The Colfax chronicle., 1890-12-06
SCIENCE AND INDUSTRY.

SCIENCE AND INDUSTRY.
Prof. Kohn, a German botanist. has
recently discovered that spontaneous
combustion of hay and other vegetable
substances, is due to the action OF q
germ, aspergiltus Jumsgdtus.
-Blackening the nose and checks un.
der the eyes has been found an effectual
preventive of snow blindness or the in
furious effect of the glare from illumin-
ated snow upon eyes unaccustomed to 1t.
1T is not generally known that there
are more wagons manufactured in st.
Louis than in any other city Of the
country. The entire Southsand South
west arc supplied with wagons of all
kinds from that point In the line Of
fancy wagons and carriages, St Louis
manufacturers beat the world, shipping
even to Europe and Australia.
Mr.. Shelford Bidwell. in speaking
at the Royal Society's conversations In
London, exhibited an experiment which
may possibly explain the intense dark.
ness, often accompanied by q lurid yellow
glow, during thunderstorms. After
showing on screen the shadow OF
small steam jet, which was of neutral
gray tint. and of feeble intensity, he
electrified the jet, and the shadow be-
came dense and of peculiar orange
brown hue.
in aniline dyes Prof Shilling, Of
Strasburg, believes he has discovered
antiseptics strong enough to kill bac-
terra in concentration not injurious to
the human body, and at the same time
diffusive enough to spread over a
wounded surface. In a man Of seventy,
whose left leg between the ankle and
the knee was covered with ulcers which
would not heal, tho suppurative micro
organisms were all destroyed in few
days. and the ulcers disappeared.-Ar-
kansas Traveller.
I'm recent lecture on marine and
Fresh Water Fishes" noted scientist
said that fish have the power of influ-
encing one another by sounds and
action. He had observed shoal of carp
following the lead of single one,
which conducted them to quantity of
food at q considerable distance away.
He had also noticed that certain fresh
water fish, such as trout, were subservi-
ent to a ruler, which might be seen
swimming at the head of his tribe. The
same was possibly the case with some
marine forms, like the herring and bass
An extraordinary report comes from
Fort Chippeweyan that the United
States surveyors have established the
14lst meridian, which forms the bound
ary between Alaska and Canada, twenty
eight miles farther east than it was sup
posed to be. II this is true, large area
of gold placer ground would be trans
ferred to the United States But it
seems strange that so great an error
should have been allowed to pass in
region which was we'll known TO traders
and prospectors. ors.-Engineering and Min
ing Journal.
The experiments of DIR. Tatum have
done not little toward clearing up the
mystery that has shrouded the physical
mechanism of death by electricity. He
has made it more than probable that
thcre is real difference between the
effects of continuous and alternating
currents, in that the former seem to kill
only through direct action on the sub
stance of the heart, while the latter owe
whatever added danger they may pos
sess to distinct action on certain por-
tions Of the nervous system. DIR. Tatum
has also shown that the difference in
the effects of the two classes of current
is far less than some foreign investiga-
tors would have us believe.-Electrica
World.
"A queer and suggestive find is re-
ported to have been made in the sleepy
old Moravian town of Salem, N. C.
Being surrounded by enterprising neigh
bors, who are alive to the advantages of
electric lights and electric railways,
Salem determined to be abreast the times.
Not many days ago workman was fit
ing electric light wire in the attic of
one of the old buildings of the town,
when he came upon a quaint group of
souvenirs, which showed the different
stages of illumination which had success
lively come within the experience of the
household. There was first a set of old
fashioned tin candle moulds; then an
oil lamp of antique pattern, and, lastly,
small section of a gas pipe, which he
then and there supplanted by the wire
through which the electric current was
aoou tn paSs