The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1888-05-05
Corep0sdmcs Baltimore County Union.
SCIENTIFIC MISCELLANY.
A DREAM OF 1Np1NrTY

A
IF we could double the space-penetrating
power Of our telescopes" speculates Proctor,
I'VE should probably much more than double
we should increase manifold, the number OF
stars-that is ofsuns-which would be brought
within our ken. Not thousands of millions,
but probably millions of millions, of suns exist
within the limits Ofthe sidereal system. Rather
4 ought to say-they exist within the limits
ofour sidereal system, for doubtless this system
is no more to be regarded as single within the
universe than our solar system is unique with
in the star depths. Every star tells us of a sun,
and probably of solar system in such B., sort
that we must recognize thousands of millions
of solar systems in the galaxy. May we not
fairly assume, then, that in ike manner our
sldereal system is repeated millions of millions
of times within some system of higher order ?
That system may be in turn repeated many
millions of times within system of higher
order. And so on, to higher and higher orders,
absolutely without end"
THE GREATEST CATARACTs.
From the latest information, it appears that
the three krimbs Falls, in the Upper Prinzgan,
with total height of l, 148 feet, constitute the
three Scandinavian falls, of 984, S53 and S04 feet
respectively; and these are followed by about
a half-dozen falls ranging from sol feet down to
400. Taking width into consideration, the Vic
toria Falls Of the Zambezi, 1914 feet high and
$500 feet wide, are the most imposing, making
wide, seem quite insignificant in size.
A WOMAN'S PRODUCT.
Hexpectations are fully realized, the material
devised by Mrs. Wood, a clever English lady,
will become remarkably useful substance
1t is known as ''woodite" and its chief ingre-
dent is caoutchouc. During the past few
months it has given good results for variety
of purposes and is now declared to be especial
ly adapted to many other uses. According to
Sir Edward Reed, NJ. p it has been produced
ALL
for waterproof articles, dense blocks for resist
ing the blows of shot or shell, and particularly
satisfactory rings for engine packing. One pro-
cess converts it into an elastic, spOnge-ike sub
stance; and another, in which it is mixed with
whalebone cuttings, gives it rough or fric-
tional quality for mats. Some curious naval
applications have been worked out. 1t is made
into armor plates which on being penetrated by
shot close so tightly that no water is admitted,
and it is also formed into light and convenient
cylinders for carrying compressed air to drive
hfe-boats, torpedo boats and scout boats, while
it is suitable for making floating or partly float
ing cables for protection against torpedo at
tacks etc.
INTELLECTUAL INFLUENCE OF THE NOSE.
Aprosexie is the name DIR. Guye, of Amster-
dam, chooses for inattentiveness, and he quite
singularly finds that the nose is cause oft. A
dull boy became quick to learn after certain
tumors had been taken from the nose; and
man who had been troubled with vertigo and
buZZing in the ears for twelve years found men
tai labor easy after like operation. In third
case medical student was similarly relieved
DR.. Guye supposes that these nasal troubles at
feet the brain by preventing the cerebral lymph
from circulating freely.
WOLF-REARED CHILDREN.
From an old English pamphlet, printed in
1852, an extraordinary record of cases of chill
dren said to have been nurtured by wolves has
been republiShed recently. In one instance, in
1847, boy was seen in India with the three
whelps of a female wolf, and was captured with
some difficulty. He ran on all fourS, as rapid
ly as the whelps, ate raw meat from the ground
like dog, rejected cooked meat with disgust
by few signs, and seemed to care for nothing
but eating. He died in 1850.
MISCELLANEOUS.
Admiral CLIQUE, of the French Navy, states
that less than half-gallon of oil an hour seems
sufficient to secure the largest ship from being
boarded by the waves. 1t is strange that the
sea-smoothing effect of oil should just be at
tracing general attention, since it was known
in Pliny's time, and Benjamin Franklin tried
-unsuccessfully-to bring it to notice.
In recent tests on forty persons, one part OF
salicine was tasted in 1900 parts of water, of
morphine, one in 1900; quinine, one in 49,
600; quassine, one in $4,000; picrotoxine, one
in $4,000; aloine, one in 10000; and strych-
nine, one in 826 900. Twelve tasters detected
one part of strychnine in 1,2SO,OO0.
Ofall the deaths from poison IN Great BTltan,
forty per cent are said to be due to opium.
This largely arises, in the opinion of DR.. Wynn
ter Blythe, from the perniciOus practice of using
soothing preparations to quiet infants and keep
them asleep most of the time. One preparation
alone has been calculated to be the undoubted
cause of death of 15O, 600 children every year.
The possibility of conveying fish alive during
a months trip was demonstrated near the close
of last year when specimens of several varieties
were taken from Paris to stock the waters of
Chill. There was considerable loss of salmon,
gudgeons, Totes and barbs, but the carp, tench,
eels, minnows, etc., mostly survived. A low
temperature and constant circulation of air
through the water were kept up on the trip.
1t has lately been proven that coffee is not
valuable properties as an anti-septic 1t Oper-
ates strongly in destroying cholera germs. Sim
liar qualities are suspected to belong to tea.
Experiments have shown that the skin of a
white person transplanted ON the skin of a negro
becomes black as the skin of the negro, and
that black skin inoculated on whites loses its
Informant apd haoOmoS white x