The herald., 1897-10-17
BREVlTIES OF SCIENCE
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The latest useful factor in saving and
polishing stone is an abrasive called
krushite. 1t is made. says The Engineer
ing and Mining Journal, Of the best quail
ity of steel. This steel has new and ad-
mirable qualities. 1t is unbreakable
under the saws and rubbers and bein
perfectly round and evenly graded, 1t
cuts faster than crushed steel and
scratches but little.
The physiological effect Of laughter
Is the subject of an essay written by DR..
H. Campbell, an English scientist. The
doctor seems to agree with the general
opinion that laughter is good exercise.
TTsating the matter from a scientific
rk.nt of view. he says that when we
laugh we increase the play Of the ten
sion of the lungs and that one result OF
this increased tension is to arrest the
blood flow in the lungs and thus induce
the taking OF deep inspirations. "These
latter" he continues. "are healthful
processes, for many parts Of the lungs
are not called into active use during
ordinary breathing" The Biblical sage
meant quite as much as the modern
scientist when, in simpler terms he
wrote, "A merry heart doth good like
medicine"
According to The Electrical World the
telephone is used in Spain in place OF
the telegraph. Under this arrangement
Is was found that the speed of trans
mission was greatly limited by opera
tors at the receiving end who coud not
transcribe the messages with sufficient
rap'dity. The difficulty was met by an
ingenious application Of the phono-
graph The receiving operator repeats
the message into phonograph, from
which 1t is then transmitted. This
repetition Is also heard at the
transmitting end, thus serving as
control for the correctness
of the received message. The speed is
at the rate of eighty-six words per min
ute, which means double this amount
IL the return message is included. 1t is
curious that this new application of the
phonograph should, Of all places in the
Spain.
The importance of taking care of
chidren's feet occupies the attention Of
the editor in a recent issue of The Hos
pital. The subject is Of much interest
to mothers who, as our contemporary
says. are convinced that the comfort and
symmetry of the feet in mature years
are largely to be gained by giving them
freedom during the time of growth.
"It matters very little" says The Hos
pital. "to child's future well-being
that at some period of its childhood the
sleeves Of Jacket have been too short
or that the skirt Of a frock too scant,
but the compression of feet In boots too
tight or, even worse, too short, may be
a cause of torment in future years. In
finitely better are bare feet than clumsy,
heavy ill-shapen boots" And this is
every word true. In winter the feet need
protection, but during a great part of
the year children may safely and health
fully go barefooted." Many a man has
found hindrance not only to health and
comfort, but to business success in
diseased or malformed feet-has found
himself shod for life with physical in
conveGencies and distractions by the
loving but ignorant overcare or, more
likely. by the foolish conventional pride
OF his immediate maternal ancestor
Science lifts its voice in behalf of the
little chidren's feet.
A new optical invention is the vista
scope. an interesting and skillful device
which enables persons on the ground to
view the surrounding country with al
most the same effect as if they were in
the clouds or elevated as a kite. w. A.
Eddy. well known for his success in fly
ing gigantic kites, Is the inventor 1t is
designed on the lines of the ordinary
camera obscura. says the Scientific
American. but the pictures are thrown
from mirror set at the top upon a sheet
Of semi-transparent paraffin paper.
"The apparatus recently used by Mr.
Eddy measured 5x2h feet and was car
ried up in the air by a team of Eddy
kites reinforced by Hargrave box kite
The vistascope was sent up to height
Of $50 feet. Mr.. Eddy lay flat on his
back with a powerful field glass and
looked up at the reflector of the camera
obscura. He was able to see objects
with great clearness; houses and trees
q mile and half distant were distinctly
seen"
This device may prove of use in future
military operations, by disclosing the To-
cation and numerical strength of bodies
of troops, etc, concealed from ordinary
view by intervening distractions.
4 + 4
How to get rid of the smoke nuisance
forms the subject of recent paper read
before the Franklin institute by Prof
Il. H. ThurstOn. He thinks legislation
Is the main instrument of suppression
simply because it is actually practical
to suppress the nuisance by available
means" And he believes that boards o.
health should have the enforcement of
this matter. st. Louis has met with
success in the reduction of smoke, and
even Pittsburg has profited by the appli-
cation of modern scientific ideas to this
end. By experiment it was foun d. thai no
smoke was ever produced in an atmos-
phere of oxygen. Singularly the compo-
sition of SCOT was found often to be sub
Stantially that of the coal from which it
was produced. The conclusion has been
reached that in the average case we can
not expect reduction of smoke to result
in economy of fuel or expense. Fortu
nately, this smoke nuisance is something
unknown to Southern California, except
ing from cigars pipes and cigarettes!
+ + +
Professor Bilslk says that water may
be sterilized in five minutes by adding
to it bromin, and that bromiu may be
then neutralized by adding ammonia.
A gallon of water, says Popular Science