Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1886-12-16
SCIENTIFIC MISCELLANY.

cations of electricity are daily becom-
ing more varied. Among recent ones
are telebarometers, telethermOmeters,
telehydro-barometers, which respect
lively record, at distant points, air-pres-
sure, heat, steam-presure, and water
| stages.
A LENGTHENING LIST.-While the
number of chemical elements had not
reached seventy a decade ago, Prof. H.
c. Bolton has prepared list naming
over forty elementary substances whose
discovery has been announced since
1877. No less than nine of the sup
posed new elements have been detected
this year by Crookes.
SCIENCE IN AUsTRALIA.-The colonies
of Australia andlthe neighboring islands
have some twenty scientific societies,
with membership of between 9, 500 and
5000. These organizations are to meet
in 1888 for the purpose of forming an
Australian Association for the Advance
ment of Science, similar to the impor-
tant associations now existing in Eng
land, France and the United States.
THE CAMERA IN MEDICINE.-A new
suggestion is that photography may be-
come useful agent in medical dag
nosis, disclosing symptoms of disease
before they are otherwise perceptible.
In recent negative of a child the face
was shown as thickly covered with ali
eruption, no trace of which could be
seen on the child itself until three days
afterward, when its skin became covered
with spots due to prckly heat. In an
other recorded case, invisible spots were
brought out on a photograph taken
fortnight before an attack of smallpox.
THE STUFF OF DREAMs.--Most
dream representations, according to the
investigations of Wundt, eminate from
actual, though weak, impressions on
the nerves during sleep. Thus, an in
convenient position eXcites visions of
laborious or painful experiences, diff
cult respiration produces the agony of
nightmare, flying is suggested by the
rhythmic movements of breathing,
nudity by a fall of clothes from the bed,
crawling things by skin irritations etc.
associated with events which have left
a profound mental impression.
SPANISH GEoGRAPHY.-The field for
geographical exploration is not ex-
husted even in Europe. Schrader states
that in the north of Spain several ram
ges Of mountains exist, some reaching
a height of 900 feet, which have no
place on any geographical maps. In
the Aram valley another discovery has
recently been made. Triangulation
showed gap untitled between two
ranges of peaks which approached
from different sides, had been supposed
to form single range; and further ex-
ploration proved that the gaps con-
tained large and hitherto unknown
lake.
SPEECH RECoRDING.-A promising
method of recording and Reproducing
speech is that OF M. Leon Esquille, by
q modification of the photophone. The
speaking is done before diaphragm
having highly polished surface from
which ray of light is reflected, and the
record of this speech is obtained by
simply photographing the ray of light
upon travelling band of sensitized pa
per. After having been developed, the
articulation may be reproduced by pro-
jecting the image of the trace by means
of strong light upon relenium re-
ceiver the we'll known apparatus for
Transforming light-impulses into sound
vibrations, and the speech is then
heard through the telephone connected.
THE NERVES OF TAsTE.-The discov-
cry that heat influences one set of
nerve-pOjnts in the skin while sensa-
tions of cold are received by another
set, has been followed by some interest
ing experiments, by two Italian physi-
Ologists. which indicate that the vari-
Gus tastes result from the exciting of
quite distinct sets of nerve fibres in the
tongue. The prolonged application of
ice removed the senslbility for all tastes
sweet sour, salt and bitter. Cocaine
destroyed-temporarily, of course, SEN
sibility for bitter only. Other substan-
ces, such as caffeine and morphia, re-
duced the power of discriminating be-
tween different degrees OF. bitter. Di-
lutte sulphuric acid had peculiar effect,
causing distilled water and even qui-
nine to taste sweet at the tips of the
tongue, although the bitter of the
quinine was elsewhere tasted as usual.
VoLAPUK-The plan for q universal
commercial language" originated about
five years ago by Herr Schleyer, of
Switzerland, seems to be meeting with
greater favor than has been accorded
other projects of the kind. 1t is re-
ported that Volapuk is already spoken
with facility by thousands of Europe
ans; knowledge oft is being dissemina-
ted by more than fifty societies scat
tered over England. Germany, Austria,
Sweden, Holland, Asia Minor, and 9TH
er countries. Volapuk grammars for
the use of Hottentots and Chinese, be-
sides all the European nations, are
either in the market or in course ofpre
paration; and two reviews, one entire
ly in Volapuk and the other with
translation on alternate pages, are regu-
larly published. The special advan-
tage of the new language is the ease with
which it can be learned, eight lessons
having enabled Parisian class to cor
respond readily with students in for
eign countries.