The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1889-02-02
SCIENCE AND INDUSTRY

SCiENCE ANU tNOOSIhr
Evidence has been collected which
tends strongly to show that the fire.
quency and severity Of thunder-storms
vary in a period corresponding with
that of the suns rotation
AN English scientific man has pre-
served record of family of MANY
toed cats down to the tenth generation.
Some members Of the family have as
many as seven toes on each foot.
Compressed carbonic acid gas is
now prepared at no less than ten fac
tories. The daily consumption of Ber-
lin alone is said to be about 5000
pounds. Bottles holding liz pounds
sell at about 81 .50,-less than one-third
of the former price.
Wood oil is now made on some
what extensive scale in Sweden, where
the refuse of underwriting and forest
cleanings is turned into account for the
oil it contains. 1t is used for illuminate
ing purposes, and gives. when put in a
lamp especially made for it, very
satisfactory light.
Prof. Ayrton defines inertia, from
the European standpoint, as resist
ance to notion" and, from the Ameri-
can standpoint. as resistance to stand
ing still" The difference is exempli-
fed in the fact that there are hardly
100 electric motors at work in Great
Britain; while in America there are
6,OOO.
"A Spanish physician gives a new
method of distinguishing between
human and animal blood. Mixed with
little bile small crystals form in the
blood, which in man are right-angled
prisms; in the horse. cubes; in dogs,
right-angled prisms very similar to
those in human blood; in sheep, rhom-
boidal plates; in pigs, rhomboids; and
in chickens, more or less regular cubes.
AN Italian psychologist, Prof.
Mosso, has. it is said, by means of a
large balance, on which the human
body may be poised horizontally,
found s'that ones thoughts may be
literally weighed, and that even dreams
or the effects of a slight sound during
slumber turn the blood to the brain
sufficiently to sink the balance of the
head. The changing pulse even told
him when professional friend was
reading Italian and when Greek, the
greater effort of the latter duly affect
ing the blood fow."
The Buenos Ayres Herald claims to
have examined the fiber made from
he reeds and rushes of the lowlands
of the Parana, and that the textiles
manufactured therefrom are undis-
tinguishable from those made from
wool and silk. Blankets, heavy goods
for mems wear. lettings and ''black
silk" dress goods are all manufactured
from this fiber and are said to be un-
rivaled for texture, finish, color and
durability. Paper pulp is also made
from these reeds and rushes.
"A professor in the Military Med
ical Academy of St. Petersburg has
been experimenting on the digestibility
of starch foods--grains and vegetables
las it is affected by various degrees Of
cooking. He finds that the longer peas,
beans, rice, millet, etc., are cooked, the
more digestible they become, especially
for weak, wounded, or sickly persons.
But it seems that some people have
such robust digestive powers that it
makes no difference with them whether
such foods are cooked one hour or
three hours.
"A German has made experiments
to ascertain the amount of loss that
coal undergoes when exposed to the
weather. It will, perhaps, surprise
many readers to hear that the loss is
considerable. Anthracite and camel
coal, as might be anticipated from their
compactness, suffer least; but ordinary
bituminous coal loses nearly one-third
in weight and nearly one-half in gas
making quality. From this it win be
understood that coal should be kept
dry and under cover, and that to ex.
pose it to rain or damp is to lessen its
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