The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-11-22

power, %. as and 60 per cent. respect
lively; Illuminating gas motors of the same
Queer gas motors. 73 1912 and 1913 per cent
Cheapness of installation and economy of
space are claimed as further advantages of
the gas engine plant
High civilization does not seem to favor
extreme length of life. A German Stats
tician finds that the German empire has
but IS subjects over 100 years of age, France
213. England 146. Ireland SIS. Scotland 46.
Denmark 2. Belgium ), Sweden TO- Norway
-. Switzerland none Spain 40, Servia $40.
Roumania 1,0S4, Bulgaria 3,SS. The last
named country has a centenarian for every
thousand inhabitants. The Oldest man in
the world is believed to be Bruno Cotrim,
a negro of Rio Janeiro. whose age Is l5O.
MOSCOW cabman is in his 10th year and
Servia in 1890 had three inhabitants between
l33 and lao, with eighteen between 125 and
So sensitive is the human organism to
conditions CT heat, cold and moisture that
it has been recognized as unsafe to attempt
certain tasks-such as those requiring ac-
curate mathematical calculations - when
these conditions are unfavorable. The
influence Of atmospheric variations on the
attention of school children has just been
subject of investigation by DR.. NJ. G.
Schuyten. From observations in four dif-
ferent schools in Belgium he finds that the
attention of children varies inversely with
the temperature of the air, being greater
In winter than in summer; that II is greater
In the higher than in the lower classes;
that ii is higher among girls than boys,
the difference being greatest IN winter, ana
that 1t decreases from the beginning TO the
close of each half day, being greatest In
the morning.
The usual theory of Photographic devel-
opment, according to communication by
Mr.. Edwin Banks to the London and Pro-
vincial Photographic Association, is that
the unoxidiZed hydrogen of the pyrogallic
acid-to cite one of the best-known devel-
opers-brings out the image by combining
with the bromine displaced from the sensi-
tive bromide of silver by the action OF
that the atoms of bromine and silver are
rearranged by the light without decomposi-
ton or liberation of bromine. He contends
that development is due to the setting up
of weak electric current, which decom-
poses some of the water of the developing
solution, the liberated oxygen OF which
the liberated hydrogen of the water-nor
of the pyro-reducing the light-struck bro
mide of silver by combining with the bro
mine. He had developed images with plain
water, the film being on copper plate and
placed in the water with a zinc plate.
Just what part the ocean may play in
international bimetallism cannot yet be
guessed, but Professor Liversidge's esti-
mate that the sea may contain more than
100 0OO. coo 900 tons of gold-this calculation
being based on experiments showing from
one-half to one grain of gold per ton of sea
water of New South Wales-will doubtless
lead to numerous schemes for putting into
commercial circulation d part of Neptune
reserve. An English writer suggests sea
mining with an old iron ship. The vessel
should be hoated by two alright COM
partmentS, the hold should be cleared and
asphalted, an inlet and an outlet should be
provided and twenty horsepower engine
working a paddle wheel should drive
through the hold from 10000 to 100000 tons
of water every twentyfour hours. The gas
from sulphur burned in a small porcelain
furnace should be blown into the water as
it enters the ship. Sulphurous acid reduces
gold from it's solutions, and in the large
hold the reduced metal would have time 10
settle. The chief working expense would
be for crude sulphur. of which the con-
sumption need not be very large. 1t is pro-
posed that such a vessel be anchored in
some sheltered strait and locked once a
year to recover the gold from the hold.
The fruit of the service berry, the WELL
known decorative shrub that retains its
bright, red berries even in midwinter, was
the source of a sort of scientific puzzle
about half century ago. says Cosmos. In
1852 Pelouze discovered in standing juice OF
service berries a sugary, perfectly crystal
lied substance having the properties OF
glucose The new sugar was named sor-
bine or sorbose. There was nothing aston
lSnlng ABOUT the discovery, Out Wnen OtneI
scientists desired to make some sorbose the
puzzling thing happened-the product alb
sclutely refused TO appear. The mystery
has now been cleared UP by NJ Bertrand
a Partisan chemist Repeatedly exposing
crushed service berries to the air, ne OBJ
tanned the usual alcoholic fermentation, fol-
lowed by the growth of a whitish layer on
the surface of the liquid. but there was no
trace of sorbose. At last a little red vine-
gar fly was observed to alight on the sur
face layer A remarkable transformation
| followed the membrane becoming thicken-
| ed and filled with larvae, while an album
dance of sorbose soon appeared in the liquid
below. The work was that of microbes less
| than one rty-thousandths of an inch In
| length. These microbes had been brought
| by the little red fly. had made the mem
| brane thick and heavy by their rapidlyin-
| creasing numbers and by their oxidizing in
| nuence had transformed the berry juice
| into the new kind of glucose.