minute organism, some
what like that of chicken cholera. It
is different, however, in it's physiolog-
ical properties, since it produces no
effect upon fowls but is quickly fatal
to rabbits and pigs. Experiments have
satisfied Mons. Hasteur that one at
tack affords protection against an
other, and by inoculating pigs with
organisms weakened by culture so as
to give rise to mild form of the dis
ease he has succeeded in rendering
the animals secure from further liza
bility to the contagion.
Middle-aged prejudice is severe
against plum-pudding, but the Lon
don Lancet pronounces it highly
efficient food, and declares hat good
wedge of cold plum pudding is not an
unwholesome lunch for young and
growing lads when out for days
hunting or skating. Elderly people,
too, are often able to partake OF this in
gredient of Christmas cheer in man-
ner which amaZes theis middle-aged
relations. The fact Is, as has been
pointed out by Prof. Michael Foster,
the digestive elements are long pre-
served, so that man who in the
prime of his manhood was martyr
to dyspepsia by reason of the sensiti-
veness ofhis gastric nerves, in his later
years, when his nerves are blunted,
and when, therefore, his peptic cells
are able to pursue their chemical work
undisturbed by nervous worries, eats
and drinks with the courage and sue
cess of a boy.
A remarkable shooting star was OBJ
served on the morning of Noy, 10Th
from q steamer in the Red Sea. 1t
quickly disappeared like ordinary
meteors, but left bright train; some
eight or ten degrees long and half