The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1888-03-21
SCIENTIFIC AND INDUSTRIAL.

A powerful disinfeotant, adapted 10 all
purposes, has been obtained in Paris
from coal oil.
Regarding the effects Of scorpion poison
on the animal itself, Professor Lloyt
| Morgan writes to Nature, corroboratinp
| Professor Bourne's conclusion that In,
/ poison of the scorpion has no fatal effect
on the same individual or another indi.
vidual of the same or even of anothe;
species.
The possibility of infection from dis
ease germs escaping from hospital win
dows is attracting some attention, and
special inquiry is recommended. Ho,
pital ventilation might be so arrange,
that the foul air might be drawn throug
furnace before mingling with the quite
atmosphere.
The proportion of water held by dif
ferens woods varies greatly. Accordin.
TO Scheubler and Hartig, freshly Gu
horn-bean contains 1876 per cent of wa
ter; willow, 20 per cent. ash, 2S.7 ne
cent. birch, sos per cent. oak. 81.
per cent. pine, 30.7 per cent red beccl
81. per cent elm, 4L5 per cent. larcl
1876 per cent. and white poplar, 30.
per cent.
The interesting fact is stated that So
indestructiblc by wear or decay is tn
African teak-wOod that vessels built O.
II have lasted 100 years, to be then only
broken up because of their poor sailin.
qualities from faulty models. The wood
in fact, is one of the most remarkabl,
known, on account of its very grca
weight, hardness and durability, it
weight varying from 42 to - pounds
per cubic foot; it works easily. but OF.
account of the large quantity of silc
contained in it the tools employed ar,
quickly worn away. II also contains m
oil which prevents spikes and other iro,
work with which it is in contact from
ruSting.
As illustrating the durability of gutta.
percha, there was recently shown spec
linen of it that had lam immersed in wa
ter between Blackwell's Island and Ne
York for period of thirty-seven years.
and is still in first class condition. The
only indication of wear on the putta
percha is where it rubbed against the
rocks on the bottom of the river, and i,
very slight. Another specimen is of
ten-conductor gutta percha insulated ua
deIground cable, which was recent,
taken from the grounds around the Can
itol at Washington, where it was laid il
1873. The cable of which this is a sec
tion is still working, and the specimen
gives every indication of being as good
as when first put down, fourteen year
ago.
In some remarkable mathematical oh
seryations by NJ. Hermite, concerning
the number of stars, he shows that the
total number visible to the naked eve 0
an observer of average visual power does
not exceed 6,000. and of these the south.
ern hemisphere contains somewhat tht
larger number. In order to see this mum
Der of stars the night must be moouless
the sky cloudless, and the atmosphere
pure, and here the power of the unaided
eye stops; an opera glass will bring on,
20, 600, while a small telescope will
bring out at least $50, 900, and the most
powerful telescopes yet constructed will
show more than 100, 600, 600. NJ. Her.
mite concludes from his various observa.
tions that the light emitted by all the
staIs upon the whole surface of the globe
is equal to one-tenth of the light of the
full moon.