The San Saba news. [volume] (San Saba, Tex.) 1873-1966, 1888-08-17
POPULAR SCIENCE.


The fact has been noted that seamen,
as rule, are peculiarly subject to color
blindness. In tests made in the British
mercantile marine standard green was
pronounced red in 1O7 cases out Of 1S9.
One of the three finest collections Of
butterflies in the world has been made by
Mr.. Berthold Neumoegen. of New York.
1t contains 100, 600 specimens, and has
cost twenty years in time and S35, zoe
in money.
An argument against allowing children
( TO drink milk in summertime is drawn
by Dr. V. c. Vaughn, of the University
OF Michigan, from the liability of the
fluid to develop the poison-tyrotoxicon
which is supposed to be the immediate
cause of summer diarrh0a.
A wire charged with electricity which
remained dull at ordinary atmospheric
| pressure became incandescent in q mod
crate vacuum, while, on the other hand,
current which would fuse a wire at
ordinary pressure will scarcely redden it
II the pressure IS sufficiently increased.
Snow produces, when melted, from
one fourth to one-eighth of its bulk in
water according to the degree to which
1t has been compacted before melting.
taking one-fifth as rough mean, we may
estimate the weight OF snow drift at
le-5 pounds per cubic foot, or 100 cubic
feet per ton.
A well borer in St. Louis SAYS that it
IS very seldom he can penetrate the
earth to any very great depth without
coming in Contact with magnetic in
fuences. On Withdrawing the tool
spikes and other IRON substances will adj
here to it. Sometimes he encounters
magnetism two or three times in the same
well,
The decay of animal teeth, and to
some extent the loss Of teeth of all civil
lseed races, has been accounted for by the
able't English authorities on the score of
the heavier draughts made by the brain
on general physical and nerve systems
Il is supposed that the force that would
he applied to repairing the teeth is used
elsewhere.
The affection known as writer's
pen, but appears in telcgraphers aud
others who make continual use of one
set of muscles. These cramps were long
regarded as incurable. During several
years past, however, Wolf has been APP
! PLYING gymnastics combined with mas
sage to the muscles affected, aud has sue
ceeded in curing more than half of the
many cases treated His process is
neither difficult nor tedious, being
simply regular movements of the fingers
or other parts, with rubbing or gentle
striking of the muscles, continued not
more than an hour a day for several
W eks
A United States Navy officer has In
vented a life-saving device for the
dreaded emergency Of imam overheard
which promises to be of value A raft
buoy OF sufficient size to support a man
is attached to a long and strong but light
wire rope. The buoy is stocked with a
small supply of provisions, and is fur
nished with potassium compound
which upon contact with the water
ignites and burns brilliantly for twenty
minutes. If the drowning man, aided
BY the flame, succeeds in reaching the
raft, he can be drawn to the vessel with
out the necessity of lowering boats
Should the rope break and his own YES
sci lose track of him, he has, with the
! provisions, a chance Of sustaining life
until picked I'd by others