Wood River times. [volume] (Hailey, Idaho) 1882-1915, 1885-06-16
SCIENTIFIC MISCELLANY.

y
remarkable insect in the carboniferous
deposits Of CONNIE ntry, France, has
been announced to the Paris Acadc-
my OF Sciences by Mons. Charles
Broncniact The creature must have
been at least twenty inches long, with
an expanse of wings of nearly twenty
eight inches. To science this insect
of long past age will be known as
Dictyoncura Monyi.
The annual meeting of the British
Association for the advancement Of
Science will open ut Montreal August
9th, and will close September Sd.
The weeks session OF the American
Association begins September Sd, at
Philadelphia. The fact that the Brit
ish Association is visiting America for
the first time will give unusual inter-
est to these gatherings Of English
speaking scientists.
A French writer regards the famil-
Jar yet mysterious phenomenon known
as the zodiacal light as simply re-
Election Of light from the illuminated
part of the earth upon an upper STRAIT
UNI OF the atmosphere.
According to Grant Allen almost all
carly or primcval types of animals G:
plants yet existing belong to one or
other of three peculiar habitats-
islands, fresh water streams or lakes,
and caves.
A French anatomist, Mons. Luys,
has found that when person lies
down or stands upon his head, the
brain changes its position in the skull
in obedience to the law of grav;tation.
The movements take place slowly,
five or six minutes being required for
the brain to adjust itself to a new at
titude of the body.
Pasteur has affirmed that the small
est quantity Of the virus Of rabies
which produces effect upon any ami
NAL has the longest period of incuba-
ton, and gives the most furious type
of the disease.
According to Mons. Legoyt, the
number Of insane admitted to the
public ssylums Of France Increased
IS per cent. between the years 1871
and 1880, although the population of
the country gained but four per cent.
The cures numbered only one in thir-
teen among the male patients, and
one in sixteen Of the female patients,
while the deaths were one in six of
The males and one IN nine of the fe~
males, OF every thousand cases of
insanity, Nous. I.egoyt finds COZ to
be due to physical causes, such as old
age, want, alcoholic excuses, epilcp-
sy, complaints peculiar to women, and
other nervous affections, while he as
rribes tho remaining 1893 to "morai
causes" such as loss of fortune, do
mestic trouble, disappointment in love,
jealousy, disappointed ambition, and
highly-strung religious sentiments.
Suicide, it is interesting to note, NAV
be traced to the same causes as insan-
ity.
DR.. A. Ernst, of Caracas, Vene-
~uela, cites two severe earthquakes of
that vicinity as instances of the re-
Markable influence of the soil on the
destruction of buildings by such
shocks. In each case the houses built
on rocks were ruined, while those
standing on thick stratum OF loose
material were scarcely injured.
1t is now known to medical science
that diseases of the eyes and ears are
!rsqscntly induced by decaying teeth.
A serious case Of this kind, in which
apartia! loss of sight from cataract
was traced to a diseased condition of
the teeth, has just been reported to
the Harveian Society, of London.
Prof. j. Wiessncr has pointed out
that the moistcning Of plant in
creascs the Transportation Of its leaves
and accclerates the flow of it's sap.
Tins effect IS beneficial if the soil is
sufficiently moist to supply the in
creased demand OF the roots, and in
furious il the ground is very dry. The
foliage Of plants, therefore, should
only be watercd when the roots are
quite we'll supplied with moisture.
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