The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1885-03-28
SCIENTIFIC MISCELLANY.

Two Dollars Year.
SCIENTIFIC MISCELLANY.
Weekly Summary of Current Events In
all Departments Of Science.
An international exhibition of animals Is
nronosed for next year ut Buda-Pest
The seas of India and China now nave
twelve tidal ohservatories, each OF which is
moved to a now spot every fifth year.
II ia estimated that Great Britains coal
supply will be exhausted in about lO5 years
II tile present increase in tho rate Of con
sumption continues.
writer from Fiji ASSERTS that when
6ocks of tern and other sea-fowl rest upon
the sea the water becomes smooth. an ct
fact which he ascribes to the Oil omitted by
the birds.
According to Sir James Tenant leopards
have, in Ceylon at least, strange fancy
for the flesh of small pox victims, the spe-
ciAc odor of the disease seeming to strong
~ attract them.
Measurements of the red oorpuscles of the
blood In fourteen different races of men
have shown the average diameter to be
1924 Of an inch, the maximum diameter
being l-2777, and the minimum 14ODO.
A brain-model Of gigantic size has been
made for an American nsuseum by BuecM
of Berne. 1t is about four feet in height by
two feet and half in width, and shows the
intricate mechanism of the brain in detail
Nyidence of the sanitary value of sun
light is afforded by the recent experiments
in France of Mons. E. Duclaux, who finds
that the light of the sun, in its action on
terms, is fifty times rs destructive as its
heat.
Distilled water saturated with oxygen is
now prepared in Paris. and is rapidly gain
ing favor. Aside from its healthfulness for
ordinary table use, it is said to be valuable
irs tho treat,Aeat Of diseases Of the digest
i've organs.
A bronze axe with the handle attached
probably the first specimen known to have
been discovered-has just been found in
Brittany by French antiquary. The tool
has cutting edge on one end and kind
of hammer-cap on the other.
An opportunity of studying case of
leprosy has been afforded DR.. p. Guttman.
who assures the Berlin Medical Society that
there can be no doubt that the living ba-
ciiM found in the system of leprous patients
are really the cause of the disease.
The Dutch Government has had collected
the reports of 1900 eye witnesses in order
TO prepare an accurate history Of the Kra-
katoa volcanic eruption, which many sup
pose was the cause of the wonderful sky
glows seen over large part of the world.
Tits reported that Herr Palisa Of Vienna,
the we'll known discoverer of asteroids,
wishes to sell for $3.50 the right of naming
small planet No. 244, the money to be ap-
piled by him to the fitting out of an expedi-
ton to observe the total eclipse of August,
1886.
A crocus &C. Specios,ts) of remarkable
rapidity of growth has been described to
tho botanists of the Royal horticultural
6ociety of London. When carefully
watched, its flower stssks can almost be
seen to grow, as they have been known tc
increase in length from four to six inches
IN single night.
Short-sightedness, according to recen
paper. by Mr.. R. b. Carter, F. r. G. S., ha
come into existence within historic time
and into prevalence almost within Twin:
memory, while it now affects at least to,
per cent. of England's population. It i
essentially adefect-bordering on disease
of civilization.
A material possessing the properties o
eelluloid is now made from potatoes, ant
is being used in France for imitation neer
schaum pipes, and for billiard balls. Tn
substance is prepared by boiling peeled pc
tatoes in dilute sulphuric aeid-eight part
of acid to one hundred parts of water--fo
thirty-six hours, and then drying between
blotting paper by pressure.
From the records of observations mad
1t thirteen Prussian stations since 1879
Prof. Muttrich has determined that forest
exercise positive influence on the tenn
perature of the air; that they lessen til
daily variations of temperature, and NOR
in summer than winter; and that the tenn
pering effect of the leafy forest is in sum
mer greater than that of the pine forest
while in winter the pine forest has NOR
influence than the disfoliaged forest.
Proctor remarks that common error
the suppostion that the earth moves in Al
an obviously elliptical path, whereas
really appears to travel in circle. Takin
tho earth's orbit when its eccentricity wa
very nearly at its greatest 600 year
ago-the numbers a25 and 1894 represen
the actnal proportiof, between the creates
and shortest axes Of the figure describe
by our planets motion around the sun. S
that if circle is drawn with radius {
three and one fourth inches it nowhere dc
parts more than the hundredth part of a
inch from the ellipse which would repre-
sent with perfect accuracy the orbit of tt
earth $4,000 years ago, when it WAS s
much more divergent from an exactly Gil
.cular form than now.
An experiment has been made ut Sout
kensington to determine the degree
heat which various fishes may endure. I'll
water containing them was slowly war,ne
when individuals of the several spsci
we're Frustrated at the following tempe
Atures: Perch, 81 degrees; roach, S211a d
grees; salmon, S3 degrees; minnow, IS 4
grees; gudgeon, s5}4 degrees; dace, Sc
grees; common tench, IS degrees; goldt
tench, 50 degrees; carp, 81 degrees. Bra1
dy-about which IA a fish restorer mut
has lately been s;'id-seemed 70 have GOO
effect in restoring to animation the G