The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1889-11-23
Correspondence Baltimore County Union.
SCIENTIFIC MISCELLANY.
pARLoR ELECTRICITY .

PARL0R ELECTRICITY.
A very simple apparatus for obtaining an
electric spark is made by German physicist.
Round the centre of common lamp-chimney
is pasted strip of tin-foil, and another strip IS
pasted from the end of the chimney to within
quarter of an inch Of this ring. Then piece
of silk is wrapped around brush, and the IN
terror of the chimney is rubbed briskly. In
the dark bright electric spark may be seen to
pass from one piece oftin-foil to the other each
time the brush is withdrawn from the CHM
ney. Many other experiments can be tried
with this apparatus.
SPEAKING PICTURES.
The picture gallery of the future is likely to
be an apparatus for exhibiting a succession OF
instantaneous photographs as moving picture
of the person represented, this apparatus being
so gearged with the monograph that as the
latter gives the individuals speech the former
will reproduce his gestures and facial express
sion. BY such means an absent actor, Tor ex-
ample might be brought before an audience,
or when present he might witness the repro
duction of his own acting. This combination
of photograph and photograph is suggestion
lately made to the French Academy by M. G..
Gueroult. but experiments with similar ar
rangement were made about year and half
ago by NJ. A. Bandsept, of Brussels.
LEPRosY.
medical writer states that no less than SIX
distinct species of leprosy are known, viz. ::
LeDrd MOsicd predominant in Scripture) Lep
"a AIphOideS characterized by minute and very
white scales); Lepra yaagdriS (Which very rare
lv heals; Lepra sW6fusca; and EtephdntadSls
The most prominent symptoms are dusky red
or liyid tubercleS on the face and eXtremltleS,
coarseness and thickness of the skin and dimi-
mutton of its sensibility, swellings, hoarseness,
loss of voice falling off and coarseness OF the
hair and change to white or yellow scales, gen.
eral slow decaying of the body, disappearance
of the nails and teeth and general depression
The chief haunts of leprosy are Palestine Ice
land and Scandinavia, the Farce Isles, and the
Indies. Science knows very little of the ter
rible disease. Kschylus supposed its cause to
be parasitic lichen, some have attributed 1t to
a selfpropagating animalcule, and others re-
gard it as an exaggerated type of skin disease
1t is certainly hereditary, but its contagious
ness is now questioned.
NEw-FoUND ORGAN OF SENSE.
During the last few years certain PSYCHOLOGISTS
have been working out curious puzzle, ana
have found that a remarkable organ-eXiStlng
not only in man but in all mammals and in
birds and most fishes-is the seat of a special
sense. This organ is q membrane OF the head
lodged in a bony labyrinth consisting of a YES
tibule and three Semicircular canals and con-
tinuous with the cavity containing the hearing
apparatus. The organ was long supposed to
play some part in the perception of sound, but
it has now been demonstrated by Mach and
others that its function is to show us both the
direction and the amount of all rotations per-
formed by the head or by head and body to-
gether.
EUROPEANS IN BRAZIL.
Certain observations of DR.. Alfredo da Luy,
of Rio de Jane:rO, are not encouraging to IN
tending Immigrants from comparatively cool
ATTITUDES. Such inhabitants of Rio de Janeiro
as are not colOred persons are generally pallld,
weak of short stature, and of but little muscu-
lar strength. Malarious infection-nOt usually
fatal by itself-seems to impoverish the blood
and render the children of Europeans frail and
liable to succumb early to disease. The chill
n 81. s,,4co laoc
but Germans, French, Belgians, and other per-
SONS from climates very different from that of
Brazil, are warned that prosperous colonization
can only be effected by crossing with races
better adapted to hot climates.
SOLID sULPHURIC ACID.
A German patent has been taken out for a
process of transporting sulphuric acidi in solid
state. Certain salts-such as alkaline lphates
give up their water of Capitalization when
heated, and take it up again when cool, and
with calculated quantity of the acid. The
mixture becomes granular, or may be formed
into cakes, and when heated the whole hquefes,
and may be used ordinary sulphuric acid,
the presence of the bisulphate of soda or like
salt having no effect.
MISCELLANEOUS.
A Corsican DOCTOR NJ. de Susini, has made a
sulphuric ether engine of twenty horsepower,
which is expected to realize saving of sixty
five per cent. in fuel. Scientific men in Paris
VINO nave witnessed us WORKING are Salu 10
have reserved their opinion as to its merits
until further tests have been made.
Olzewski, the Russian physicist, has succeed
ed in lquefying sufficient ozone to determine
the boiling point, which is-159 Fair The
liquid ozone is dark blue in color, and is nearly
Opaque in a layer tenth of an inch thick.
DIR. T. Billroth, of Vienna, states that insig-
nificant injuries are frequently made serious
by the uncalled for application of carbolic acid,
which skillful surgeons are using much less
than formerly. It may cause not only infiam-
nation but even fatal blood poisoning.
The use of nitro-glycerine in cases of emer-
gencey, instead of alcohol, is recommended by
an English physician. A drop on the tongue
rOuses fainting man, and it may restore life in
the case of apparent death, as from drowning.
1t has quickly relieved headache, heart pains
and asthma, and strengthened weak pulse in
feverS.
The manufacture of luminous paint has been
begun in Austria on a large scale, at about a
sixth of the cost hitherto. A special paper is
supplied for use when the paint is applied to
walls. x