Wood River times. [volume] (Hailey, Idaho) 1882-1915, 1884-02-18
SCIENTIFIC GLEANINGS,
USEFUL KNOWLEDGE IMPAIRED IN
AN ENTERTAINING WAY.
The Eskimos-"Coppery" Oysters-An
Epidemic Of Trichinosis-T Tallest
Race on the observation-disclosures Of
Other Plancts-rhe Air W. Breathe

As"Vc VI" tue ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS OIL
Other Plancts-The Air We Breathe
Etc.
Compiled for the wooD RIVER r,MEs)
In a lecture upon the Eskimos de-
livered in London a few DAYS ago.
DIR. Rae expressed the opinion that
this people was originally an Asiatic
race, who crossed from Siberia by
Behring's Straits. From Labrador to
Alaska they speak but one language,
with slight dialectical variations.
They are physically strong, have
great affection for their children, and
are intelligent and faithful. The tall
est male measured by DIR. Simpson
near Behring's Straits was 5 feet 1O1
inches, and the shortest was 5 feet
inch the heaviest weighed 1876
pounds, and the lightest 125 pounds.
An Eskimo often eats as much as 8
pounds of seal or II pounds of fish
at meal. The clothing of the peo-
pie is made almost entirely of rein
deer skins; and their dwellings,
usually snug and comfortable, con-
sist of stone and mud kraals, wooden
huts, and snow houses, according to
locality.
English and French epicures have
long esteemed oysters with green
gills more highly than others, but in
America the color has been quite
generally attributed to copper, and
believed to be poisonous. Recent
Investigations, however, have proven
that the green color is due to per-
fect|y harmless vegetable coloring
matter absorbed from the substances
on which the oysters feed. A quaint
lty of copper sufficient to produce
the green color must necessarily be
fatal to the oysters themselves.
Prof. BelteIlot believes that dia
mond, graphite and charcoal do not
represent the true element of carbon,
which he maintains is yet unknown,
and must be Of a gaseous nature.
\ prize of $4,000 has been offered
by the Worshipful Company of Gro
GERS, of London, for the best original
essay on sanitary science.
An English geological survey of
the Holy Land is in progress, under
Prof. Hull, f. r. S.
a late very severe epidemic of
trichinosis in Germany-atfectlng $50
persons and causing over 40 deaths
has been traced to single trichinous
hog, whose flesh was eaten raw. By
careful investigation of this out
break DIR. Brouardel has learned that
the trlchna were most VI ,orous in
their attacks upon the human system
within about "A hours after the
OF the hog, and 33 per cent
Of those who ate the infected meat
during that period died in conse.
quence. After the first "A hours the |
power Of tie pork worms to produce
mischief seemed to gradually decrease,
until, when the sixth day was reached,
sickness alone followed the eating Of
he meat, without single death.
The medical men who treated these
asses affirm that the trichinn were
more successfully resisted bv children
han by adults, while old people suf-
cred most. Five persons who par
ook of the diseased pork had it
cooked, and those persons were un-
EARNED.
An ornthological congress is to be
pened at Vienna, April 10th under
he auspices Of Crown Prince Rudolf.
Among the important subjects to be
is that Of providing means
Or systematically studying in all F,
arts OF the world the migrations and {
eeling habits of birds, of which SO :,
tile is now known. These matters :
re already receiving attention in a y y
mall area of the globe at series Of u
observatories which the :,
rown Prince has caused to be es;ab- !
shed throughout Austria hungary. n
Dr. Hahn states that the Ia people. j.
hose acquaintance was made in the s. $,
)rthcastern islands OF TERRA del u
nego by the French scientific mis-. al
on to Cape Horn, appear to exceed ), ).
e Patagonians in stature, and thus 81
rank as the very taliest race on the q
nth. n
| n 1iCcpcciors Al