Lewiston teller. [volume] (Lewiston, North Idaho) 1878-1900, 1884-12-25
SCIENTIFIC MISCELLANY.

In the opsn air, mineral coal is liable
to crumh'e and often to spontaneous CON-
brstiop. An Austrian mining engineer,
Weasel Poech, has discovered a simple
and Inexpensive means Of preventing less
from such sources, the plan consisting
chiefly in treating the coal-rilc with
steam for the exclusion Of the air and
securing permanent retention OF mois-
ture. The theory is that the absorption
Of oxygen and other gases, for which the
way is opened BY the evaporation of the
hydroscpic moisture, causes the deterior-
alton Of the coal, and this cannot happen
If the coal il kept full Of water.
The doctrine Of the permanency of
the scean basins, about which geoloeists
disagree, is strongly supported by Rev.
.. Fisher, who refers to suggestion
which he made in 1882 to account for
the origin Of the vast degressions which
the oceans GIL. Accepting Prof. g. III.
Darwin's theory that the moon broke
away from the earth over Fifty million
years ago, he thinks that the ocean basins
may be the scar that was formed, and
that the basement rocks Of continents are
fragments Of the crust which had al
ready solidiied, and which were left be.
hind.
Dr.. Koch, Of Berlin, is reported to
have succeeded in producing genuine
cholera in rabbits by means of the bacilli
which he has regarded as the cause Of
the diseaae Two Swiss physicians, Nj
cat and Ritseh, claim to have met with
earlier success in this important ex-
pertinent than DR.. Koch.
According to Mr.. j. Harrington Dou-
~, Of the asylum at Worcester, Englan |,
an imperfect supply of oxygen, or SIM
ply breathing vitiated atmosphere, may
suffice to produce the mental disorder
known as melanehoia.
Dr.. Washington Matthews, mas shown
that the American Indians; and especi-
ally the Navgos, arc in many respects
superior In their knowledge Of natural
history to al white men who have not
made the subject special study. They
are keen observers, not only Of the ami
mails and plants which contribute to their
sastcnance and other needs, but also Of
thcsa shich are unused, rare and iucon-
spicuous, The Nava,cs have a name for
every mammal, bird reptile in their coun.
try, and for nearly every plant, and all
the larger insects, and their knowledge
Of the several species Is usually minute.
They have made many divisions into
groups which are identical with those
recognized by the Caucasian naturalist,
and this sometime occurs when it seems
iacseaibls that the Indians could have
discovered the characters on which the
white naturalist bases his classification.
Dr.. ]. 9. Booth, Of the United States
mint, states that the commoner metals of |
commerce have greatly improved in quail.
ity in the last few years, as result of
improvement Of publication. Much cop
Per now averages 80 per cent. pure,
while large proportion Of the silver
Oontaias % and uinc.ten.hs per cent. of
The pufs metal. ConceruiDg the waste
n working precious metals, DR.. Booth
remarks that while loss Of ten ner cent
8 tolerated il working iron in the Are
he government holds the mint response.
We for = greater waste in working gold
ban cue-tsnth Of one per cent, and the
otual loss Is far less than this.
The rc-plantipg Of forests IN north. |
1esseza India has already made itself /
ene6cially felt, according to Sir G. c
'irdwood, in increasing the raiufsll off +
arious districts. II
a case of scarle. fever in canary has Ii
cen described BY Ogston, of Aberdeen. n
From the records collected by the y
'oyal Meteorological Society, for one t.
nndred years, j. appears tina. the lowest n,
can temperature for January in Lon. to
10 occurred in 1895, and WIS 25.5 do. y
ees Fahrenheit. The highest mean ~ :,
: January Al degrces-was reached in Ia
80. The lowest mean temperature "
! July was 55.h degrees in Isis, and .