Wichita eagle., 1889-02-02
POPULAR SCIENCE.
An Instructive Collection Of Val
liable Information.
Germany's Floating Exhfbition-English a
tho Universal Language-Work Of the
Coreans-New Facts About Bacteria
miscellaneous Talk.


A Norwegian engineer, writes the com
piler Of the Arkansaw Travellers scientific
column, locates leaks in ship, while in dry
leaks are soon shown by an escape OF
smoke. the process requiring only thirty OF
forty minutes.
The Oldest rose-bush with an authenti-
Gated record is probably that upon the old
church at Heidersheim, Germany. It has
grown to the thickness Of q mans body
and the old writings state that trellis was
built for it eight hundred years ago.
Musical tones may be produced from
sand, concludes Mr.. G. Carus- W ilson, F. G..
S., if the grains are rounded, polished and
free from fine fragments; II they have suf-
ficient play to enable them to slide one
against the other; if they are perfectly
clean If they possess a.certain uniformity
and range Of size.
The skin and digestion of miners are
made delicate by lack Of sunlight, but Mr..
8. G. Nasmyth finds that the air of coal
mines compares favorably in chemical COM
position with that of schools and work
shops. The temperature is much better
even luxurious-the highest il an English
mine during three months being IS degrees
F., and the lowest So degrees.
An official report gives the number Of
British boiler explosions for the year end
ing with last June as sixty-one, with boss
Of thirty-one lives. More than half Of the
explosions were due to the use of WORKOUT
or damaged boilers, seventeen to defective
designs and fittings or undue working press
ure, seven to ignorance or neglect Of at
tendance, and six to miscellaneous causes.
A SAvAGE's BEvERAaE.-The intoxicant
of the Society and South Sea Islands has
for its basis the kava root Upper methys-
ticum). The root is chewed by women and
girls employed for that purpose, and, when
well masticated and mixed with saliva, is
elected into bowls, mixed with coca-juice
and left to ferment The drink is used as
wine in many places, and Is IN great de-
maud among the natives and some whites.
A GERMAN ExPosITIoN.-The sum of s.
0O0, 600 marks has been raised by the Export
Society, OF Germany for a floating exhibi-
ton palace in the form Of steel ship 564
feet long, with four engines and four
screws. 1t is expected that this vessel will
start from Hamburg on its first voyage in
1890. If the anticipated profit iof 100000
marks annually is realized, floating exhibit
tons will be likely to become common dur
ing the next few years.
WORLD ENGLIsH.-Th great advantage
claimed by DIR. A. Melville Bell for English
as the universal language, is the simplicity
of it's grammar, which makes English i'm
measurably superior to every form of arti-
fetal language as well as to other national
tongues. The various moods and lenses, de.
clensions and conjugations which burden
~ o- Vrocfioally- No ovict-
ence for u.s. DR.. Bell advocates further SIM
plification, however, by removing gram
NAUTICAL Irregularities "childs" in
stead of schildren,' "goodeT" instead Of
better, etc, adopting more orderly spell
ing, and improving the alphabet so as to
give letter for each sound.
WORK OF THE HERMIT PEoPLE.-An inter-
esting collection of the productions of the
Coreans has been brought TO England, and
is now in the Kew museum. Like the Jap
anese, these little known people make an
extensive use, in their few industries, OF
paper, which is made from the bark of TIE
paper mulberry. This collection includes
various white or cream-colored papers for
drawing, writing, wrapping, ETC., with fans
and hand-screens of paper and bamboo,
oiled-paper contemporaries and hat-cover-
ings, paper kites with bamboo frames. sun
blinds of bamboo split into thread-like strips
and fine clothing-such as undershirts and
cuffs-of split rattans. Very fine work is
displayed IN some of the articles.
DISEASE GERMS MUST Go. - Recent
developments in bacteriology, according
to DR.. Austin Flint, give increasing
promise of results Of the greatest impor-
lance to the whole human race. A revolu-
ton IN the science and practice of medicine
is being slowly but surely wrought, and
better acquaintance with bacteria must in
time make preventable or easily durable
large class Of now formidable ailments
Among the diseases in which the presence
of bacteria has already been surely traced,
and their influence lessened or destroyed,
to the relief or cure of the patient, are:
Consumption, diphtheria, typhoid fever,
yellow fever, relapsing fever, the malarial
fevers, certain catarrhs, tetanus and nearly
all con tapious and skin diseases