The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1884-11-06
EDITORIAL NOTES.

A plan for lessening the violence of
storms has been submitted to the
French Academy of Sciences by Mons.
Minard, who proposes to use a great
number of lightning rods elevated on
telegraph posts and connected with
iron tracks of railways.
Standard time is said to be now in
use by all the railroads of the country
except the Union Pacific, the Central
Pacific and the Southern Pacific west
fleming. New Mexico Less than
10 per cent of the people of tine coun-
try are using local time.
The researches OF DR.. f. w. East,
an English physician, have shown
that Infection may be conveyed in a
moist and quiet atmosphere from
smallpox hospitals to houses in the
vicinity. Other observers are inclined
to believe that other diseases which
are known to be spread by the air owe
their transmission solely to the in
fluence of moisture.
There are now twenty-three coun-
tries with total population of 241,-
$4,000, in which the metric system of
weights and measures is the legal
standard; four, Canada, Great Britain,
United States and Persia, with popu-
lation of 81, 639, 600, in which the sys-
TEN may be used; and six, including
Russia and British India, with popu-
lation of 333, 266, 600, in which the sys-
TEN has no legal standing.
DR.. Arthur Newsholme. in his re-
cent work on hygiene, favors tea, but
points out that the common way of
taking it, with food in sips, makes it
unwholesome. On coffee he makes
the valuable remark that insufficient
roasting gives it the property possess
ed by green tea, of causing sleepless
ness. But cocoa is shown to bear the
palm over both. The resemblance of
its constituents 10 those of milk is
very striking.
A prize of 10000 francs offered by
the French Academy for some certain
test of death, to prevent people from
being buried alive, was given to a ply
stefan who announced that on holding
the hand of the supposed dead person
to la strong light, if living a scarlet
tinge is seen where the fingers touch,
showing continuous circulation of
the blood, no scarlet being seen il dead.
DIR. Max Buch also announces that on
contracting muscle by electricity its
temperature will rise and be shown by
any small surface thermometer If the
person is living; if it does not rise life
is extinct.
Some people know that we owe the
Chinese some of our shoWieSt flowers
the aster, the crysanthemum, the
China pink, the camellia; the begonia,
Lord Macartney's hortenSia "a kind of
hydrangia), etc, but few are aware
that the Guernsey lilly, that rare
beauty, which exagerathe crocuS and
SNOWFALL habit of putting forth its
flowers before its leaves, halls from
the FIoWery land. An English ship,
with number of bulbs on board, was
wrecked off the channel islands: the
bulbs were washed into one Of those
sandy bays which nestle between the
granite cliff, and the mild gulf stream
climate did the rest.
In paper on eyes, read before the
late English Social Congress, it IS said
that very quiet eyes, which impress
and embarress one with their repose,
signify not only self commend, but
also much complacency and some con-
ceit. Restless eyes that cannot look
one steadily in the face denote de-
ceitful, designing mind. Eyes in
which the white has yellowish
tinge and is streaked with redish
veins, indicate strong passion and
hasty temper. Very blue eyes bespeak
a mind inclined to coquetry. Gray
eyes signify dignity, intelligence, and
notwithstanding faculties; greenish
eyes falsehood and fondness for seanss
dial. = A malicious mind is often indi-
Gated by greenish eyes. Black eyes
show a passionate, lively temperament,
and often most deeei.ful disposition.
Another use has been discovered for
the once universally desplsed saw pal
metto. The fine fiber obtained from
the inner lining of the bud is now