Chariton courier. (Keytesville, Chariton County, Mo.) 1878-current, 1886-06-11
sCIENTIFIc srIscELLaNY.

| The seed vessels OF the bird-catching
tree of New Zealand sccrcte q very
sticky gum. in which not merely in
sects but birds are cntanglcd and per-
! ish. ~. l.
In recent English experiments it has
been found that the risk of dust explo-
sions in coal mines may be obyiated BY
removing or watering the dust for q
distance of six yards around tho shot
holes.
Prof. Vulpian, of the Paris Academy
OF Medicine. rcpudiates tho view that
persons can suffer after dccapitation,
as he finds satisfactory physiological
evidence that tho severing of the head
produces instantaneous loss Of con
sciousness.
Dr. Percy T. Fraukland's expert
ments have shown that the best filters
for drinking water are made Of green
sand, coke. animal charcoal, or spongy
iron, but in every case the filter loses
its power to remove all organic parti-
cles after being used month.
A geological commission has.sbeen
appointed by tho Spanish government
to investigate the Philippines. The
geography and topography Of the
Archipelago will be studied. as we'll as
the geology, and n map viii be pre-
pared to complete and correct existing
ones.
A disease known in Ceylon as kakko
or beriberi has been investigated By
DR.. w. Taylor, of Osaka, Japan, and
traced to microscopic spore, which il
often found largely developed in rice
and has been detected in the earth Of
certain alluvial and damp localities.
According to Henry Yivarez. q French
electrician, silicious bronze has 4 con-
ductibility comparable 10 that Of cop
per and strength greater than that
OF iron. For telcgraphic purposes sili-
cious bronze wires may be used to re-
place those of galvanized iron moro
than five times SIS heavy. -
Prof. A. Landmark, chief director Of
the Norwegian Fisheries, finds that un-
der favorable conditions salmon may
sometimes jump sixteen feet perpen-
dicularly, and that when the fish leap
is foot or two short Of the waterfall
it often succeeds in completing TIE as
cont by dextrous use Of the tail
The retina of the living eye has been
photographed by two English opera
tors. Owing TO the non-actinic color
of the retina, an exposure Of twenty
minutes by gaslight was required with
an extra sensitive gelatine plato. Al
though small, the negative showas tho
bifurcation of tho blocd-vessels, and
also the edge of the blind spot.
From experiments in tropical Africa
Herman Soyaux concludes that a1ri-
culture is practicable. the soii--thongh
exhausted in year by maize and man.
ise-being suitable for the cultivation
of coffee. vanilla, India rubber, tobac-
co, cotton and sugar cane. In the Up
per Congo country these plants and
many others grow naturally or are al.
ready cultivated. TaSa
The use of nitro-glycerine as . sub
action of the heart has been recon.
mended by DR.. j. b. Burroughs. The
advantages claimed are, that only q
minute quantity is required, that the
nitro-glycerine is practically free from
taste and odor, that il acts Immediate
ly, and that it is not likely to induce q
craving for alcoholic stimulant.
Tuttle's comet of 1855, haTinR n De.
riod of about fourteen years, makes its
nearest approach to tho sun this rear.
and was seen at Nice on August 2.
From observations made during the
two former appearances, Rahts, Ger
man computer, calculated an orbit,
which agrees with the place in which
the comet has just been found within
fifteen seconds of time and about six
minutes Of arc; so that by pointing .
to the computed place, the
comet would be in the field Of view af.
ter an absence Of fourteen years.