Lewiston teller. [volume] (Lewiston, North Idaho) 1878-1900, 1884-01-17
SCIENTIFIC MISCELLANY

that the effect Of ordinary natural MIN ral
waters is to increase the quantity Of bile
and make it more full an! wat.rT. TIL,
increased flow is beneficial in ire-in. TN
gall bladder from s,sennt bii III
action Of artificial solutions Of alkaline
salts, as well as Of hot water, Wa found
to be similar to that Of ihe natural min r
al waters.
A novel and interesting application Of
electricity has been introduced at the
Court Opera at Vienna. The effect o
swarms of frenics fittirE about tropical
forest is produced in strikin-ly realistic
manner by the plan Of saspcndius tiny
iscandescent lamps by fine swinging wires
the flashes Of the artificial fiji, bein.
caused by rapidly switching the current
on and off.
In an attempt to trace invention to it,
origin in the mind OF primitive man, CD
F. A. Seely, of the l. 8. patent Office,
remarks: obviously, archaeology can
find no trace of the remotcr are than
that of stone; but | mistrust that tn
thoughtful an,hropolog-t will accept tn
evidence of earlier age, one of which,
taking one Of its perishabe materials a,
the type Of all, We may call the age Of
wood. Still further back must lie an are
q indefinite in duration a. any, when
man existed in his rudcst condition, with
out arts of any kind, except such as lie
employed in common with lower animals
and this is the true primitive period.
Two Of the known comets of short
period arrive at pcrihelion in 18Si-
DArrcst's on January - aud Brorsen's
about September. For several months
astronomers have been uusuccess.ully
Watching for the former, and it is pro-
able that it may pass unseen at this r.
turn.
Among the scientific results of his
Greenland expedition Baron Nordenshlold
mentions the discovery that, contrary to
the general belief, the west coast of Green
land is washed by cold water, while a
greatly heated current coming from the
south runs along the east coast at a short
distance only from the shore, This cur
rent must exercise great influence ON
the climate Of the east coast which may
DO more moist, but, in the Baron opin-
ion, not colder that that of the Yves, coast.
In preliminary paper read before o
recent meeting Of the London Patholo,
gieal Society, Mr. Sutton and DR.. lleue
age Gibbes described an Investigation
now being made BY them into the tubar
culosis of birds. They find that the dis
ease is very prevalent among birds, and
that it sometimes becomes epidemic. Tbs
effects do not exactly correspond to those
produced in man by consumption, but
the parasite present in both eases seems to
be the same. The disease virus appears
to be introduced with the food and tbs
birds most liable to be affected are COM
mon fowl, peacock, grouse and other grain
eaters.
A remarkable feature Of the two satel
lites Of Mars, which were discovered abou,
six years ago by Prof. Asaph Hall, is tho
proximity Of the inner one to the planet
its distance from the center Of the latter
body being about 5000 miles, and from
the surface less than 1000. If says
Prot. Ncwcomb, there are and astrono
meTs on Mars with telescopes and eyes
like ours, they can readily find out wheth
or this satellite is inhabited, the distance
being less than one-sixicth that of the
moon from us.
At certain seasons kind of fish eaten
in Bombay is liable to contain very small
worms, to which the natives often ascribe
cases of cholera, and several cases of the
disease among Europeans have followed a
fish supper.
The work of the municipal laboratory
At Paris in testing food substance. results
in some interesting disclosures 1t has
lately revealed the fact that spurious fruit
favors are extensively made and sold in
that city, the Aavors of the strawberry
pineapple, melon, apple, pear, cherry,
plum, apricot and peach being success
fully initiated by artificial chemical com
pounds. A so-called gooseberry jelly was
examined, and proved to have been made
from sea-wced.
Mr.. r. w jenkins, of Ceylon, reports
that in the mountain districts of that isl
and the volcanic explosions of krakatoa
were distinctly heard, although 1900
miles distant The sounds resemblel
those of heavy cannon at distance of Il