The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-05-24
SCIENTIFIC.

Anaesthetics caused sxty-one deaths last
year in the United Kingdom, fifty-two due
to .chloroform. Russian surgeons are re-
wing the use OF oxygen with chloroform,
and claim better results.
1t is recommended that every lifeboat car
ried by ships should be provided with a bot
tie of citric acid, which precpitates chloride
OF sodium, and, 1t Is now Gained, converts
sea wafer into a palatable drink.
The positive pole of the electric arc was
estimated by Wolfe in 1923 to have temper
allure of $500 degrees c. Measurements by
Wilson and Gray have now shown the tenn
perature to be $500 degrees c., and that of
the negative pole about 2.400 degrees. the
temperature of the arc itself being undeter
mined.
The new chemistry of high temperatures
is likened by Prof. Deivar to the solvent
power of water. In its solid state this has
little potency as solvent, in its liquid form
other liquid, and its solvency is increased by
heat. So with minerals and metals AS a
solid metal is relatively inert, but under
the enormous heat OF the electric furnace,
with minerals or chemical elements, form
ing compounds which heretofore have been
mainly hypothetical
Pure carbon monosuphide is reported to
have been prepared for the first time by DR..
Deninger. of Dresden. and proves to be a
described in the textbooks. 1t may be easily
condensed to a clear liquid. which evapor-
ates rapidly and is very explosive. The gas
was obtained by placing dry sodium sulphide
with chloroform or iodoform in a sealed tube
and heating to $50 degrees c., the gaseous
product being made to bubble through a
caustic potash solution, which absorbed the
su.phurated hydrogen and allowed the new
gas to pass.
The usefulness of the Roentgen rays to
the physician as well as the surgeon is be-
coming more and more evident. A good
Crookes tube and the fuorescing screen
show practically ali the bones of the body
the very transparent lungs somewhat more
opaque heart. and very Opaque liver. Prof.
c. L. Norton reports readiiy-made diagnoses
or tuberculosis, pneumonia, enlarged heart
and enlarged spleen. that details of The
lower jaw and teeth can be had, but that
no notion can be obtained OF the texture Of
the brain. buckle or pellet of lead is
easily detected in any part of the body ex-
ties Of the head-the antrum, meath and
pharynx-Dr. +. Giazzi. of Peruga. places a
the Crookes tube outside, and thus gets very
sharp images Of foreign bodies, the. bones
of the face and roots of the teeth
The commercial value of scientific training
was dwelt upon in a recent address by Right
Hon. A. j. Mundelia. Switzerland and Ger
many, comparatively poor nations, have for
more than half century been perfecting
their educational systems and have given
efficient instruction according to advanced
ideas to two generations. The result has
been astonishing. Switzerland, a country
without natural resources. without iron.
without coal. without a port or a navisable
river, now exports greater amount OF man.
ufactures per head or population than any
other nation in the world, not even except
ing England. And 1t is the German chemist
md c~faD ricfx nf,i C N a n he
of industries requiring technical knowledge.
| When it was remarked to Prof. Holman
that Germany and Switzerland were over
| producing scientific men. he admitted that
| the 200 doctors of science graduated in a
| single year from one department only of the
| be absorbed at home, but significantly added
You must bear one thing In mind-we have
the export trade entirely to ourselves" The
German scientist at home and abroad, with
| an educational system studying the needs o.
possible customers, has developed the for
| eign trade of the country unit, the astound-
| ing fact has been announced that In 1879 the
| tonnage of sea-going ships touching at Ham,
| burg exceeded that OF Liverpool.
| A curious subject for investigation is pro-
| posed in Nature by T. l. Patterson, who
| contends that persons migrating from tenn
| perate lands to hot. or even from hot tc
| temperate, may become quickly and safely
| acc,imated by incubation with the blood OF
| healthy natives, the theory being that such
| NEGOTIATIONS set up in the blood of the for
/ eigner the changes necessary to render hin
| immune TO disease due 10 the Climate
Blood brotherhood, as practiced in Contra
| Africa consists of drawing blood from ar
| incision in the right wrist. and smearing g
| little of 1t over a similar cut IN each of the
other Sa al,
| concerning its physiological effects is to bs
| learned from past experience; but Stanley !.
| said to have undergone the operation fifty
| t;r,o, cousfy,o TrtrrrDull o declare that thu