The Waco evening news. [volume] (Waco, Tex.) 1891-1894, 1893-02-18
SCIENTIFIC MISCELLANY.


Australia ard in G. .rmauy.
Photography picks up minor
planets at an astonishi, rate, the
Paris Acad ,my having received
list of eight that were discovered in
four weeks by this method.
The watch is a scientific appara.
tus of marvellous perfection. In
rec mt address, Lord Kelvin stated
that electricians are supposed to
possess instruments Of precision,
yet they are thaokful if their meas.
urements are accurate to one tenth
or one-tw entieth per cent But a
common, cheap watch will keep
time to minute week, which is
variation from true precision of
one-hundredth per cent.
APHKpuon1A. -- The ''iumpipg
Frenchmen" of Maine have acquired
unique fame through their ina
bility to refrain from carrying ont
any command suddenly given mem
Another mental disorder giving
grotesq,e effects has been observed
IN patient in Lyons hospitsl
The victim in this case is in con.
slant dread OF being touched. lie
moves away if nybody approaches,
with draws his hand if anybody at
tempts to take it, keeps turning his
head nervously if any person is
behind him, and while in the hos.
pi'al jumped out of bed whenever
ply stefan came near to examine
him. This singular condition,
which has been named "aphepho-
bia," seems to be hereditary, as this
mans brother and nephew are also
affected
THE Form or EGGs Various
attempts have been male to ao-
count for the diversity in shape
seen in eggs. A recent study con
vinces Dr.. Nicolsby that the differ
ences may all be traced to gravity,
and he tirds his idea confirmed
| y all the eggs in the geological
collection OF the St. Peters burg
University. lie supposes that
pressure by the SIDES of the ova y
tends TO elopgate the egg before tho
shell has hardened. la birds which
keep vertical position while at
rest, as do the falcon and the ou ,
the soft egg is made short by the
action Of the weight Of the body
against the ovarian pressure; while
in birds that like the grebe, are
nearly always swimming, the egg
is enlightened because the biri's
weight acts with the compression
by the ovary. The egg is made
more points d at one end than the
other birds that, like the gulllemot,
are frequently changing their posi-
tion-sometimes swimming and div
ing, sometimes perchlng on the
roc ks, etc.
THE New MEsMERlsM -Hypnot
ism is a new name for old phenome
ma, being practically identical with
what was called mesmerism a few
years ago. 1t is pfacticed in nearly
al countries by few medical II en-,
and now claims at least -four monthly
papers two in Paris, one in Berlin,
and one IN Florence. Writing OIL
the "new mesmeIism," CORES
pendent of the London Times states
that there are among hypnotists
four distinct schools Of pre- ctice and
tho ugbt. The first embraces those
hypnotists who have satisfied them
selves of the reality Of the phenom
ena, but who decline to practice
hypnotism therapeut ally because
they believe it will do more harm
than good. The distinguishe d
Charcot, to whom the scientific
study of the sub ct is chiefly due
belor 90 to this school. He beiit ves
that the hypnotic condition depend.
upon disordered brain, ard thai
It's employment is only rsrel, JUST
tisble, as, for instance, to dis eli the
mania of hysterica' patient. The
next may be called the retrogradt
school, whose headquarters are a
the Charity Hospital in Paris. I
uses every variety of hypnotic pro
cedure for great variety of d'sor
ders, but tends to revert to th'
vnaOpa+;o nrocticoS thaOriea AZ ,