Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1884-10-28
scientific Notes

Kircher originated the germ theory oil
infections diseases two hundred wears ago,
and not Pasteur, as it is supposed, in mod
orn days.
When in the formation OF coal all the
other circumstances were alike, NJ. A. Car
not is OF the belief that different species OF
plants gave rise to coal OF very different
properties.
An invitation to hold its next meeting at
Vienna has been accepted by the lnterna-
tional Congress OF Hygiene, which has con-
cluded IFS fifth session. held this year at
the Hague most successfully.
Water filtered through porus unglazed
porcelain is absolutely free from microbla.
With a single such vessel, $40 meter long
by OBS meter in diameter, Dir. G. Cham.
berland obtained about 90 litres day OF
pbysiologically pure water.
Experiments by G.. Gore. LII. d., prove
that carbon. boron. and silicon may be sep
arated from their melted compounds by
elecfrolysis but, although carbon was
slowly deposited in several cases, in no in
stance was il obtained from an aqueous So
luton or in a crystalline state.
Grehant and Quinquand say that sub.
CulJUeOuS lHicClluHS Vi ilCl tdSllp uOScs VI
aqueous solutions OF pure urea invariably
terminated in tetanic commissions and
DEATH The commissions resembled those
produced by stry chime, and were followed
by death in the coarse Of from one to ten
hours.
A system OF rails for street-raiIways, in
troduced by NJ. Marsillon, is under trial
by the Compagnie DIES Omnibus OF Paris.
II consists Of an ordinary bridge-rail and
counter-rail OF the same section bolted to
an iron longitudinal sleeper. The absence
OF wood makes the system very durable
one, but it is very inelsstic.
Large steel works will soon be in opera
ton at Bilbao, Spain, near which there is
abundance OF hematite. A Spanish COM
pany, which has obtained important con-
cessIons from the Government, is 10 engage
in this enterprise. New blast-furnaces and
other appliances are in course OF constitute
ton for the smelling Of the ore and for the
conversion OF the product into rails, bars,
and beams OF various sections.
NJ. p. Cazeneuve shows that the method
Of sterilizing liquids containing ferments
by means Of gypsum-flters il open 10 GER
tain objections. IL keeps back soluble fer
menis and very considerable proportion
Of albuminoid matters. Thus, for example.
blood 80 treated Is not merely deprived Of
living organisms which may have been pre-
sent. but undergoes other changes.
Cas.-iron, says NJ. l.. Forqugnon, If
heated for several days to temperature OF
from about 5000 10 10000 centigrade,
neither melts nor softens, but is converted
into malleable iron. Its surface is covered
with a grayish eiiloreScence. It's fracture
is sometimes OF a uniform black. like that
OF lead-pencil. and sometimes ridded
with large black points which are regularly
distributed in the metallic paste.
In a note upon astronomical measure
ments, and especially on the choice Ct a
common meridian, NJ. A. d'Abbadle pro-
nounces in favor OF the west coast OF Flores,
one Of the Azores, for the chief meridian,
or else for its ante-meridian, should the
latter be preferred. He also proposes the
adoption OF q unit OF 10000 kilometres for
the measurement OF celestial spaces. this
unit to be called a megiste, from the Greek
inegiStOa.