Lewiston teller. [volume] (Lewiston, North Idaho) 1878-1900, 1884-02-14
SCIENTIFIC MISCELLANY.

t''e " WV 49, - pf~ w 'h1 hiFi
considerations. Various rositin s hav,
been advocated by medical men. snch S
those of rest n, horizontally IN the face,
on the silc, an the back. alternately non
anil sulinr. invcrf j. >i,tin1 up, b,n
forward and bent backward DR.. Lbi
Watson. of the Gla' gov Royal Inirmlr
has lately objected to thu l!an Of iny,i
sion, as he finds it to be iniuliou~, an
recommends supjne and horizontal pusi
ton. DR.. Henry Il. Sylvester, Of Len
don, has made some experiments which
appear to teach that invcrtiny the bod
has no advantages to offset its dangers
but he contends from the results Of Ls
experience that the most suitable position
il that Of reclining on the ba,k, the body
inclining little from the feet upward,
the shoulders and head slightly raised and
supported on tirm cushion. This posi-
ton, he says, is favorable for the relic
Of congestion of the heart aud head whil
both sides of the chest are free to expand
and such conditions afford the best chance
Of restoration from apparent death.
In Ireland the leaves of the common
mullen (verbacum thapsus) are popularity
supposed to be useful in cases of consump-
tion, and DR.. +. J. i. Qunlan's obser-
vations lead him to conclude that they
really tend to increase the weight Of pa
tients suffering from the disease in its
early stages, while they greatly reiev"
phthisical cough. The remedy is admin
istercd by boiling the leaves in milk-in
the proportion of a pint of milk to a ounc,
Of dried leaves or corresponding guam
y tity Of fresh ones-and giving hot
Mr.. s. A. Stewart discovered Inst year
that the common frog is unknown in the
island Of Rathlin, three miles from the
coast Of County Antrim, Ireland, although
very abundant on the mainland Frogs
are supposed to be pretty well distributed
throughout the globe, but Mr.. II. w.
Lett cites evidence proving that they
were not known in Ireland until about
200 years ago, when DR.. Guithers, fell
low of Trinity College, Dublin, introduced
some frogs spawn from England. Even
in the middle of the last century frogs
were exhibited as century frogs were ex-
hibited Us curiosities in the north of Ire
land.
Ferns, Of which several thousand spe-
cies have been described, formed very
important part of the earth's vegetation
in early geological ages, as is apparent
from remains brought to light in the coal
fields. They now grow all over the world,
but especially in the warm and moist
climates. In the Antilles they comprise
about one tenth Of the egetation; in
Occanica, one-fourth or one-fitth; in St.
Helena, one-third; in Juan Fernandez,
oae-half; and in England, one.thirty-
9Th.
BY new method Of application, Mons
Bert has safely used protoxide of nitrogen
or dangling gas'--to obtain prolong-
ed anaesthesia, a dog having been kept
inscnsible for half an hour Mons. Bert's
plan is to cause anaesthesia first with the
pure protoxide; to give mixture of the
pDtoxide and oxygen, which restores to
the blood its necessary oxygen; and then
to apply the pure protoxide again. In
this way both return to consciousness and
danger Of asphyxia are obviated. A
mask and two rubber bags are all the APP
paratus needed.
A man lie 'sdcad drunk" according to
savants Of the Paris Biological Society,
when the fluid which circulates in his
arteries and veins contains one part of al.
cohol to 1875 parts Of blood. Should the
proportion become one part of alcohol to
100 Of blood, death must ensue. In ordi-
nary casvs the drinker ]. ses consciousness
before 20 great proportion of alcohol has
entered the circulation, but the fatal dose
i sometimes taken when large quantity
Of alcoholic liquor is swallowed quickly.
DR.. Liebenberg has found that the
termination process Of many plants re-
quires the presence Of lime in the soil, ,
and that the seedlings die without it. There |
are some plants, however, which freely d
terminate when it is not present. 1t is i
known that the cinchona trees do not re- |
quire lime, and i is suggested that the 9
frequent failure in Jamaica of the seed $
lings may perhaps be due to the absence b
from the soil Of some more essential in. d
eredient. f.
During the four months Of August to
last temperature records were
kent nj Marx ha in the Siberian nrovinco | q