Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1885-05-20
SCIENTIFIC MISCELLANY.
Compiled for the SPECTATOR. I

L.
Compiled for the SPECTATOR.
EXTENT OF THE VISIBLE UNIVERSE
On clear night about 5000 stars are visi-
BILE to the naked eye A like number in
the opposite hemisphere makes total of
about 5000 that can be seen without a
glass. These are divided, according to
their apparent brightness, into six classes,
90 ranking as first magnitude stars, 65 as
second magnitude, 200 as third, $50 as
fourth, 100 as fifth, and about 1000 as
sixth. The telescope stars, unseen by the
unaided eye on account of their rem oteness
are classified as high as the fourteenth
magnitude, and their number is vastly
greater, being reckoned as high as 100000
600.
A remarkable effect of low temperature
has been pointed out to the Glasgow-P hilo-
sophical Society. At about 1872 degrees
below zero Fahrenheit the flesh of animals,
such as mutton, becomes SO exceedingly
hard as to ring like porcelain when struck,
and it may be readily crushed to fine
powder. More singular STILL microbia liv
ing In the flesh before freezing have been
seen alive after thawing, even after an ex-
posture of 100 hours to the intense cold,
The relative value of different foods for
soldiers is being carefully tested in the
German army. One diet is tried at one
regimental station and different diet at
another, all food in addition to the pre-
scribed rations being kept from the men.
As xhaustion-resulting from toll,
privation, or anxiety-promotes the devel-
opment of caucer, an English medical au-
1hority thinks the marked increase in the
Il 70 hot n tnn no
last half century may be readily explained
by glance at the history of our laborious
age.
Mexico has appointed commission for
the scientific Investigation of its natural
products.
THE CAUSE OF VoLCANoEs.-Prof
Joseph Prestwich, of the University of Ok
ford, argues that tie earth must consist of
solid nucleus, surrounded by a molten
stratum of no great thickness, which in
turn is enclosed by d crust which may be
less than twenty miles in thickness. He
does not regard the expansion of water
which can hardly penetrate to a greater
depth than seven or eight miies-as a phi
mary cause of volcanic action. The pres
ence of aqueous vapor is due alone to the
surface and underground waters encoun-
tered by the lava IN its passage to the sur
face. and, while it adds greatly to their
violence, it does not originate the erup
tions. The contraction of the earth from
cooling, slow though it be, is sufficient 10
account for the forcing out of lava,
Cordier having long since calculated that
five volcanic eruptions annually would
shorten the earth S radium only about one
twenty fifth of an inch in century.
Artificial sponge-nlade Of cotton, rem
dered absorbent and treated with antisep
tics-is recent English product A piece
of the size of a walnut Las absorbed water
until it bas become as large as cocoaDut.
1t is SO cheap that it need not be used a
second time.
A French commission has found that the
most violent explosion in mines occurs
when there are thirteen parts of air to 100
of tiredamp, and that above or below this
the force diminishes When the mixture
is below seven parts in 100 or above Is in
100, the gas simply burns.
From experiments made in March, Fol
and Sarasin conclude that in fine weather
the last rays Of light are dissipated i'll the
Mediterranean at a depth of about 1900
feet.
To the great variety of scientific con-
crosses OF recent years is to be added an
International Congress Of NEUROLOGY and
Climatology, to meet at Biarrilz in 1885.
Bee METEoRoLoGY.-N obser-
vatiOns have shown Emmerig, a German
scientist, that bees, otherwise gentle and
harmless, become exceedingly irritable and
excitable on the approach of thunder
storms; and he thinks that their canduct
may be taken as reliably indicating wheth-
er storm is impending over certain dis
trict or not. In succession of instances,
the barometer and hygrometer foretold a
storm, the bees remaining quiet, and no
storm occurred; Or the instruments gave
no intimation of storm, but the bees for
hours before were irritable, and the storm
came. With regard to rain merely, the
barometer and hygrometer are safer guides
than bees; but i'll the case of thunder
storm the indications of the bees appear to
be the more trustworthy.
FISH AS BRAIN FooD.-Sir Henry Thomp-
son, the eminent English physician, de
clares that there is no foundation whatever
for the common notion that fish diet tends
especially to feed the brain. Nevertheless,
he recommends fish for BRAIN workers, be-
cause it contains in smaller proportions
than meat those materials which, taken
abundantly, demand much physical labor for
their complete consumption, aud which,
without this, produce an unhealthy body
and sluggish brain. That is, fish is par
ticularly suitable for persons who are una
BILE to take much exercise.
From recent information, it appears that
the known plants of Australia and Tasma-
MIA, numbering about 5000, occur in the
following proportions in the respective col
onics; Western Australia, 3,455; Queens
land, 3,457; New South Wales. 3,154:
Northern Australia, 1899; Victoria, /, $50:
South Australia, 1,S16; and Tasmania,
1923.
In new French method of sugar-manu-
facture, which is attracting the attention of
Paris capitalists, the use of beet-root is 10
be superseded by that of potatoes, the sac
charine matter being extracted by the help
of electricity.