The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1884-12-27
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SCIENTIFIC MISCELLANY.

A Weekly Summary of Current Events In
all Departments Of Science.
A German botantist has given instances
of the modification of plants by insects SO
as to produce new varieties.
A motor driven by small charges of gun
cotton is an English novelty. It is said to
be applicable wherever small powers are
required.
Successful experiments in distributing
the electric light to great distances have
been made in connection with the Turin
Electrical Exhibition. A Siemens machine
of 80 horse power generated a current
which was simultaneously used by severa!
electric light systems spread over circuit
of about twenty five miles.
Some remarkable photographs Of pistol
bullet in its Highlander the illumination
of an eiectric spark-have been secured by
Prof. E. Mach of Prague. He has also
photographed the air streams which one
may see over Bunsen burner placed in
sunshine; and has even obtained pictures
of waves Of sound, these last being made
visible by method in which advantage is
taken of the irregular refraction of light
by air set in vibration by sound.
short time since Paul Reinsch dis
covered several kinds of minute plants
including two algae which had before been
unknown-groWing upon coins after hay
ing been long enough in circulation to re-
ceive thin incrustations of organic matter.
A Hungarian botanist, Jules Schaarshmidt,
has more recently found the microscopic
groWths upon paper money, even the
eieanest specimens not being free from
them. He has detected seven species, in
Guiding the new algae described by Reinsch.
According to Mr.. T. Il. Beddard, a Lon
don zo6logist, eatrhworms two feet in
length have been found in the British Isles.
and various species as large or larger are
known to exist in South America, Western
Africa, Australia and New Zealand. The
largest species known, however, inhabits
south Africa. Forty years ago specimen
was described which measured six feet two
inches long, but it seems to have been nearly
forgotten until the other day, when gigan-
tlc creature of the same species was sent to
the London Geological Gardens from Cane
Colony. The longest measurement of this
worm yet taken reaches six feet five inches,
Its diameter being nearly half an inch.
gale at East St. Louis in 1871, accord
ing to Mr.. Shaler Smith, overturned a. loco
motive, exerting force of no less than SO
pounds per square foot. At st. Charles
Jail was destroyed in 1877, the pressure
required being "a pounds per square foot.
At Marshville, in 1880, brick mansion
was leveled, the force necessary being So
pounds per square foot. Below these ex-
traordinary pressures, Mr.. Smith has in
stanced numerous cases of trains blown off
rails, and bridges, ETC., blown down, by
gales OF "a to 81 pounds per square foot.
Prof Tyndall suggests that, just as the
soil may be SO effectually robbed of some
essential ingredient by one abundant cron
as to be incapable of producing another, so
IN the human system parasitic disease
may so completely exhaust the blood of
some Ingredient necessary to the growth
and propagation of the parasite that the
production of q second crop in fatal or
considerable quantity mag be impossible.
1t would thus appear that protective
vaccination Or incubation is simply the
introduction into the blood of weakened
and comparatively harmless disease germs
to consume the material which might be-
come food for similar germs in a more
vigorous and dangerous condition.
SCIENTIFIC DISCOVERIES AND PROGRESS OF THE
PAST DECADE.
lS75.-The sum Of 100000 was given by
Mr. DANES Lick of California for procur-
ing "a telescope of greater power than any
yet made. the instrument being now in
course of construction.
lo|6.-Speech was first transmitted to
distance by the telephone of Prof. "A. Ora
ham Bell. The experiments in electric
lighting began to be made with considera-
bic success. An International exhibition
OF scientific apparatus was held in London. |
The Challenger expedition returned to |
England, after having spent more than
three years in Investigations into the life
and physical conditions OF the great ocean
basins.
.lSH.-The two satellites of Mars, the |
smallest celestial bodies known, were dis
covered by Prof. Asaph Hall, at Washing
ton. Hughes microphone, by which faint
sounds are magnifed and made audible,
was produced. The radiometer, in which
light performs the work of turning wheel,
was constructed by Mr.. VIM. Crooker, F.
4. S. The speaking photograph was made i
by Mr.. L. A. Edison.
lo7o.-The electric light was subdivided,
and Edison's platinum lamp-the first in
candescent lamp-was devised. An an
paratus for cooking by the condensed solar
rays was exhibited in Paris. Edison's mi
for measuring infnitesimal |
degrees of heat, such as that received from
the stars, was invented.
1S79.-The northeast passage from the
Atlantic to the Pacific was accomplished by
Baron Nordenskjold. A telegraph for
transmitting writing was exhibited by Mr.
E. A. Cowper.
l8So.-Speech and other sounds were
to a considerable distance on
a beam OF light by the photophone of Prof.
A. Graham Bell and Mr.. Sumner Taintor,
Mouchot's engine, driven by steam gen.
Grated by the condensed heat of the sun,
was put to work in Algeria. An electric
furnace, for fusing the most refractory
metals, was shown in London, by DR.. G.
w. Siemens- The first battery of practical
value for the storage of electricity was
made by III. G.. A. Faure.