The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-05-15

like a sunbhrn-being produced on the con-
Juncsiva, or outer membrane covering the
front of the eyebal. This IS less likely to
occur at night than in the daytime, when
the glare of the arc gives less conspicuous
warning. The effect may not be noticed for
n Icrn 81 and Is first percepunle as slight
ness on the eyebail shedding of tears, and
IN bad attacks an intense aching and blind
ness Protection against the eyeburns can
only be secured by mask covering the en-
tire face. with glasses of special design.
Unexplained Photographic reversal occa-
sionally shows lightning in camera pictures
as dark track instead of a light one. Elk
perimenting with electric discharges. Mr..
a, ". Clayden, an English meteorologist.
white background and diving the plate ex-
ira exposure to diffused light after the cleo
trio discharge. The most curious result is
that the reversal does not take place IL the
exposure to diffused light is given before
the electric spark discharge.
Electrical machinery operated by one
man. is applied to the ringing of the three
great bells of the Church of st. George,
Berlin. A motor of ten-horse power gives
100 revolutions per minute to a shaft, on
which are three loose drums, each having
at its side a friction wheel fixed to the
shaft. Pressure of the wheel against the
the drum acts on the bell lever, and as the
bell reaches the middle of its swing, ar &C.
centric releases the drum and allow the bell
to swing back
In an investigation described by Mel
ander, a French meteorologist, 5000 OBJ
servations with an Aitken dust counter
were made in Finland, the Sahara and
elsewhere. 1t was found that the dust par
ticles in the air increase in number with the
dryness, being usually at a minimum in the
afternoon. Winds from land carry more
dust than those over water. and those blow
ing from an area of high barometer or
down high mountains are very dusty.
~ alTcf ion iCh no n
dust causing fog and rain. Dust particles
are effective in causing rainfall, but
whether there can be rain without them Is
an important problem yet to be solved.
The scientific development of the potato
as a food seems to have been strangely
neglected, according to NJ. Baland, a French
chemist, who has made known some inter-
esting facts. Thin slices held toward the
light or photographed with Roentgen rays
show that the potato aside from the skim
consists of three layers, diminishing In
thickness toward the center, the outermost
layer containing the greatest proportion of
starch and least of heterogeneous matter,
while the innermost layer is richest in nj
trogenous substance and poorest in starch.
The outside layer is driest, the inside mar
row having considerably more water. On
the average, IS per cent. of the potatoes
weight is water % per cent is starch and
2 per cent. is heterogeneous matter, but the
proportions vary so greatly that the food
three times that of the poorest. Chemical
analysis, however, is not necessary for a
relative estimate of different varieties. Po-
tatoes crack open in hot water because they
are deficient in albumen-not, as has been
supposed, on account of the swelling of the
Starch-and those remaining whole on boil
ing are the ones that contain most albu-
men, or heterogeneous matter, and are the
most nutritious.
The sanitary stamping out of yellow fever,
which has it's source in Cuba and is often
brought thence to the Southern States, is
suggested as a possible result of the Amer
icanizing of the Pearl of the Antilles.
Whether the hope is justified or not, the
disease may be expected to give the invad-
ing army trouble during the coming sum-
mer. Interesting in this connection are Dr.
SamarelliS efforts in Brazil to find a spe-
cifc treatment and his latest report gives
much encouragement, showing mortality
under his immuniZed serum injections of
I'VE In twenty-five cases, whereas the usual
mortality in average epidemics at the Bra
lillian capital is about so per cent. With
further experience and an abundant supply
of more active serum than is now available
he looks for better results. AS animals do
not readily tolerate strong doses of the
virus, difficulty is experienced in supplying
serum, but this has been usually obtained
by intensive treatment of horses for twelve
to fourteen months The serum acts only
against microbes not against their toxins.
1t is therefore effective only at an early
stage of the disease and is useless when
the poison formed in the body of the patient
has reached fatal quantity.