The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1895-09-06
SCIENTIFIC MISCELLANY.

liquids for Weighing Gems-Au-
dibiIity of the Fog Siren-The
Day of Venus - Signs of the
Tongue-The Ram That Reaches
the Rivers-Swiss Storm Cradles
Alloys with Refractory Metals
"A Yorkshire Hole-A French
Pecullarity-The Lobster Deep
Sea Animal
written tor the Citizen)
The chemist has provided a new
test for gems that are expected to come
into general use. The bogus rubies,
diamonds, ETC., so extensively manu-
featured in Paris and other European
cities do not have the same weight as
the genuine, but instead of finding the
specific gravity by the scales sometime
used, which are said to be unreliable,
heavy liquids are employed whose spe-
citic gravity can be adjusted to that Of
the real stones. OF the several liquids
more than three times as heavy as
water, methylene iodide has proven
the most useful. 1t is not corrosive or
dangerous, floats the amethyst, beryl
and other light stones, and can be d.
luted with benzine from its specific
gravity of S.3 to that required. For
the heavier gems-like the carbuncle,
sapphire, ruby, topaz and diamond
a different liquid is necessary. A
Dutch mineralologist. Retgers, has an
nounced the discovery of this in the
double nitrate Of silver aud thallium,
which is a colorless solid, melting far
below the temperature Of boiling water
to clear liquid five times as heavy as
water, and therefore capable of sup
porting any known precious stone. Its
specific gravity may be reduced by
simply mixing with warm water.
The American experiments indicat-
ing that fog-horns are surrounded by
zone OF inaudibility, although dis
tinctly heard beyond it, were received
in Europe with incredulity, but have
now been confirmed. A vessel siram-
ed with the wind directly toward
lightship from distance of Al naut-
zeal miles. At q miles the fog signals
became family audible, suddenly in
creased in loudness at q miles, from
IL to ! } miles became scarcely audible,
then increased very suddenly. Going
backward ana returning, the sound
6iaa rod OF I haf
tinuiug to the lightship, the sound
again disappeared entirely at J mile,
and reappeared at / mile, then grew
louder as the distance lessened.
Astronomers have been undecided
whether Venus turns on its axis in %
or "A hours or once in 225 days, the
planets year. AT observer at Manora
Observatory believes he has now
proven the period to be "A hours.
The tongue is kind of health ba- |
rometer, giving indications of value to |
the close observer. 1t tells, says the !
Aerdid Of Heath of the condition of |
the blood, the condition of the nervous
system, and the functions Of nutrition
and excretion. We find the expression |
of disease in its form, its dryness or
moisture, its coatings and colors. The |
elongated and pointed tongue indicates |
condition of irritation and determi- |
nation of blood to the stomach and |
bowels, and puts us on guard against |
using anything irritating to these or
gans. The full tongue, broad and |
thick, is an evidence of atony, want OF |
action in the digestive tract. With it !
the stomach will bear mild cathartics
without danger. The dry, pinched
tongue expresses a want of functional
activity in the digestive organs, and is
the tongue Of acute disease, and is US
ually associated with dryness. II is
one of the signs that food may be given
but carefully, and in warm liquid
form. The assured tongue in chronic
diseases indicates infiammatory action
of the Kidneys and in advanced stages
of acute disease refers us to Lessons of
the kidneys, or irritation of the nerve
centers. 1t means that the skin should
be put in better condition and nervous
irritation allayed. If the tongue
Is dry, we are sure the stomach aud n
testines can do but little digestive
work and cathartics are useless ex-
cept to remove irritating matter. In
acute disease, lessening of the dry
ness IS symptom of improvement
The thin, transparent coating of the
tongue gives evidence of enfeebled d.
gestion, often from Incorporate eating
and drinking. A heavily loaded
tongue at the base calls attention to
Accommodations in the stomach, and
suggests the use OF an emetic. The
broad pallid tongue gives evidence of
the want of the alkaline elements of
the food; and the deep red tongue, gen.
orally dry, of the need of acid. A
dirty white or dirty gray tongue calls
for antiseptics. While dryness always
indicates excitement of the nerve CEN
tiers, and calls for sedatves; too much
moisture and relaxation are evidence
of the opposite condition.
The percentage of water that is not
absorbed by the soil and reaches the
streams decreases with the lessening of
the total rain supply. In the four
teenth annual report of the United
States Geological Survey, Mr.. +. II.
Newell estimates that with mean an
nual rainfall on mountainous regions
of 40 INCHES the run-off is about 80
inches; NTH fall of Is inches, it is Is;
and with fall of IL inches, only 5. In
more open country, of mean annual
rainfall Of so inches, about % runs
away; with 30 inches, about s; and
with 20 inches, only about 3.
The birth place of storms in Switzer-
land has been studied bv Prof Hess