Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1890-12-25

four years old, the child could neither
walk nor stand and never smiled nor
took notice Of anything. The doctor
concluded that the abnormal narrow
ness Of the head obstructed the growth
Of the brain aud In May last, he made
en- inclsion in the the centre Of the
skull and cut piece Of bone from the
left side. The result was marvellous. |
Within less than q month the child
could walk, and she has become quite
brlght-playing, smiling and taking |
notice Of everything around her.
PAIN JOY.
A German anatomist has called the |
attention Of his class TO certain hysteri- |
cal women who are affected with a
kind Of "pain joyn-not only expert |
encIng no pain from surgical mutila-
ton, but having q morbid desire
10 bear without anaestheties, opera
tions which should prove very painful. |
A young woman was introduced who
had seriously injured her lower jaw dur
ing O paroxysm of hysteria, but who
had insisted upon having the necessary
removal Of Part Of the jaw and liga-
ture Of two arteries performed without
an anaesthetic, and subsequently de-
clared that the operations had given
her great pleasure.
THE MOON WEATHER PROBLEM.
From tables made by the use of syn
optic charts, eliminating local disturb
ances, DR.. G. Meyer believes that he
has accomplished what other investi-
gators have sought to do without suc-
cess-shown an influence Of the moon
on the weather. The height of the ba-
rometer, In months of September to
January, Is lowered at the time of full
moon and raised during the first quar-
ter. No effect can be traced for other
months. ss
ELECTRICALLY-AIMED GUNS.
In new invention, small dry bat.
terry, an electro-magnet and a circuit
closer of mercury are so arranged in
the stock of gun that the weapon can
be discharged only when elevated to
predetermined angle. At other posit-
ions the trigger is locked and cannot
be pulled. The device Is claimed to en-
sure precision in range, and accuracy
of firing at night when the range has
been previously obtained.
ANOTHER SILK.
A substance having all the essential
qualities Of silk has been made from
wild hemp by Nayemura Sakusaburo,
ofHikone, Japan. The plant grows on
moors and hillsides, and could be culti-
waited. The fibre is strong and glossy,
and several silk factories are said to
have found IL to be In no way inferior
to silk.
THE POTATO DISEASE.
In Denmark, some interesting, and
perhaps very valuable researches into
the potato disease have been made by
Prof. J.L. Jenson. The disease Is found
to consist of fungus, whose spores are
carried by the wind and which first at
tacks the foliage of the plants. II
spreads to the tubers in about seven
DAYS by spores washed down from the
stem and foliage. Considering these
facts it was thought the tubers might
be protected by moulding the soil into
q broad ridge, 3 or inches high and 10
or IL Inches wide, after the first weed
ing and further earthing upon one
side only-causing the plants to bend
90 that the spores would fall away from
the ridges-within seven days after the
appearance of the disease on the foliage.
Some $50 farmers have said to have ex-
perimented in this way with these as
tonishing results: Where no mould
ing or earthing up was done, the per-
sentage of diseased potatoes was 81;
where the moulding was imperfect, IL;
and where the moulding was perfect,
only one. Infection duriug harvest
was prevented by allowing the tubers
to remain In the ground for month
after the withering of the tops.
COLD WAVES.
A cold wave is defined by Prof. T.
Russell as fall of temperature in twen-
ty-four hours of 20 degrees over an area
of50, 600 square miles, the temperature
In some part of this area descending to
So degrees. Between 1880 and 1890 no
less than 691 cold waves were recorded
In the United States. In the great cold
wave Of Jan. II, 1882, the fall of 20 de-
Rrees extended over an area of ], ,101 600
square miles and the fall OF 10 degrees
included 2,829, 600 square miles. In six
cold waves of the ten years the area of
the fall of 20 degrees was more than a
million square miles. Cold waves fol-
low day after an area of flow-pressure,
or occur to the southeast of an area of
high pressure, reaching their greatest
extent when both conditions are pres
ent.
NESTS FOR GERMS.
The impurities that collect under the
tinger-nails having been investigated
in the archaeological laboratories of vi
emma. The matter obtained in IS ex-
aminations was placed in culture solu-
tions and gave SO kinds of micrococci,
18 8of bacilli, and of sarcinae. Cleanli-
ness of the nails is especially necessary
for all who come near wound, and
for those who live in neighborhood
where an epidemic prevails.
AREdARKABLE PREsERvATTvE.
A Belgium chemist has found thai
the green tar left after extracting the
oil from the white bark of the birch
will effectually preserve even the most
delicate texturas from decay. 1t yields
neither acid nor allaloid, is remarkably
| fluid in alcoholic solution, and when
once dried resists even the action Of al
cohol.
NEW IDEA.
A recent contract provides for street
lighting In Paris on novel plan. Pow.
er Is distributed by the compressed air
system to great number of small mo-
tors, each of which supplies electricity
to small number of lamps.