The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-08-15
SCIENTIFIC.

An international scientific association was
proposed at the meeting of the British as
ISOLATION in Canada in 1884, and it is now
suggested that the year 1900 would be an
appropriate time to organize such a society
Floating fish-canning factories are pro-
POSED in Sweden. The factory would be
sea-going vessel with full equipment for
canning. and would be anchored near the
fishing fleet. The factory could follow the
migratiOns of the fish, the canning of the
fish while really fresh being an important
result.
Some unfortunates, we are told by M.
Philippe Tissie are born tired" in a lit
eral sense. The condition is enc of nervous
debility transmitted by mother to her Off
spring as a result of her own fatigue ar
exhaustion-a kind of poisoning of the
child through the Vitiated blood of the
parent
Among equine dwarfs the smallest is
claimed to be pony reared by Marchese
Careano, a horse fancier of Lombardy 1t
is said to stand only six hands or twenty
four inches high, while the Shetlands are
seldom under eight hands. The owner has
theory that small horses will return a
greater amount of work than large horses
for the same expense in feeding.
The microbes of fevers may be scattered,
Prof Charles Tichborne believes in dew
from sewers. AS the sewer water is usually
two or three degrees warmer than the cold
air of certain hours of the night, the wat
cry Vapor rising through traps may be fire.
quently condensed when each particle of
dew is liable to become a raft on which
microbes may be carried for miles to be
finally deposited wherever the dew is dis
Sipated-perhaps in a dwelling reached
through a warm shaft
Breslau surgeon, Professor Mkuliez,
wears gloves of fine thread in performing
operations, and declares that this not only
causes no inconvenience or difficulty but
makes it easier to hold the tissues. The
purpose of the gloves is to reduce the
chances of introducing troublesome germs
Several changes of gloves are necessary in
long operations, and each pair is made
thoroughly aseptic in steam, while the
hands are washed and dsinfected in the
usual way. A further recommendation is
the use of a respirator of fine muslin as
safeguard against mouth bacteria
The phosphorescent lamp on which Puluj,
an austrian physicist, has been at work for
many years, has a bulb much like that of
the ordinary incandescent lamp with elect
rodes of aluminium wire extending directly
through the wall Of the bulb. The negative
pole terminates in a. small disc. A small
square sheet of mica, coated with sulphide
of calcium, hangs from the lamp globe, and
faces the disc. When either one or both
poles are connected to an induction coil or
plate electric machine, a stream of radiant
electricity is reflected from the disc TO the
mica, causing the latter to glow with bril-
liant phoSphoreScence.
From an exhaustive study of cave debris
rear the Rhine DR.. Jacob Nuesch con-
cludes that this record of the human occu-
patton of Switzerland extends back about
900 years. Traces of man and his chipped
stone industries are found with the oldest
animal remains, which belong to post
glacial time and sub-arctic climate. This
period Of man and animals lasted about
5000 years. Then followed a. period of 8 600
to 1900 years which seems to have been
without man and characterized by a grad
ual change Of animal life to modern types
and this was succeeded in turn by the lake
dwelling and polished stone period of about
4,VW years, which came to an end with the
Introduction of bronze about 900 years ago
1t is probable that man inhabited milder
parts of Europe long before the Alpine
glaciers had melted sufficiently to permit
his occupation of Switzerland.
Common errors resulting from the germ
theory Of disease were pointed out by Prof
Liebreich at the recent German congress
of internal medicine. Medical men have
carefully studied the substances capable
Of destroying the bacteria, but ii is essen
tial to consider the cellular elements OF the
organism, and to avoid the error of con-
centrating attention entirely on microbes
that often not the primary cause of
disease, but have developed to an unusual
extent through lowering of vitality. The
bacillus of tubercle, for instance, is found
in healthy lungs. its development assuming
the character of disease only after the
vitality of the pulmonary cells has been
impaired. Professor Liebreich is of opin-
ion that Kochs new anti-tuberculin will
not be more successful than the former
preparation, and states that, While Beh-
rings diphtheria antItoxin has been very
favorably reported on, there are many COM
petent observers who question its benefit.
Tetanus antitoxln he pronounces useless
The origin of life must long continue a
tempting subject for speculation. A Phila-
delphia investigator Mr.. Charles Morris
contends that the conditions favoring the
development OF organic material were tran
STORY and no longer exist such material
having arisen from a vitality active stage
of inorganic chemistry. There must have
been p time in the earth's history. he rea-
sons when chemical inactivity prevailed on
account OF high temperature and unfavora-