Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1886-03-31
SCIENTIFIC MISCELLANY.
[Compiled for the SPECTATOR. I

Compiled for the SPECTATOR
| RESTORATION OF sIeHT.-One of the
marvels promised at the present day, with
good prospect of realization, is that the
blind shall see. Already has such partial
success attended the substitution of perfect
rabbit eyes for imperfect human ones that
the process of eye.grafting seems likely
| soon 10 oScouls :. practical reality. But
there are many eyes which DR.. E. Martin,
of Marseilles. has now discovered may be
readily repaired. In very large propor-
tion of cases blindness proves to be due to
opacity of the cornea, and when this alone
| is the cause Dr.. Martin accomplishes the
miracle of restoring sight by inserting into
the eye-ball gold Or platinum tube,
| through which artificial cornea the rays of
| light reach the retina.
ARSENIC AND MALARIA.-Mr. S. H.
Davey, of Cornwall, Eng, confirms DR..
Tommasi- Crudelli's opinion concerning the
effect of arsenic in preventing cholera and
other zymotic diseases. Although during
the last forty years many cases of cholera,
fever, smallpox, etc, have occurred in the
country surrounding the extensive arsenic
| works at Bissoe, not single case has been
known within about two miles of the source
of the deadly fumes.
The principle of telescopes was described
by Roger Bacon about 1850, and Leonard
Digges-who died about 1573-is said to
have arranged glasses so that he could see
very distant objects. Galileo constructed
telescopes in 1909, and discovered Jupiter's
satellites in 1910
The proportions of the different colors ia
eyes among the people of Italy is thus esti-
mated by Prof. Mantegazza: black eyes,
twenty two per cent; chestnut, sixty-four;
blue, eleven; and gray eyes, three per cent.
VACCINATIoN FOR CoNsUMPTIoN.-The
chief disease of temperate climates being
| consumption, any means which will CHECK
| its ravages must be hailed with joy and
gratitude by large part of the human race.
In France is now projected an experimental
| inquiry into the possibility of finding some
method of alternating the supposed virus
| of consumption so as to make incubation
Herewith practically useful against the dis
ease, either as preventive measure, like
vaccination against smallpox, OF as
means of cure like Pasteur's inoculatious
| in hydrophobia. Although the chances of
| success are remote, the investigation is ap-
| proved by eminent scientific men, and q
considerable sum has been subscribed to
ward defraying the expenses.
TORNADO POINTS LOCATED.-In a report
| to the French Academy of Sciences on tho
172 tornadoes recorded in the United States
| in 1884, Mons. Faye considers it established
that there is a definite portion of an area Of
low barometer most favorable to tOrna6oes.
The Signal Service reporters are now en-
deavoring to determine this dangerous
octant" still more accurately. A memora-
BILE day i'll the history of tornadoes was Feb.
10, 1884, when no less than forty-fve were
recorded in the Southeastern States, at
tended with a total loss of 800 lives, 2,500
injured, 10000 houses and buildings de-
stroyed, and 1000 people left homeless.
Prof. L. Weber mentions a stroke OF
lightning in Germany which broke win
dow-pane and forced a jet of water Though
the aperture upward to the ceiling, part Of
which it detached. Three bucketsful of
water were afterward taken from the room.
To exterminats the rabbits, which have
become such plague in Australia, it is
proposed to propagate contagious disease
among them, and the experiment is to be
first tried on Torrens Island.
PHoToGRAPHIC PRoGREss.- posi-
bility of photographing in the dark has
been shown by Abney, an English expert
menter. lie has succeeded in preparing
plates which are sensitive to the rays lying
beyond the red end of the spectrum-the
dark heat rays-and with such plates USED
with a rock salt lens it should be possible to
photograph bodies having a high tempera-
ture, although that temperature may be far
below that necessary to render them self
luminous.
LIMIT OF HEARING.-It has been found
by DR.. TAFT that the ear in women can per
ceive higher notes-that is sounds with 8
greater number of vibrations per second
than the ear in men. The highest limit Of
human hearing is somewhere between A.
600 and AZ, 600 vibrations per second. Few
persons have equal sensibility to acute
sounds in both ears, the right ear usually
hearing higher note than the left. The
| lowest continuous sounds have about six
teen vibrations per second.
The average height of Europe has been
estimated by German geographer to be
974 feet. Switzerland shows the greatest
mean height, 1924 feet, and the Neither
lands the least, 81 feet. intermediate are
Spain and Portugal, 2,29S feet; Austria,
1 sos; Italy, 1896; France, 1899; British
Islands, TIA; Germany, 701; Russia, 54s,
Denmark, 115.
DR.. Burney Yeo, of London, reports the
curious observation that there are persons
who usually drink tea without injury, but
in whom when in a depressed mental condi
tion it occasions indigestion and palpitation
of the heart.
| Exact measurements of the oscillations Of
chimneys have been made. One near Mar
seilles, France-115 feet high and four feeJ
in external diameter at the top-reached
maximum oscillation of twenty inches dur
ing a high wind.