The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1895-05-17
Prepared Weekly, for the Citizen. j.,


feet in greatest width and a few miles
long, and therefore no: very easily
seen. The largest has its origin in the
Mount Hadley range of the lunar APP
ennines, follows course little north
of West, and has total length of IS
miles. There is no reason to believe
that these valleys now contain water,
but certain variable dark spots on 9TH
er portions of the moon are held to in
dictate water, although anomalies in
their position have suggested the more
improbable hypothesis of vegetation.
1t is stated that the changes in some of
these spots-especially in the Mare
Iranquilitatis-are perceptible to the
naked eye.
Loss of sleep, in some of the lower
animals at least, has been shown bv
experiments of Marie de Manaceine to
be more difficult to endure than starv-
alton. Dogs that have been starved
more than 20 days and have lost more
than 80 percent in weight may recover;
but to dogs of to months of age loss
of sleep for to 5 days proved fatal.
The temperature of the sleepless ami
mails fell as much as lao, and food was
refused during the last two days.
X
Considering the various methods of
classifying human variations, Prof.
Giuseppi Sergi finds that external
characteristics cannot be relied upon,
that the skeleton presents greater sta
bility, and that the characteristics of
the Uranium ale the most important
and useful. From this he traces Is
varieties and 81 subvarieties in the hui
man species, and believes that he has
not exhausted the number.
From experiments made some time
ago, Prof. A. KONG calculates that 100
hues or cOlors can be distinguished by
the normal eye, and nearly as many
by the green or red blind eye. About
$50 degrees of brightness can be detect
ed between the just visible and the
binding.
Our modern ventilation theories need
revision, according to the researches of
Drs. ID. Ill. Bergey, S. Weir Mitchell
and j. 5. Billings. No evidence could
be obtained that the air expired by
healthy mice, sparrows, guinea pigs or
men contains any peculiar organic
matter that is poisonous, or which
tends to produce any special form of
disease. Such air appears to exert no
injurious effects beyond those due to
diminution of oxygen or increase of
carbonic acid, or both. Too much
breathing of the same air is not the di-
rect cause of the discomfort experience
ed in crowded, badly ventilated halls,
nor of the unhealthiness and high
death rates of close, crowded ten
ements. The danger of the air of
crowded places probably rests in ITS
special liability to become infected with
disease bacteria, and perhaps also III
an influence upon the vitality that
predisposes to Infection when the
germs are present. The two chief
causes of the discomfort are high tenn
perature aud unpleasant odors. The
musty odor often noticed on entering a
packed hall may be partly due to prod
ucts of decomposition from decaying
teeth, foul mouths and digestive disor-
uSiSJ anu ~ 10 huc w NOldlilG
fatty acids from eXcretions of the skin.
1t may produce nausea and other dis
agreeable sensations in specially sus-
ceptible persons, but most men soon
become accustomed to it and cease to
notice it.
Looking upon the myriads of white
hot suns of space, doubtless attended
by countless millions of frozen satel-
lites invisible to us, is it not a strange
thought that all life should be confn-
ed to such narrow limits of temper
ature as are found upon earth? Yet,
Sir Robert Ball has assured that the
existence of life as we know it is high
ly improbable on heavenly bodies hot
ter or cooler than the earth, or other
wise materially different. This has
suggested the curious speculation
whether protoplasm of other compost
ton than carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen
and little sulphur may not exist, aud
serve as the basis of life adapted to
temperatures like that of molten iron.
Prof. Emerson has noted that silicon
in the hot stages of the earth played
much the same part as carbon does
now. and it is asked whether a silicon
aluminium series may not have present.
ed cycles of changes-conceivably ac-
companied by vital and subcoascious
or conscious MISUNDERSTANDING
to those underlying the vital phenom-
ena with which we are familiar.
"Who," is fiDally queried, will dis.
cover silicon-aluminum fossil?'
M Il
The Great Barrier Reef of Australia
extends along the coast of Queensland
for more than 100 miles, beginning at
Torres Straights and reaching to Lady
Elliott Island. Its distance from the
coast varies between and 80 miles.
1t is a vast wall rising from the bed of
the ocean to the surface, with numer-
Gus breaches, of which % are large
enough to permit of the passage of
ships of considerable size. II Uustra-
mon of the coral animals: "The SYM
phillies, capable of reaching several
feet In diameter, are covered with COM
plicated meanders; the goniaster re-
semble human crania; the pocillipores
are shaped like cauliflower; the fun
gias recall huge stipeless toadstools,
with gills borne upon the upper sur
face; the lOphoseres are arranged In
vertical leaves, and the madrepores re-
semble ramified and tufted bushes"
These forms exist in colonies, each of
myriads of individuals, which are con-
tinuously destroyed at the base, but
constantly renewed at the summit.
With certain algae they form most of
the reef, yet, there is in addition an
extraordinarily rich and varied fauna.
"There are here sea anemones of gigan-
tic size, gelatinous alcyonarias, odd
mollusks, transparent crustaceans, fam