The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1885-05-02
Correspondence baltimore County Union.
SCIENTIFIC MISCELLANY.
=. rHuxnERsroRM THEORY.

A THUNDERSTORM THEORY.
At a recent German scientific congress, DR.. s.
Hoppe, of Hamburg endeayored to prove that
the electricity Of storms is generated BY their
ton Of vaper particles. This view was strength
ened by experiments in which compressed cold
air was allowed to rush into a copper vessel con-
tanning warm moist air, large amount of cleo
tricity being thus produced. He concludes that
the rise of column of warm moist air into the
colder atmosphere above will be followed by
thunderstorm if it acquires sufficient velocity to
prevent naturalization of the electricity generated
BY the friction of the air. Hence, heregards open
districts as more liable to thunderstorms than
wooded regions, where the trees prevent the rapid
rise of humid air currents.
ERRORS CORRECTED.
Rheem, of the Smithsonian Institute, has con-
tradicted much of the popular belief concerning
snakes. The venomous hoop snake, which takes
its tail in its mouth and rolls along like hoop,
and the blow snake, the breath of which is dead
Iy, exist only in the imagination. The idea:that
serpents sting with the tongue is erroneous. An
impression prevails that the number of poisonous
snakes is great, but in North America there are
but three species-the fattlesnake, the copperhead
or moccasin, and the coral. Snakes do not jump;
they reach suddenly fOrward-perhaps half the
length of their bodies.
CELESTIAL DEATH MISSILES.
Considering the number of meteoric stones which
reach the earths surface, it would not be surprs-
ing if many lives had been destroyed by them
II is stated that loss of life resulted from large
fall in Africa; that about the year 1920 many
persons and animals were killed; that in l5ll,
about Eve o'clock one evening, priest was struck
and killed and that, still later, in 1850, a monk
was killed. But these, according to Mr.. Jas. h.
Gregory, seem to be the only instances recorded
of death from falling meteorites.
HARD PROBLEM.
A Paris medical society, seeking evidence from
many sources concerning the contagiousness. OF
pulmonary consumption, has forwarded ques-
tions on the subject to every practising physician
in France. Similar inquiries in England and IN
Germany have not been particularly successful
only 1900 out of $4,000 English practitioners
answering, and but 200 Germans out of l6,OOO.
A TRANSIT OF THE EARTH.
A curious observation has been made by DR..
Copeland, an English astronomer. While watch
ing one of Jupters satellites he was able to see 1t
pass over its own shadow on the planet For this
to have happened, the sun, the earth, the satei-
lite, and the part of Jupiters disc occulted, must
have been all in one straight line, and, as seen
from Jupiter, the earth must have appeared max
ing transit across the sun.
SPIDER SENSE.
A German entomologist, F. Dahl, claims that
spiders have perfect sight only atvery short dis
tances Their sense of touch is consequently re-
markedly well developed, enabling them to locate
disturbances in their web. Their smell is so good
that they can distinguish odors, and their hearing
is excellent. Some of them show a remarkable
instinct in building their webs-even their first
in perfect geometrical form. reflective power
is evinced by their refusal of kinds of tough in
sects which have been once attacked unsuccess-
fully.
CHOLERA VACCINATION. -
Some interesting researches concerning cholera
prevention are being made by DR.. Ferran of Bar
celona. He has prepared an attenuated cholera
virus, with which three medical men have been in
oculated. The inoculations were followed by
suddenly disappeared after duration of about
twenty-four hours. No further ill effects have
been experienced. 1t now remains to prove, as
DIR. Ferran confidently expects to do, that these
NEGOTIATIONS have conferred complete immunity
from attacks of cholera.
MISCELLANEOUS.
The practice of scalping is not peculiar to the
Ana-;oon ahor;oiuas Soufhall in his ar ecent
Origin of Man." quotes from Herodotus to show
that the Seythians used to scalp their fallen ene-
mics. In the present time the wild tribes of
Northeastern Bengal use the scslping-k knife.
new test for tea is the amount of ashes yield
ed, the quantity being greater in inferior and
adulterated samples than in those of good quality
By microscopical examination, Messrs. 0smond
and Werth have shown that molten steel possesses
kind of cellular tissue, the iron forming the
nucleus and the carbon the envelope of the cellules
These simple cellules form agglomerations or COM
pound cells, which may be easily identified with
what is usually called the grain of the steel.
Horses having extra toes on the inner side of
the fore feet are occasionally met with in South
America, according to DR.. Ihreng, who suggests
that they may be the remnant of an old native
race of horses which escaped the notice of the
early settlers.
An Austrian astronomer, Prof Oppolzer, is
preparing list Of the eclipses-S,00O solar and
5000 lunar-of the period between 1907 B. G.
and 2031 A. D.
Two prizes of 81, 500 each are offered for essays
on the use of soda nitrate as manure. One essay
is to indicate present knowledge and theory, and
the other is to be devoted to new experimental
research made by the author of the paper before
1887. The prizes are given by the Committee of
the Saltpetre Producers Association of western
South America.
The Russian Governments about to expert
ment in balloon steering by electricity.
Lees Opinion of Grant.