The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1885-01-10
Correspondence Baltimore County Onion
SCIENTIFIC MISCELLANY.
MERcIFuL SCIENCE.


DIR. B. w. Richardson's process of painless kill
ing of the lower animals has been pronounced a
magnificent success, and science has now bestowed
upon the inferior creation blessing which she
dare not give to man himself-painless DEATH
The apparatus used is simply chamber into
which is forced a soothing but deadly atmosphere
of carbonic oxide which has been passed at sum
mer heat over a mixture of chloroform and bisul-
phide of carbon. Such lethal chamber-capa-
Bile of containing 100 victims at time-has been
fitted up at the Home for Lost Dogs in London,
and in it, during period of seven months, more
than 5000 dogs have gently sunk into their eter-
nal sleep. The process is not expensive, and Dr.
Richardson intends to apply it to the killing Of
sheep and other animals that are used for human
food.
AN ATMOSPHERIC BATTERY.
One of the recent electric batteries acts only
when exposed to light. The latest form Of bat
tery-devised by Mons. Jablochkof, the eminent
French electrician-is perhaps quite as novel and
ingenious, it being kept in constant operation by
the effect of the atmosphere's moisture upon the
metal sodium. Each element comprises small
plate of sodium separated by wooden pegs from q
plate of carbon of somewhat lighter texture than
that used for ordinary batteries. The carbon and
a small copper wire attacked to the sodium plate
form the electrodes. Exposure of the sodium to
the air causes it to oxdze and form caustic soda,
which is dissolved by the moisture of the air and
gradually drains away as a concentrated solution,
thus constantly leaving fresh surface of metal
to be acted upon. The elements are grouped in
sets of ten. The battery's action continues so
long as the sodium lasts and the air contains mois
ture and the only means of stopping it is to shut
it in an air tight case The degree of the airs
humidity and the temperature determine the cleo
tro-motive force.
SUN SPOTS AND THE WEATHER.
Observations concerning the effects produced
hx, In M
spots on the sun have given very contradictory
results, and have established thus far only the
single fact that solar disturbances strongly affect
the earths magnetism. 1t is very probable that
sun spot influence may have certain real effect
upon terrestrial climates but much further research
will be necessary to prove beyond doubt that
they do. Prof. C. A. Young affrms, however,
that it has already been shown that such influence,
if it exists at all, is very slight, and difficult of
detection that it is not dominant or even very
powerful, in terrestrial meteorology and that
there is reasonable ground for expectation that
the perodicity of sun-spots will ever enable us to
predict the seasons in advance.
MISCELLANEOUS.
new ceramic product, according to Mons.
Hignette, is now made from the abundant waste
sands of French glass factories. The sand is
nodded into blocks by immense hydrantic pressure,
and is then baked in furnaces at high tempera
ture The product has remarkable soidity and
tenacty it is not affected by frost, rain or sun
it resists very high temperatures it very light;
and it has fine white color 1t is predicted that
the material will be used for many architectural
effects in combination with brick or stones of
other colors
French investigator has found that chloro-
form is decomposed in from two to five days by
the combined action of sunlight and the air. In
the dark the air does not affect it, and light pro-
duces no alteration when all oxygen is excluded.
The operation of removing tumor from the
brain-which few days ago performed at a
London hospital for the first time in the history
of medicne-has been followed by the patients
convaescence.
While country is supposed to be nearly free
from earthquakes, no less than 1854 shocks were
recorded in the United States and Canada-not
including Alaska-during the twelve years end
ing with 1888. This is an average of about one
in every twelve days for part of the territory
many small tremors must have escaped notice,
and it is probable that if observations had been
made in various localities with suitable instru
ments the reported shocks would have been several
times as great in number.
Before the Linnean Society. of London, Mr.. A.
| Tylor has sought to prove that plants have dim
sort of intelligence and able at least to exert
as much voluntary power as certain owly organ
lied animals. One proof of this is the plants
avoidance of obstacles-placed artfcially in theil
way-by bending aside before touching.
| By experiment Prof. Storer has found thai
| scantily-fed mice will sometimes eat daily one
| third of their weight of ordinary putty. Wher
carbonate of lead, baryta zinc oxide of zinC
was mixed with the putty the mice were able still
| to eat small quantities with impunity, those pig
ments seeming to lose their usual poisonous quail
| ty. Putty containing whiting was untouched, o.
| eaten very reluctantly.
Prof. E. Wony concludes that the deep plant
| ing of seeds and tubers is usually unfavorable fo
| their development. The most suitable depth de-
ponds on the kind of plant, on the nature of sol
| and on the weather. The smaller the seed O
| tubers the less favorable the weather, and tn
more compact the soil, the more essential is shall
low sowing.
member Of the London MeteQgSleegiealv Sq sG
mograph, which is operated by electricity ant
keeps record on paper of the direction and We
|