Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-06-16
SCIENTIFIC SCRAPS.

| ABOUT $50 colors are now obtained from
| coal tar, which have almost entirely supplanted
vegetable and animal dyes.
IT has been found in experiments at Leipsic
| that skin grated from white to a colored
| person becomes gradually black, AMI that black
skin grated upon white person in time turns
white.
IT is proposed by M. Leon Roquet to get up
universal telegraphic language, in which often
recurring words shall be designated SYM
bolically by letters or figures which shall be the
same for all languages. 1t is easy to see that
such plan If carried out would greatly iacili-
tate international communication, yet it would
be task SO difficult that few would care to
undertake it.-EteetrfcdL ReuteW.
JACKSONVILLE. FLA, Sanitary Association
reports that 1855, $50 were recelv ed during the
epidemic last year, most of which was distri.
buted in and around Jacksonville. New York's
contribution was Sl27,7S7 and PENNSYLVANIA 8
S23 $50. Massachusetts SIS, ,521 GeOrgia's Sl4828,
Illinois s14 800, and Missourl's Sl2563. Thus
affiiction shows the oneness of the people,
Indianapolis NelUS.
IT is announced from Naples that the small
emptive cone of Vesuvius has fallen into its
very Depths and that the stream of outflow
ing lava has arrived at the foot of the great
cone. The seismic apparatus at the observa-
tory indicates that the disturbance is decreas-
ing in force. 1t was noticed that at very nearly
Vesuvius the volcanic mountain of Lipari
made unusual display. From the crater
arose smoke mixed with fine ashes which fell
in fine rain all over the area of the Eolian
Islands.
ATTENTION has lately been called by DR..
Lindsey to the therapeutic value of regions
below the sea level for asthmatical or consump-
tive patients. who there have continuously
higher atmospheric pressure than at the sea
level. Excellent effects have been thus OBJ
tanned in the valley of ConchiIla, near Los An
geles, in California, about 273 feet under the
sea (barometrlc pressure only about 7mm.
higher). The most noteworthy place of the
kind on the earth's surface is probably the
Dead Sea district. ], ,2S9 feet; and the following
are some others: Lake Asal. in East Africa $50
feet: the oasis of Araj in the desert of Lydia,
go feet; the ArroyO del Muerto, in California
$50 feet; the oasis of Siwh. in Lydia, l23 feet;
the borders of the Caspian, SO feet
THOSE people who assert that the era ding for
salt is purely acquired taste, and that this
mineral as an article of food is neither nutritive
nor otherwise beneficial, may point to the
Eskimo race as evidence of the value of their
theory. The natives met by our explorers on
the rivers of Northern Alaska live almost ex-
clusively on tsh. They do not eat salt with
their fish, ana decline to eat salt bacon and
ham, firmly believing that white folks spoil
good meat by their absurd practice of sailing
it. On the other hand there are probably very
few African tribes who do not regard salt as
one of mans greatest blessings. Many natives
procure it along the seacoast by evaporation,
and tribes who have salt mines, as on the east
coast of Albert Nyanza, are always able to sell
their product far and wide-Net0 York Sun.
THE circular issued by the Superintendent of
the Census to members of the medical pro-
fession, directing their attention to the impor-
tance of keeping a careful record of every
thing of interest to vital statistics which may
arise in their practice during the wear from
June l. 1889. to June ], 1890 (the census period),
is an important matter. One of the most diff
cult features to carry out in anything like per-
fection has been the mortality statistics
These have never been quite as thorough either
as the different superintendent would have
liked, or as accuracy would demand. Mr.. Por-
ter has started out in good time with the inten.
tion of making this feature as perfect as possi-
BILE. He asks the cooperation of the medical
profession, and he ought to have it in the very
best and most intelligent manner.-Nes0 York
Saturday Globe.