The Arkansaw traveler., 1889-02-02
Compiled for TIE Arkdnsdr TTuceter.
SCIENTIFIC MISCELLANY.

The u. S. Signal Office has had reports from
eleven vessels which were saved by oil in a late
hurricane off the Bahamas.
Spain furnishes nearly third of the worlds
production of lead The deposits are extremely
numerous, and the ore is of exceptional purity
Prof. +. Jansen has settled disputed spec
troscopic question 10y proving that oxygen bands
in the solar spectrum due TO terrestrial oxygen
alone.
1t is suggested that sounds too high for our ears
would be recorded by the photograph, and might
be made audible by reproducing at lower speed
of the instrument.
An International Congress of Geographers is to
be held in Paris during the summer. Notices of
the geographical achievements of each of their
respective countries during the last hundred years
have been invited from the geographical societies
of the world.
POTENT PILLS.-Chinese medicines are said TO be
usually very cheap and very nasty but the physi-
clans have great confidence in the healing proper
ties of certain precious stones which they COM
pound into some unique and xpensive preparations
A mixture of white and red coral rubies or iacinth
pearls, emeTalds, musk and one two earths, all
pulverized and made into pills with gum and rose
water and coated with gold leaf, is considered
infallible for small -pox, measles scarlet fever
and all eruptive diseases. Ii Is affirmed that men
in their death struggles have been brought back to
strength by the wonderful powers of this extra
ordinary prescription.
NOWACkS OI.B IhOBA reat pOsslDlll-
ties lie in the we'll known sensitivenees TO slight
influences possessed by many plants, and it was
but natural to suspect such vegetation of some
weather indicating capabilities. Quite astonish-
ing, however, are the results lately recorded by
Mr.. J. F. Nowack, an Austrian chemist after three
years of study of sensitive plant from the tropics
The leaves of this plant in pairs on opposite
sides of the stem, and with varying atmospheric
conditions they describe many different angles and
curves, from which rain, fair or clearing weather
increasing decreasing cloudiness, coming thun-
derstorms, earthquakes, winds and their force
and direction, as wei. as rising and falling tenn
perature, have been predicted with surprising
accuracy for at least two days in advance. Prof
Weiss, of Prague, has traced this sensitiveness to
hitherto unknown substance in the cells on the
upper side of the leaves.
An IMPRov ABLE METAL.-The alloy known as
Delta Metal which was patented some five or six
years ago by Alexander Dick, a Dane, is simply
brass with large percentage of zinc and very
small quantity of iron, some similar metal like
manganese or aluminium. In the proportion of sixty
parts of copper to forty parts OF zinc, with a few
hundredths of other metal the alloy is stated to be
most interesting product account of the readi-
ness with which 1t may be forged and stamped at
q red heat of its STEEL like strength and toughness
of it's inalterabiliy in the atmosphere, and of its
low cost-said to be not greater than that of
ordinary brass. The fact that these remarkable
properties, now so long known, have not led to
more general use, is explained by the difficulty of
melting the mixture without loss of the zinc,
which is volatized at about the fusing tempera-
ture of the alloy and is also rapidly Oxidized in
the air
SCIENCE AT HOME-The Agassiz Association is
defined by its president union of local societies
which have been organized for the study of nature
by personal observation. The students are taught
how to investigate for themselves, and questions
too difficult for them to work out may be submit
ted to a council of fifty accomplished specialists
Some idea of what members see IN their rambles
about their own homes may be gained from this
list of few of the many topics of original notes
made during the past year. 1.-TWO Rare Fossils
from Catskill," "Rose Leaf Calls" white Black
birds, !" "lvy Blossoms" "Curious Trees" "Animals
that do not Drink" "Do Salmon Eat Birds2"
"Com Elementary Colors," can Abnormal Cabbage
Leaf" "a Living Barometer" "Rainbow and Sun