The Palatka daily news. (Palatka, Fla.) 1884-1888, 1888-02-10

the ingenuity of electricians. What
seems to be the most promising attempt
at solution vet made, is a new thermo-
magnetic generator and motor devised by
III. Menges, of the Hague. Like the recent
pyro-magnetic dynamo of Edison, it de-
ponds upon the fact that the magnetic
metals lose their magnetic power when
heated 1t claims several important adj
vantages, however, the chief being that
Che necessary alterations of heating and
cooling are given automatically, and
that the cores of the armature coils are
relieved from changes of temperature.
Experiments have been made in trans
planting the beautiful Alpine Edelweiss
into the mountains of Bohemia and
other places. In its new homes the
plant seems to be changing its character,
and in the mountains of upper Austria
it has become transformed into a new
species, bearing red flowers instead of
the beautiful ermine-like white blooms.
A kind of artificial rabies has been
produced in rabbits and birds by iniec-
lions of oil of tansy. This malady was
overcome by treatment with choral,
and the experimenter DR.. Brown Sc
guard reasons from analogy that suit
able administrations of this drug would
prevent true rabies in man.
An automatic chess recorder has been
produced by DIR. Wurstemberger, of
Zurich. An ingenious electrical ar
rangement prints on strip of paper the
index number and letter of the square
from and to which the piece is moved,
and moves of the black pieces have
| different place on the tape from those
| of the white.
OCCUPATIONS of stars by the planets
are extremely rare, but DIR. A. Berber-
/ ich, of Berlin, believes observations of
them would be very important. throw
| ing light on the extent and density of
planetary atmospheres, and in the cases
| of Mars and Venus affording a means
for the determination of parallax and
| diameter
Considerable differences in the stand
ard barometers of the principal European
observatories have been found by Mr..
| F. A. Sundell, of the Scientific Society
| of Finland.
| MATHEMATICS AND ARITHMETIC
Like most ordinary mortals, mathema-
| ticians are inclined to shirk dealings
with figures. Even Newton. the great
master of the most abstruse calculations,
| could not, we are told, cast up a sum
| in addition; and the works of NJ. Stas,
said to have never had an equal in ex-
actitude, have been found to contain an
| astonishing number of arithmetical slips.
| Prof. Huxley has given the weight of
| air on square mile as about 500. 129,-
97l 200 lbs, containing not less than
3,0Sl $40, 100 lbs. of carbonic acid, in
| which is .371 ,475 tons of carbon. The
real quantities, as figured by Mr.. sgd
ney Lupton, are 50, 49,, 431 sos lbs. of air,
81 ,464 1893 lbs. of carbonic acid, and 375,-
| 227 tons of carbon. Another writer has
proven the water under a west
westerly equatorial current to be twelve
per cent. lighter than under an easterly
equatorial current, this false result be-
ing based ON an arithmetical error.
CARRY THE BABIES RIGHT.-A French
physician, DR.. Feltz, mentions curious
apparent cause of left handedness. One
child in a certain family was left-handed
and second appeared to be so at the
| age of one year. 1t was then learned
that the mother always carried her
children on her left arm. She was adj
vised to change, and, held on her other
arm, the infant. having its right hand
free to grasp objects, soon became
right-handed.
A museum of religions is a novelty
of the French metropolis. A traveller of
Lyons, NJ. Guimet, has long been col
lecting affairs, priests robes and other
objects relating to religious ceremonies;
and these have been presented to Paris
on condition that suitable building be
provided which has beeHdone.
The mean height of the land above
the sea level, according to Mr.. John Muir
| ray, is <, SoU Ieeu, anu the mean uepGn Oh
the ocean is IL, 4S0 feet, Only two per
cent. of the sea is included inside a
depth of 500 fathoms, while seventy
seven per cent lies between 500 and
5000 fathoms. If the land were filled
into the hollows, the sea would roll over
the earth's crest to uniform depth OF
two miles.