The Central Nevadan. [volume] (Battle Mountain, Nev.) 1885-1907, 1885-06-06
Scientific M1.ceIlxny.

The emperor OF Germany has con-
ferred an order Of knighthood upon
Sir Joseph Lister, the eminent British
eurgcon, whose anti-seplc method Of
surgery has done 80 much for suffer
Ing humanity.
A brain model OF gigantic size has
been made for an American museum
by Buechi d Bernc. 1t is about four
feet in height by two feet and a hall
In width, and shows the intricate
mechanism of the brain in detail.
A specimen Of ancient dentistry, in
the form OF dental bridge work made
b. the Ftrnscans in the fifth century
before Christ, has been discovered in
an old burial place near Cnita
Neschia by DIR. J. Ii. Van Msrter, Of
Eone.
Experiments recently made With
wet and dry coal in the evaporation
of water have shown that q loss oi
from fifteen to twenty-five per cent
results when coal is used while wet
that is. the heating value OF coal is
that much less when water is added.
The parasitic character of diphthe-
ria hiss been established by two inyes-
tigators-Klebs and Lefiler-who
have independently found organisms
which have been proven by expert
ments on guinea pigs and birds to be
the specific germs of the disease.
An interesting exhibition Of whale
skeletons and products has been held
in Hamburg. The most imposing
exhibit WAS the skeleton OF the blue
whale, the greatest animal or earth.
II measured 10 feet in length, and
was mounted in its natural position.
According to Herve Mongon, the
system Of telegraphic weather warn
ings in France was created by Lever
ricr in 1855. In 1873 = central meteor
illogical bureau was established,
and numerous sobscrvatories had been
erected all over the country, while
Paris was in telegraphic connection
with | 800 stations.
Potato Celluloid.-A material pos
eessing the properties Of celluloid is
now made from potatoes, and If being
used in France for imitation meers-
chaum pipes, and for billiards balls.
The substance is prepared by boiling
the peeled potatoes in dilute sulphuric
acid-eight parts OF acid to one hun
dred parts OF water--for thirty-six
hours. and then drying between
blotting paper by pressure.
In the opinion OF Sir John Lawes,
a greater profit may he returned from
sewage il cast into the sea than ii ap.
piled to the land, for the reason that
sewage will supply the enormous
quantities of phosphate Of lime,
potash, and nitrogen which fishes re.
quire, but which exist in the sea only
in small quantities. As much, at
least, OF thee substances should be
returned to the sea as our fisheries
take from il.
Balloons n the Soudan Campaign.
The first attempts at British mill
tary ballooning are to be made in
Africa, three balloons having been
sent out for the purpose OF making
captive ascents for watching the en-
emy's movement. A hundred or
more iron cylinders containing com
pressed hydrogen for Initiating bal
looms form part OF the equipment, and
a gasfactory and pumping station
will be established at Suakin for re-
filHnc these reservoirs. Telephone
communication will he maintained
between the balloons and the ground.
An Age OF Horn.-A variety of pre-
histonc objects in horn-such as am
ulets, cups, knives, daggers, rings,
buttons, bracelets, etc.,-have been
found in . stratum existing at depth
OF about Ave feet in the mud Of Lake
Ncuenburg, in Switzerland. The
finder, Herr G. Kaiser, believes them
to be older than the stone and bronze
implements of the same locality, and
he proposes TO call the period to
which they belong "the age Of horn"
1t may well be doubtcd, however,
whether the ancient lake people ever
experienced an epoch for which such
name would be justified, as II is
evident that some i'm inplement-proba-
bly, Of stone or bronse-must have
been used in cutting the horn.
Lung Diseases of Wild Animals
In the period from October, 1881. to
the close of 1884, there died in the
gardens of the London geological So
riefv hS2 mammals. l41S birds. and