Lewiston teller. [volume] (Lewiston, North Idaho) 1878-1900, 1885-02-19
SCIENTIFIC MISCELLANY.

region of Iceland covers an area OF about
5000 square miles; that Of New Hea-
land, $500 square miles; ani OF the
Yellowstone National Park, 3,5.S square
miles. Besi1es these great geyser r7gi'ns
of the world there are number of places
where few individual geysers are known
as in Thibet, the Azores, Mexico japan
and Java. In the number Of springs
and noted geysers, the Yellowstone Ma
tional Park and New Zealand far exceed
Iceland, In which the Great Geyser and
Etokhr are the only two prominent spout
ers. The number Of springs in New
Zealand appears to be large, but is not
known. Over 1900 springs in the Vel
lowstone Park have been enumerated and
mapped, and among them are seventy
one geyscrs, Of which about twenty are
known to spout to height OF not less
than fifty feet. There is probably but
little difference between the three regions
in the heights TO which the columns OF
water are thrown, although the Yellow.
stone Park has, perhaps, greater num-
Der which erupt regularly to height OF
one hundred feet or more. The maxi
mum recorded heights are 300 feet for
the Excelsior Of the National Park, 2l2
feet for the Great Geyser Of Iceland, and
200 feet for one Of the New Zealand
geysers.
An apparatus has been employed at
Harvard college for recording every
shange in the electricity Of the air, and
the degree of change. The observations
are expected to furnish valuable indica
tions OF weather changes.
After careful weighing Of all availa
BILE evidence, Prof. Au6cld, I. II. s.
concludes that there is not the faintest
cause for alarm concerning the occurrence
Of tin, lead, or any other metal in canned
food. When injury has resulted from
the eating Of such food, it has probably
been duo to unsoundness Of food and II
poison derived from the can
A resolution adopted by the Ophthal
biological Society Of England, recon-
mends the circulation Of a card warning
III who have charge OF young infant
that il child's eyelids become red ane
swollen, physician should be- consutet
It once. Tho Society finds that youn,
children are very liable to form Of oph
thalmia, which, il neglected, is likely +
result in permanent blindness. An in
quiry among many institutions shows tia
the percentage Of cases Of blindnes
which arc traceable to this infantile dii
eass i very large, being no where lei
than thirty per sent.
AThera Is family Of comets, say NJ
+. A. Proctor, sseyery member OF whic
travels in an orbit passing near the orb
Of Jupiter; another family every mcmhs
Of which can 10 similarly associated wit
Saturn; others on Neptune, and in fac
20 fully has this sort Of relation been re,
ognizcd that the idea has even bee
thrown out that planet travelling 0
the outside Of the orbit Of Neptune b.
- yet unknown might be detected by Ii
movements Of comet intersecting th
great plane Of planetary movement Fl
beyond Neptune's orbit This remark
able relation among the orbits Of the con
ets which travel periodically around III
sun has been interpreted BY supposin
that ali such comets were drawn fro,
outer space by the suns attraction, an
prevented from returning to outer spae
BY tho disturbing influence Of one Or otl
q Of the giant planets. Mr.. Proctor +,
CARDS this view as utterly unsatisfactor
and inconsistent with observed facts, an
explains tho existence of the comet fam
lies Of the giant planets by assuming tia
masses Of matter have been elected frol
those planets in eruptions akin to thos
which take place in the sun. Both il
piter and Saturn may even now ejee
matter from time to time with such VI
loclsies u never returns to them, and, i
her planetary youth, our earth may hav
thrown many comets.
ssThe true philosopher" says Mr.. Mat
tieu Williams in referring to the scienti
fc lectures At the London Health Iutcr
national Exhibition, 'ssces in all such 81
Forts to intermingle science with practi
cal daily work, aud, above all, with joy
Gus recreation, the fulilment Of the srea
object which alone justiies the existene,
Of science schools, universities, learned so
cietics, original research, etc. put rec
reation above all, because the elevatina
moral and intellectual influences Of science