St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1884-02-23
SCIENTIFIC MISCELLANY.

Tel-el- Maskhuta, in Egypt, on the sup
posed site of Raamses, one of the two
cities specified in the first chapter OF
Exodus as built by the forced labor of
tile Hebrews. 1t is hoped that inscrip-
tions may be discovered at this place
which will enable Psychologists to iden-
tify the Pharaoh of Moses, to assign a
dynastic date to the period of the OPP
preston, and to settle the muchdisput-
ed question regarding the route of the
Exodus. Funds are being raised in En-
gland for prosecuting this important
exploration.
The plan of disposing of the sewage
Of Berlin by applying it as fertilizer
to farms near the city has proven much
less satisfactory than was expected.
Not only have the farming operations
been Improbable, but the health of the
inhabitants has been endangered by
noxious vapors arising from sewage
saturated land.
Prof. Koch has severely criticised the
experiments of Pasteur on anthrax dis
ease, and contends that the value OF the
process Of protective vaccination which
has been SO extensively introduced in
France has been greatly over-estimated
by hasty and unseientifc conclusions.
A small balloon, having capacity of
about two gallons, is reported to have
travelled from Bercy, France, to Grodno
in Poland-a distance OF more than 1900
miles, This is the longest air trip on
record for so small an object.
The Belgian Academy offers a prize
of 5000 for the best treatise on the de-
struction of fish by the pollution of riv-
ers sent in before Oct. 1, 1885.
From three stations in northern Eu-
rope systematic observations and meas
urements of the aurora borealis have
been made throughout the winter, and
one of the observers at least-Prof.
Tromholt-confidently expects that the
comparison of the results which will
soon be made will establish with con-
siderable ezactness the height above
the earth at which this phenomenon oc-
ours, thus solving another perplexing
problem of science. Prof. Tromholt has
attempted several times to photograph
the aurora, but has failed to get trace
of an image upon even the most sensi-
tive plates.
Prof. GRADER, Of Czernowitz, Austria,
has made long series of experiments
concerning the "skin-visionn of ami
mails, and has proven that certain spe-
cies having no visual organs proper
such as the earth-worm-are not only
able to distinguish between different
quantities of light, but also manifest a
decided preference for light of certain
colors.
Among the objects of the Swedish
Arctic expedition are the exploration of
the interior of Greenland, and search
for remains of the Norsemen whose set
Elements existed in that country from
about the year 1000 to the end of the
fourteenth century, and of whose ulti-
mate fate little or nothing is known.
1t is expected that the expedition will
start in May, under the command of
Baron Nordenksjold.
At the age of 81, Mons. Chevreul, the
eminent French chemist, can look back
over an active scientific career of proba-
bly, greater length than has fallen to the
lot Of any other man; and in late ad-
dress to the French Academy he had oc-
casion to refer to communication he
had made to that body nearly II years
before.
DR.. William Thomson, Of Melbourne,
shows by statistics that the mortality
from consumption is increasing in Vic
toria, the deaths having been 1149 to
each 10000 inhabitants in 1871 and 1890
in 1881. He believes that the disease
was imported into the colony from
abroad, and contends that consumption
is never induced by conditions Of the
atmosphere or soil, but is due to spec
ific parasitic poison. Consumptives de-
rive benefit from sea-voyages because
they are constantly exposed to an at
mosphere unfavoroble to the develop
ment of the parasites.
The attention of several observers
has been drawn to the prevalence Of
partial deafness among pupils in
schools. The researches of DIR. GellG, |
who has had excellent opportunities for
studying the ear in young persons and |
who has met witE74OO cases of deafnes9E
among scholars, indicate that the hear
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