Lewiston teller. [volume] (Lewiston, North Idaho) 1878-1900, 1884-01-31
SCIENTIFIC MISCELLANY.

Much evidence has been brought for
ward during the last few months to prove
that copper and its salts exert protective
influence against cholera, and that work
ers in the metal are exempt from this and
other diseases This fact has led Mons.
Bochefontainc to point out to the French
Academy Of Sciences that nine cases Of
cholera occurred in lS49, with fatal re-
suits, among the copperslniths Of Villedieu
where the whole atmosphere may be said
to be saturated with copper Small pox,
typhoid fever Charlton have also found
victims in the same community.
A number Of weeks ago observers Of
the Pons. Brooks comet found that the
plane Of its orbit would be crossed BY the
earth on December 9Th, and Mr.. Chan.
dlcr, Of the Harvard Observatory, pre-
dicted that when the earth arrived at that
place mctcors would be seen moving in
the comets orbit. The prophecy was
fulfilled by the discovery, on the night
of December 9Th, of dozen or more
meteors radiatins from the calculated
point in space.
Prof. s. r. Thompson has shown that
If electricity be regarded as sclf-rcpul-
sive medium, surplus in one place and
deficit in another would give rise to
motion between them-that is, to attrac.
ton. He extends the hypothesis until
he infers that either the ether is electric
ity, or the ether is clectriied-thc form.
or conclusion being the more probable.
In communication to the Royal So
ciety Of London, General Ss.achey ha,
considered certain remarkable baromctrit
disturbances which were recorded neal
the close Of August at various widely
separated stations, and has endcavored Il
trace them to common origin in air
waves produced by tho great volcanic
eruption at krakatoa, in the Straits o
Sunda. Such waves would move in al
directions from the place where they wer'
caused, and from tho data ut hant
he estimates that these waves travelle,
from east to west at the aver
age rate Of GA miles per hour. ant
from west to east At FOG miles each hour
He finds it probable that great wav'
moving from east to west travelled NOR
than 81 200 miles before its extinction
making tho complete circuit Of the eartl
three and one.fourth times. The sea
waves resulting from this volcanic out
burst were propasated to distant parts 0
the globe at rates reported as varyin,
from 1913 miles to $50 miles an hour.
It is probably not generally known tim
,ain or dew from the vapor produced b.
the evaporation of sea or salt-lakc waite
invariably contains salt, although d.
Petxholdt Of the university at Dorpat
Russia, states that chemists have lon,
been aware Of the fact.
Dr.. Beau, French physician, has Oh
served that the 6nger.nails grow at tn
rate Of one-thirtieth Of an inch week
while the toc-nails increase IN length onl,
one-fourth as fast. He finds that tn
growth Of the thumb-nail equals its owl
Length every twenty weeks but the grea
toe is replaced completely only once il
ninety.six weeks.
Mr.. II. 0. Forbes, an English anthrop
elogist who has travelled in the Eas
Indies, scports the existence Of race o
red-haired people with blue eyes in tn
interior Of the island of Timor.
Recent accurate dwellings confirm th
conclusion, advanced BY Mons. Bourdalo,
in 1864, that the average level Of tn
Mediterranean is about % inches lowe
than that Of the Atlantic.
Liquid carbonic acid il coming int
use in Europe for variety Of purposes
1t is conveyed from the place of mauufac
ture in strong wrought.iron cylinders Ct
ted with brass screw valves. To keeI
the acid in is liquid form these storage
tanks have to endure pressure Of a.
much as 36 atmospheres, or more than
500 pounds to the square inch.
Russian writer's lave lately drawn at.
tcntion to the existence Of various poison
Gus species of fish in the Japanese seas.
The eating Of a moderate sized bit Of the
Aesh Of one Of them, known as the Fuku
d said to be almost instantly followed by
death. Many fatalities are caused by
this fish among the lower classes Of JAP