The Waco evening news. [volume] (Waco, Tex.) 1891-1894, 1893-05-18
SCIENTIFIC MISCELLANY

oAeH (tNO males ana three females)
delivered alive and in good condi.
ton in London.
The sclerometer, a new French
instrument for determining the
hardness OF minerals, reveals the
surprising fact that pure copper is
somewhat harder than pure zinc.
An English chemist points out
that the air held by sea.waser in.
creases in proportion with the depth
and that it is quite possible that the
ocean may hide an atmosphere near.
ly equal to that above its surface.
In their recent exploration in
Tibet Capt. Bower and Or. Thorold
passed chain of ta't lakes, one of
which, Bor-Ba Tu, has an elevation
of IL, $3.50 feet alb I'VE sea.level and is
probably the highest lake in the
world.
1t is odd TO think of wild camels
roaming about in Europe. Yet a
recent traveller in Spain has proven
their existence, the animals being
evidently descendants OF some
which were introduced from the
canaries in 1888, and for some years
used as beasts of burden in the pro-
vince of Cadiz.
An English horticu,turist having
recorded twelve pounds as the aver
age weight produced by single
tomato plant, raised under glass, an
American authority declares that
he "should not be surprised if fifty
pounds would not be. an average for
plant nnder favorable circum-
stances" in America.
Skim milk and whey are utiliz I'D
in Swe den for 'lactoserip," a port
able article Of food rich in nitro
genous ma .erial. Clrds are pre-.
pared by adding rennet, and these
are pressed, dried in an oven, aad
afterwards ground. The produc.
is prepa red in several forms, vary
ing with the proportions Of skim
milk and whey.
A REMARKABLE EXPERIMENT.
A novel elsctroscope due to Mr.. +
G. Rimington, an English cleo
triciap, is especially interesting on
account of its generation of light by
a very small mechanical effort. A
T shaped tube about five inches
long with about the bore of spirit
thermometer and terminating in
two bulbs has its air exhausted by
an air-pump and is then rotated be-
tween the finger ard thumb or by
small motor. On bringing n rub
Der ebonite or glass rod near, set
of double fan shaped images of light
appears in the tube.
STRENGTH OF Ice. Experiments
made under the direction of the
French Minister of War indicate
that when ice reaches a thickness of
an inch and one-half it begins to
bear the weight of man marching
alone; at g. inches it is safe for in
fantry in files; and at inches it
will carry cannon on carriages and
at one foot it will support the heavi.
est guns and other weights. eau
ton in estimating the strength of
ice by the thie knees, however, is ad-
vised by M. Forel. After being
7bjected a few weeks to alterna-
tions of temperature, ice changes its
structure, and the old ice, though
still compact in appearance, may be
very much weaker than ice newly
formed.
WATER AS AN ANAEsTHETIC.
The idea of DR.. II. l.. Schleich is
that surgical operations of consider
able importance, such as the ampu-
tation of hand or foot, may be
made absolutely painless without
exposure to the dangers of Chloro-
form. He produces local insensi.
bility by simultaneous injections Of
a solution of sugar or salt, or even
Of simple cold distilled water. The
anaesthetic effects are those of co.
caine, which, however, operates by
chemical change, while cold water
acts mechanically, the high pressure
and low temperature causing the
blood and lymph to be driven from
the region operated upon, and thus
inducing temporary paralysis of the
nerues. Numerous successful ex.