Lewiston teller. [volume] (Lewiston, North Idaho) 1878-1900, 1884-03-20
SCIENTIFIC MISCELLANY.


has suggested chemical means of training
the voice. He considers that the beau
tiful vocal tone of Italian people is in
some manner due to the presence of per
oxide Of hydrogen in the air and dew OF
Italy, and has shown experiments in which
the inhalation Of chemical imitation of
the Italian air has tended to produce in
individuals full, clear, rich and mellow
tone Of voice.
Statistics show that blindness is stead
lily decreasing in Great Britain. 1t is
thought that the decrease may be fairly
attributed to improvement in the surgical
treatment Of eye affections and to the
diminished prevalence among children Of
smallpox.
The coppcr-workcrs of the French
village Of Durfort inhale for twelve hours
daily an atmosphere laden with copper
dust, and their skin and hair become dis
colorsd with copper, while the metal can
bs detected in their sccretions and excre-
tons, and after death in their bones. Yet,
according to report by two investigators
70 the French Academy of Sciences, the
copper appears to have no influence upon
the health of these people. They neither
suffer from special trade diseases, nor are
they protected against cholera, typhoid
fever or other affections.
Four new asteroids were discovered in
1883, increasing the number Of known
minor planets to 235.
Reports Of extremely low temperatures
should be received with caution, as Their
nometcrs are by no means infallible. DR..
John Rae, f. r. S., tells Of twenty Their
mometers which we're tested by freezing
mercury, and Of which eighteen gave re-
suits about two degrees toe high, while
two beautifully finished instruments, by a
London maker Of high repute, indicated
! temperature about nineteen degrees
below the true one. In addition to faulty
construction, another source Of error in
spirit thermometers is the condensation
Of part Of the spirit in the upper end Of
the tube, and Dr. Rae states that the
error produced in this way may amount
70 eight degrees or more.
The chief signal officer has undertake en-
an investigation into the progress of wave,
1t cold across the United States. AMONG
the results obtained thus far, it has been
ascertaincd that, taking Fort Assinaboine
in Montana as a starting point, the foul
cold waves Of November. 1881, averaged
ten hours in reaching the signal service
stations at St. Vincent, Mimi, Huron
OAK, North Platte, Neb., and Cheyenne
Wyo.; twenty hours in travelling to Duluth
Mimi, St. Paul, Mimi, Leavenworth
Kan, Fort Sill, Texas, and Santa Fc, N
NJ; thirty hours, to Marquette, Mich.
Milwaukee, Wis, Chicago, ILL.,, Memphis
Tenn, Denison, Texas, and Concho, Tex
n; forty hours, to Erie, Pa, Pittsburg
Pa, Knoxville, Tenn, Vicksburg, Miss.
and Brackettville, Texas; and fifty hour
to Rochester, N. Y, Washington. d. c.
Charlotte, N. c., Augusta, Ga, and Mo
bile, Ala.
The Swedish Government, ever read,
to extend scientific aid to the industries
pof the country, proposes establishing I
station in the north of Sweden for tn,
study Of the native plants and the diseases
Of crops in that section.
The French Association for the Ad
vancement Of Science has received be
quest of $4,000, Of which the interes
i to encourage research concerning tn
antiquity Of man.
Some English scientists have bee,
trying to explain why it is that persons
who become lost in fog, or who are fol
any reason unable to see their way, usu
ally walk in circle instead of following
! straight line. Mr.. w. Larden think,
that the cause may be found in differ
E enoe in the strength Of the legs, the strong
: er Of the two outwalking the other wher
not controlled BY the will. In confirm
alton Of this view, Mr.. c. H. Darwin re
counts some experiments in which severa
schoolboys were blindfolded and told tt
walk straight ahead, when the "right
legged" ones circled to the left and thu
''left-legged" ones to the right, exactly
a. they should do if the theory is correct
while one boy, who seemed to be neither
right-legged nor left-legged but to use the
two limbs with about equal facility, walk.
ed irregularly but deviated much less
from straight course than any of the