The daily Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1878-1???, 1884-01-17
Scientific Miscellany.

At certain seasons kind of fish
eaten in Bombay is liable to contain
very small worms, to which the natives
often ascribe cases of cholera, and sew
eral cases of the disease among Europe
ms have followed fish supper.
Two Of the known comets of short
period arrive at perihelion in 1884
| D'Arrest's on January 18th, and BrOr-
sens about September. For several
months astronomers have been unsuc-
cessfully watching for the former, and
it is probable that it may pass unseen
at this return.
A novel and interesting application
of electricity has been introduced at the
court opera at Vienna. The effect of
swarms of firefies fitting about tropi-
cal forest is produced in a strikiugly
realistic manner by the plan of sus-
pending tiny incandescent lamps by
fine swinging wires, the flashes of the
artificial tirehies being caused by rapid
switching the current on and Off
1t seems that the injurious effects
sometimes resulting from the use of
canned foods are not always due to the
presence of lead in the cans At late
inquest near London, medical evidence
was given to the effect that death had
been caused by eating salmon which
had been poisoned through decomposi-
ton by nitrate OF tin formed by the
action of the preserved fish on the tin
nf the pan containing IN
Mr. r. W. jenkins, of Ceylon, reports
that In the mountain districts of that
island the volcanic explosions of Kraka-
toa were distinctly heard, although
1000 miles distant. The sounds re-
sembled those of heavy cannons at
distance of few miles, or of dynamite
rock blasting mile or SO away. Prot
K. A. Proctor supposes that the sound
waves were conveyed through the
earth's crust, and not through the air.
From experiments upon dogs, Lewas-
chew and Klikowitch have concluded,
that the effect of ordinary natural min.
eral waters is to increase the quantity
of bile and to make it more fluid and
watery. This increased flow is beneti.
cial in freeing the gall-bladder from
stagnant bile. The action of artificial
solutions of alkaline salts, as we'll as
of hot water, was found to be similar
to that of the natural mineral waters.
The work of the municipal laborato-
ny at Paris in testing food substances
results in some interesting disclosures.
1t has lately revealed the fact that
spurious fruit havors are extensively
made and sold in that city, the flavors
OF the strawberry, pineapple, melon,
apple, pear, cherry, plum, apricot and
peach being successfully initiated by
artificial chemical compounds. A So
called gooseberry jelly was examined,
and proved to have been made from
sea-weed.
Among the scientific results of his
Greenland expedition Baron Nordensk-
jold mentions the discovery that, con-
trary to the general belief the west
coast of Greenland is washed by cold
water, while greatly heated current
coming from the south runs along the
east coast at short distance only from
the shore. This current must exercise
great influence on the climate of the
east coast, which may be more moist,
but, in the Barons opinion, not colder
than that of the west coast.
A kind of timber found in yellow
clay in China, near the border of Thi-
bet, is stated by Mr.. f. Colborne Baber,
of the British legation at Pekin, to
be held in high esteem as material
for collins, on account of the resistance
it offers to decay and insect ravages.
A single coffin made from its planks is
valued at an equivalent of three hun
dred pounds sterling. Unfortunately
Mr.. Baber has been unable to give any
information concerning the botanical
character Of the subterranean wood.