Morris tribune., 1884-09-03
A French chemist has found that

A French chemist has found that,
under certain conditions, an observa-
ton of the electric resistance of wa
ter seems to supply delicate test of
it's purity.
A growth forming q scum upon q
pond near Campbellton,. New South
Wales, has been noticed to have q
rich green color in the mornings, turn
ing to deep red in the afternoons
An investigation of saltpetre beds
near Cochabamba, Bolivia, leads Mons.
Srcc to conclude that this vast deposit
large enough to supply the whole
world with its nitrate of potash, is the
result of the decomposition of an i'm
mense collection of fossil animal re-
mains.
The judicious planting of cucalyp-
tus trees has been recommended by
Baron Won Mueller as a means of in
creasing and maintaining the water
supply of Australia. These trees
known also us the 'blue gum" trees
are credited with remarkable powers
of collecting and absorbing water, and
of condensing into water the moisture
In the air.
With glass plates coated with sui
phuret of calcium, Mons. GustaVe
Hermite obtains phosphorescent
photographs. The exposure is made
under strong light, and the picture
is very distinct when the plate is
taken into the dark. 1t may be re-
vived afterward by breathing upon
the plate and then passing hot flat
iron over it.
1t has been proven by Mons. L..
Troost that pure oxygen and the OK
ygen of the air are capable OF passing
through the sides of a heated tube OF
silver, while only mere trace OF
nitrogen penetrates the metal. Car
bonic acid passes through, but more
slowly than oxygen. 1t IS suggested
that oxygen may be obtained from the
air on this principle.
Parts of an ancient human skull
have been found by Dr.. M. Barcena
in u hard siliceous limestone near the
border of Lake TeXcocO, Mexico. The
limestone, whose origin is unknown,
is covered with deposit made by the
water of the lake, and it is evident
that since the entombment of the
skull both the rock and the material
above it have been elevated several
feet-probably by the eruption which
projected an eruptive hill near the To-
cality.
A great diminutlon in the forest
trees of Russia has taken place during
the last thirty years, and as result
it is said that the climate has changed
for the worse. This is especially the
case in the districts round Nishni
Novgorod and Moscow, whose fruit
fulness has been greatly impaired. In
the Moscow government, formerly
rich in fruit bearing trees, apples and
cherries now have much decreased i'll
numbsr, and pears have wholly dis
appeared.
Some remarkable photographs of q
pistol bullet in it's flight-under the
illumination of an electric spark
have been secured by Prof. E. Mach
of Prague. He has also photographed
the air streams which one may see
over q Bunsen burner placed i'll sun
shine; and has even obtained pictures
of waves of sound, these last being
made visible by a method in which
advantage is taken of the irregular
refraction of light by the air set il
| vibration by sound.
Speaking at London recently upol
cholera and it's prevention. Prof. DE-
Chaumont declared that fire is thu
only true disinfectant, and tha
the majority of sO-called disinfectantE
are simply deodorants. '"The idea,
said he, ''that tobacco smoke OF tht
odor of camphor is destructive O.
| contagion is still extensively held
though it is simply absurd. A true
disinfectant is a substance that vii
kill the germ OF living particle il
which it is conveyed" Until W.
know OF what Infection consists it il
impossible to say what is OF is not q
true disinfectant, though there is NJ
doubt as to the value of fire. Per
haps high temperature would bt
equally effective. Sulphurous aciC
gas, chlorine and even carbolic aci(
may be safely regarded as disinfect
ants in certain conditions, the presen
tendency being to employ the frs
wherever it is practicable to use thu
the fumes of burning sulphur.