The Durham recorder. [volume] (Durham, N.C.) 1879-19??, 1891-02-25
SCIENTIFIC NOTES

The latest invention ~ ciutlitig MHue
OF fabric in which fine threads Of corks
are interviewer with wool Or silk, which
rendars it impossible for thcwe,rer 70
sink in water
Scientists have BY NJ means ahan,
doned the attempt to reacti the North
Pole. Tie prospects are fair that an.
other year viii see an expedition into
Antartic regions for purposes OF ex-
ploration and discovery. Il is quite
probable also that our Government
will, during the coming year, send out
an expedition which shall penetrate
into the vet unknown interior Of our
own Territory of ti'.ska Il Boston Al
vertiser.
Professor Bruckner. Of Bernc. Swift
zerIand, has recently called attention 10
the existence OF Chronological periods
Of about IS years for the whole gle,c
(more marked in the interior ct contil'
entsl TIE years 100, I74o, 1850. lSl5.
1850. and 1880, appear cen.ers of Geld.
act psrlods; while the years 1870. ii0l
l795 1889. 1860 are centers Of warm, dry
periods Daring the warm periods tie
passage Of oceanic air to the continen
has been Murdered. and during tie cold
1t ilas been favored, Increased rainfall
occurring in the latter case.
Most Of the platinum supply comes
from the Ural mines Of Russia, where
as in the placer mines of California and
Canada the metal Is regarded as sort
Of BY product OF gold mining 1t IL
claimed by dealers in platinum that il
mined and worked out by the methods
that have been applied to gold and nj.
yer. and tile cost Of producing and re.
tining 1t charged IN, il would be quite
as expensive rs gold
The average level Of the so.Ll earth
has Teen calculated BY Dr.. John Mnrras
to be /, 400 fatlonls below sea leye.; but
more recent explorations slow greater
ocean depths according TO Dr. IL r.
MIL. aud mean sphere level ut depth
OF 100 fatlIoins That Is. all the land
above the level OF !, 200 fathoms lensath
the sea would have to Be filled into the
greater depths in order to give eqnsl
height to all parts OF the solid earlh.
The practice Of cremation IL place OF
ordinary burial i making steady prog,
ress in Paris, in spite Of tile opposition
to it which exists III certain quarters.
At the new cramatoyium Of the Gene
terry -Pere la chase a furnace is in
operation which viii reduce body 10
Ashes in less than an hour, at a cost Il
about 80 cents for fuel Since the estab-
lislinlent of this system III the French
capital 1900 unclaimed bodies OF persons
who have died in hospitals have been
thus disposed Of, besides tile bodies Of
800 OF the well to do classes, whose
wishes have been thus complied With
Many different vegetable substances
used as stimulating beverages in widely
distant parts Of tie world have been
shown to contain caffeine Is their active
principle. Only one substitute Tor to-
bacco has, however, rs yet been discos-
cred This is tile leaves of tile Dubpisia
HnpwooIii, a shrub growing in Aus.
tralia, the leaves OF which are chewed
By the blacks in the same way and fer
tie sane purpose as tobacco Is cIiewed
Tire leaves contain an alkalUid piturine,
which Is sail by certain chemists to be
identical with nicotine. but more prob
ably is only closely alliel to L Mpssrx
Langley and Dickinson have recently
shown that tile actions Of nicotine and
piturine are in every respect identical.
At the recent meeting 81 tie Frruc'l
Association, d. Cobes. OF Baenos Ayre.
read a PAPER, in which lie contended
that all living animals have a surface u
absor. ton and respiration; and that
oxygen introduced By hypolermie mice
ton is absorbed by tt, capiilssi.'s ia tie
same way as tie OF scn Ehir!i il in.
spirel by the lungs fue artificial. OF
hypolerIiIic, respiration tlias -: up i
suggested as likely TO lie u-eful here
the proper scion Of the pulmonary ap.
paratus l. defective.
Attention his been called IN various
quarters (ilie United States, England.
Belgium. France, and G.r.mu,l 70 the
remarkably cold weather prevailing II
late years. since 1855. il central and
western L rope. The yearly averages
being constantly under the normal. II
now aIp..rs from an Algerian record
that these years have been warner than
usual in Algeria Il i also shown that
there has been no change ~ tho fire.
duency Of north and south winds, v lille
n Europe the northeast winds have
j han INCREASING In franuenrv.