The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1897-08-13

written for the Citizen.)
1t was only sevenly-two years ago
a single life.span-that DIR. Kitchener
/ wrote that not more than ten achro-
matte object-glasses of siXInch aper-
ture had been made in 1925 years, and
predicted that future opticians might
take like period for perfecting the
nbject-glass of that size! The magnfi-
cent 4l-iuch Ierkes object glass recent
ly completed has a light-grAsping pow
er about As times as great as the lens
that so excited the wonder of the Eng
lish physicist. This great object-glass,
like the Lick 36-inch, is the work of
an American optician, made for an
American observatory, and the most
powerful foreign telescope is that of
Pulkowa, with IA S0-iuch object-glass of
American make. These achievements
in misunderstanding are paralleled
by the progress of science in the New
World. American Astronomy, which
has yielded such amazing develop
meats i'll late years, is, as Prof T.. ).
Holden points out, scarcely more than
half century old, the first working
observatores having been established
as late as lS45, although the first col
lege observatory was opened at Chapel
Hill, n. c., in 1881 With the present
superior equipment of apparatus and
observers, what may we not expect in
the future! The first observatory in
Europe was erected in Nuremberg in
l472, the observatory at Greenwich
dating from 1875, and that of Paris
from 1867.
An International association for test
ing iron, steel and other structural ma
terials was decided upon at a congress
held Zurich in 1895, the purpose be-
ing to standardize the methods of test
ing. The association has since been
organized, and is to establish research
library aud laboratory at Zurich, the
expense t. he divided among the va
rious countries in proportion to their
production.
Prof. Forbes, the British engineer
concludes that electrical transmission
of lower may be profitable up to dis
lance of nearly 1000 miles, although
he formerly regarded such an idea as
absurd.
cn1Ia,, aud ha =, 9
diet is a means of regulating the hu-
man machine whose importance seems
to he too little considered. DR.. Angel
Money, % London, states that it finds
most application i'll chronic disease, Of
ten of nervous character, and not un-
commonly in affections of the mucous
membrane. The substitution of broths,
fish and flesh for milk and farinacea
will often correct'the condition of the
mucous membrane that enables thread.
worms TO develop. Chronic catarrh
will often yield TO similar treatment,
and asthmalic attacks may sometimes
be made to cease for long periods. Con-
WILSON'S in children are frequently al
leviated in like manner. A dilated
stomach or tiatulent dyspepsia may be
treated by Withdrawing sugar and
starch from the food and replacing
them by pure proteds with salts, eX
tractives and water, the merits of
sweelbreads, tripe, calfs head and feet,
unsweetened jellies aud many vege-
tables being too little appreciated in
such cases. The main secret of the eff
fects of such foods Is the absence of LA
bility to ferment and generate gases.
Experience proves that most of the
benefit of complete change of diet is
obtained during short period only,
and, indeed, the therapeutic value may
sometimes lie in nothing but the
change.
A colossal work now being carried
out by IA Committee of the British AS
ISOLATION for the Advancement of
Science is the preparation of an SIN.
dex Animaium," designed to list all
the names ever given to animals. 10
ologists compute that 1856 900 species of
recent animals have been described,
and the fossils probably bring the num-
her up to $4,000, while some animals
have had as many as twenty different
names and the average number APP
piled to each species in the British
one-half Assuming that all species
known average three names each, the
completed Index will contain not less
than l,650,000 references. Mr. &. Da-
Wis SherbOrn has been working four
years at the task of finding these names
in the literature of all lands and all
ages, verifying species and dates, aud
cataloguing by slips in the alphabetical
order of the genera. He has completed
100000 references in duplicate, all be-
ing arranged for the reference of stu
dents visiting the British Museum as
the work progresses.
A Budapest Psychologist finds that
digestion is more rapid in the horse
unlike that in man or dog-if followed
by active exercise instead of rest.
The morphine habit, according to
recent French work, is most prevalent
in Germany, France, and the United
States, the number of victims being
large also in Russia, Sweden, Turkey
and the remote East. Entire villages
in Germany are said to be addicted to
the use of the drug. Not less than 40
per cent. of the male victims are sup
piled by the medical profession, 10 per
cent. being men of leisure, s per cent.
merchants, and the smallest numbers
being found among peasants, clergy
men and politicians. OF the female vic
Tins, AZ per cent. are women Of leisure
and 10 per cent. are wives of medical
men. Hypodermic injection of NOR