The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-11-29
ITEMS OF INTEREST.

IN everything. Butter, for instance, may
contain pathogenic germs, and every one
knows how bad they are So, also, it is
shown in The London Lancet, that bread
contains many kinds of living bacteria.
And the conclusion is reached that many
unaccOuntable diseases may be event
ually traced to the agency of bread.
The United States has not a partic-
ularly large military establishment-in
fact, it is regarded as meager for such an
extensive territory, neither has it many
posts from which the sun is saluted at
morning and evening. Still il costs the
government $4,000 annually for ammu-
milton for the morning and evening gun,
which figures out the expense at S54.4S
for each of the 365 days in the year.
DR.. J. \. Allen, describing the seasonal
change of color in the varying hare lie
pus Americanus), notes the winter and
summer pelage, the autumnal and the
Vernal change, and their irregularities.
The change of color from brown to white,
is due to change of pelage, not to
change Of color in the hair; it is gradual
and seasonal, and the order of the parts
nrst affected in spring is the reverse OF
the aGtunnal change.
The first trade importation of Behring's
dlphtheria and anti-toXine, the newly dis
covered specific for dphtheria, was re-
ceiNed in New York on Saturday evening
last. The firm first in the field with
supply of the new remedy, Lehn & Fink,
waived all commercial considerations IN
contracting for its distribution. The anti
toXine comes in small bottles, holding
ten cubic centimeters-about two tea
spOonfuls. The amount contained in each
bottle is termed 600 anti-toNine normals,
and is sufficient for one case.
Science has completely wiped out an
old familiar adage that beauty is but
skin deep. Science tells US that half
the charm of that face-at least the eX-
preston of it's a matter of little muscles
and a complex labyrinth of nerves; that
the curves of the lips, the glance of the
eyes, the droop of their lids are a matter
of the prevalent use of certain muscles
in obedience to prevalent aspect of the
mind; moreover, that the use of these
organs of expression has come down long
ancestral lines, and that the mods OF
the features themselves is question OF
heredity.
The chimney shaft of the Brooklyn City
Railroad Company, is said by engineers
to be the largest in cubic capacity yet
built. The chimney is 293 feet high and
contains over 100000 bricks, with total
weight of 5000 tons. The iron cap sur
mounting the stack weighs about hve
tons, and is twenty-seven feet in diameter.
Speaking of the great clock which is TO
be placed on the Philadelphia city han,
the Record of that city says; 1t Will Pc
a marvel of ponderous delicacy The
face of the clock must be tWenty-SeYen
feet in diameter, and a hand thirteen feet
six inches in length would weigh close on
to half a ton, and yet must move with I'M
erring accuracy. No one yet knows who
will have the honor of constructing this
great mechanism, but sentiment among
the commissioners faVOrS American man.
ufacture, if it can be done in this country.
Some time ago a European expert visited
TINS city with reference 10 DllulIIS IOi the
work, and he maintained that its con
structon would occupy three years after
the order was given
Most persons of an observing turn of
mind are aware of the fact that there
| are several species of insects that will
continue to live without seeming incon-
venience for some time after decapitatlon'
SAYS the St. Louis Republic. Prof Cones
trim once undertook a series of expert
mcnts with q. view of determining that
and other facts in relation to the wonder
full vitality of such creatures. In each
case the head was smoothly removed
with a pair of thin-bladed fOrceps, and
when spontaneous movements of wings
and legs ceased he employed sundry lrrl-
tating devices such as pricking, squeeZ-
ing and blowing tobacco smoke over the
| insect, AS a result of these experiments
he ascertained that members Of the beetle
family at once showed signs of suffer
! ing, while such as the ants, bees, Wasps,
etc, remained for hours unaffected. Some
which seemed stunned from the eHectS
of the operation recovered after time,
and continued to live and enjoy headless
existence for several days. Butterflies
and moths seemed but little affected by the
guillotining process, and the common flies
Cdiptcra) appeared to regard the operation
as a huge joke.
Below the nose runs a furrow parting
the upper lip. In the faces of babies and
children, says the Ninteenth Century, this
furroW is very noticeable; from the evo-
lutionist's point of view it is one of the
most remarkable characters of the face.
1t tends to become obsolete in old age,
and it is not seen among the Catarhine
monkeys. Among the Platyrhines it is
but feebly developed; but in Lemurs it is
in a more pronounced state-there is
depressed septum to which the two side
pieces are poined-the upper lip, in fact,
| is nearly split in two, but held together
by a depressed piece of flesh. In the
Marsupialia and Rodentia the lip is prac-
! tically in two pieces, and each piece is
| capable of being moved separately. This
| is the "hairlip," and it's method of use
| may well be noticed in hare or a rabbit
| when eating. The furroW, therefore, in
| chid's lip points to this That our an
! cestors possessed not a single upper lip,
| as we do now, but two upper lips, one be-
| meath each nostril, both capable of in
! dependent movement. In course of time
| these two lips have, owing to the non
requirement of Independent movement,
! grown together to form the single lip
| which we now possess, but the line of
| junction is not perfect, and so the fur
row results, and sometimes there is a
! distinct scar down the middle of the
| furrow. The possession of this furrowed
| upper lip by children is one of the strong
! est pieces of evidence against the descent
of man from any Catarhne, and in favor
| of his descent from Platyrhines or from
Isamurs, through the intervention of
| Platyrhine-like ancestors, Of which there
are no living representatives.
The absence of buildings of any size and
antiquity in Japan is ascribed to the de
struction of them by the frequent earth
/ quakes which occur. The only structures
/ which seem to be earthquake proof are
| the pagodas which are erected before the
temples. There are many pagodas which
! are 200 or 800 years old and as solid as
4 when first built. There is reason for
/ this, and it lies in their construction. A
pagOda is practically a framework of
/ heavy timbers, which start from a wide
/ base, and is in itself a substantial struc-
/ ture but it is rendered still more stable by
q peculiar device. Inside the framework
and suspended from the apex is a long
/ heavy balk of timber two feet thick or
/ more. This hangs from one end. and to
/ the other end are bolted at each of the
/ four sides four more heavy timbers, and
/ if the pagOda be lofty Atill more tlmbers
/ are added on to these The whole forms
an enormous pendulum, which reaches to
! within six inches of the ground. When the
! shock of an earthquake rocks the pagoda
/ the pendulum swings in unison and keeps
| the center of gravity always at the base
/ Of the framework, Consequently the eoui-
/ lbrum Of the pagoda is never disturbed
/ and this is the explanation of the great age
! Of many of them, when from their hight
one would suppose them to be peculiarly
/ susceptible to the effect Of an earthuuake
/ Hitherto the long sticks of timber in the
/ center of the pogoda have been supposed
| to be for the purpose of supporting the
! framework. 1t was not until the recent