The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1896-09-11
written for the CITIzEN.l

q useful disinfectant for sewage, but is
said to have been adopted as an anti
septic in Paris hospitals. According
to DR.. Proger, of Asniers, it is neither
caustic or irritating; it may be applied
to the mucous membrane as to the
skin; it instantly removes all bad
odors; stops all putrescent fermenta-
ton; kills microbes more effectively
and rapidly than any other antiseptic,
cleanses and heals fetid wounds and
sores; and is, III fact, an ideal antisep-
tic. He urges its advantages from a
domestic point of view for deodorizing
and cleaning, and from medical point
of view as as an antiseptic and healer.
He reports successful use Of it in cases
of angina, coryza and. incipient diph-
liberia.
An interesting case is reported by
DIR. w. H. Miller in which a boy, ap-
parentIy dead from drowning, was re-
suscitated after lying in cold room
for an hour. All efforts to revive him
had been without avail. The patient
was alternately suspended by the legs
head downward for eight to four sec
onds and laid upon his back for two
seconds. The tongue was pressed
down and The throat tickled and clear
ed with the finger during the suspen-
sion, and air was forced from the
lungs by pressure on the chest while
the body was lying down. At the
fourth suspension slight pressure of
the Jaw was felt, at the fifth a faint
whisper was heard, and at the sixth
loud cry was given. The treatment
was then completed by stimulants,
rubbing, hot bricks and blankets, and
putting to bed.
The color of the black diamond has
been proven by M. Heuri MOrissan to
be due to carbon differing from that of
the diamond. On powdering small
black diamond ana heating it in cur
rent of oxygen to a point 200 degrees
below the combustion temperature of
the diamond, carbOnic acid was given
off and the diamond became white
and transparent. Only the powdered
diamond was thus affected.
The "Great Rift Valley" whose eX-
istence was first pointed out by Suess,
is believed to be an immense fissure re-
sembljng@ the cracks seen on the moon.
1t is supposed to extend from the
Zambesi Valley on the south to the
Jordan Valley and the Dead Sea, pass
ing across eastern Africa and through
the trough of the Red Sea. Its total
length is 1000 miles. 1t was said by
the discoverer to contain thirty lakes,
of which only one has an outlet to the
sea, but more recent eXplorer-Dr.
Gregory-has traced western branch
of the rift, which seems to include the
Lakes Albert, Albert Edward and
Tanganyika and thus to be drained by
the Nile or the Congo. A section of
120 miles extending on both sides of
the equator was studied by DR.. Greg
DRY, who finds the depression to be let
down by faults on each side. The fact
that the resulting cliffs have not been
removed denudation seems to show
that the valley is of comparatively re-
cent formation, while evidence is found
that great changes of elevation have
taken place throughout the area. Dur
ing one of these changes great lake
was formed, of which traces are still
left.
The native vegetation of New Zea-
land is being rapidly supplanted by
foreign plants. A very destructive ill.,
1uence on the more delicate species is
being exerted not only by man but by
the close feeding of sheep and rabbits,
and by the black rat. Even more de-
are the animal and vegetable
parasites which the introduced plants
bring with them. A catalogue of the
plants of the country pub
lished in 1866 embraced Al species,
while one authority is now acquainted
with 304 species, and others put the
number as high as 1872.
Wooden fish hooks of two different
types are reported to be still in use near
The hahn is of broom-wood,
spindle-shaped, sharp at both ends ana
sWelled in the middle, about an inch
long, and carried by line tied to the
the cL0beOn is of Hawthorn,
somewhat shorter, pointed at the lower
end, with thorn projecting laterally
Rt the upper end. The forms belong to |
the most primitive times. The first is
found in bone and ivory in prehistoric |
while the second is like |
the thOrned hooks of negritOes of the |
Malay Peninsula.
During late repairs on a house i'm
Dover, England, the whole interior of
the sloping roof was found to be cover !
ed with honey-comb and honey. The |
quantity reached hundreds of pounds, !
much of it black with age, hut some I
still good.
The magnetic poles not only do not |
with the geographical poles.
but they are constantly shifting, and
our dependence upon the compass
gives great importance to the expedi-
ion, now being planned by Prof. Lang
ey, for determining the present posi-
ion of the magnetic north pole. A
'tudy of polar movements has been
made by Prof. Weyler, of Kiel, from
he long-kept magnetic records of nine
cen stations. The periods range from
67 years at Stockholm to 1853 at Paris,
md give data from which the positions
# the magnetic poles have been calcu-
ated for the years 1880, ITO, 1740, 1900,
$780, 1860 and 1890. The north pole
vas in 8Oo28r north latitude and $4,000
vest longitude in 1880, and it's latitude
nd longitude gradually lessened dur
ng the century following. The lOngi-
n g. L -