The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-01-09

culties are overcome by the use Of steel
balls which move freely in the tube for
short distance. This checks the flow Of
water in the lower coils causing the steam
to come off quietly while the constant move
ment clears away all scale.
A farming community of sanitary habits
at Saint-Cuen, a suburb of Paris, consists
Of ninety-eight families OF 511 members,
and is remarkable from the fact that no
case of consumption among them has been
known within anybody's memory. The peo-
pie rarely mix with those of other sections.
The scheme of Mr.. John Milne of scatter
ing earth-tremor observatories over the
globe is being carried out. Recording APP
paratus is to be established at Toronto. Har-
Vard, Philadelphia. Victoria IL. G., two sta
tions in New Zealand, Batavia, Madras,
Calcutta, Bombay, Mauritius. Cape Colony.
Argentina, san Fernando Kew, and prob
ably other places.
Some curious experiments have been re-
ported by Mr.. Howard Swan, London lin
guist and electrician. These have shown
that a certain slow-moving phosphorescence.
which, under suitable conditions, appears in
the dark within the eyeball or nerves of the
eye, is sensitive to sound, and is thrown
by 1t into various movements which are
evidently subject to definite laws. If the
sound is word, the phosphorescent film
tends to form a geometric pattern.
On imbeddng piece of metal in a NOR
tar of chemically pure aluminium oxide,
thoroughly dried, and then subjecting to a
high temperature. Ii. Bischof. of Wies-
baden, has noticed a remarkable retarda-
ton of melting rod of silver which
should melt at 1880 degrees f., was solid
until 2.730 degrees was reached; and palla-
dum, which should melt at 27S0 degrees,
was still Unaffected at 1900 degrees. 1t is
explained that the melting points of the
metals are raised by the pressure due to
contraction of the Jacket of aluminium OK
ide on heating.
The old view that the quality of sugar
beets depends on the number of developed
leaves and the length of life of the plant
has been confirmed, according to Friedrich
Strohmer, in paper to the London Chem
ical Society. Sugar is produced in the
leaves, passing through the leaf stems to
the roots. The production of sugar depends
on the amount of light, and the form and
position of the leaves are of Importance.
Yellow light causes the greatest develop
ment of roots, blue or chemical rays the
largest percentage of sugar. Field expert
ments have proven that sugar production
begins at an early stage in the leaves. but
Is greatest from the beginning of August
to the middle of September.
Infectious diseases are those due to the in
PRODUCTION into the body of some disease
producing agent and much confusion arises
from the fact that all contagious diseases
are infectious, while not all infectious dis
eases are contagious. knowledge gained
us that an essential condition of infection is
that the disease producing agent shall be a
living organism capable of reproduction in
the body of the infected individual 1t mat
tiers not, says Dr. George M. Sternberg.
whether this living organism is large or
small; whether it belongs to the animal or
vegetable kingdom; whether it is located IN
the skin as in scabies in the muscles as IN
trlchlnosls, III the iymphatlcs as IN sryslP-
elias, in the solid viscera as in amoebic alb
cess of the liver. in the intestines as in chol-
era, or in the blood as in relapsing fever,
the introduction and multiplication OF the
living infectious agent constitutes in
when it is transmitted from the
munication or contact Smallpox. scarlet
fever, measles. diphtheria, influenza, etc,
are infectious diseases which are contagious.
while malarial fevers, typhoid fever. yellow
fever, cholera, pneumonia. per1tonlus, etc,
are infectious diseases which are not ord1-
narily contagious.
The question Of atmospheres upon the
planets and satellites of the solar system
has been investigated theoretically by DIR.
tombstone stoney, of the Royal Dublin So
ciety, who has reached some most interest
ing results He has proven Enathematically
that the outward motion of the molecules of
any of the gases under the highest lunar
temperatures would be sufficient to oyer
come gravtation on the moon, which must
therefore be left entirely destitute of an at
mosphere. The attraction of the earth is
insufficient to imprison free hydrogen, and
helium, though supplied in small quantities
by hot springs, etc, for like reason has
failed to accumulate in our atmosphere.
The calculations show, further, that water
vapor cannot be retained by Mercury, while
even nitrogen and oxygen would probably
escape into space, leaving none of the at
mospheric constituents of our world except
possibly argon and carbon dioxide. The
most striking conclusions-in view of recent
speculations-concern Mars, which is found
to be incapable OF retaining water, and
whose atmosphere must consist mainly of
nitrogen, argon and carbon dioxide, the polar
SHOWS being frozen carbonic acid. and veg
citation and canals as known to us being
impossible. Jupiter, from its mass and rate
of rotation, can prevent the escape of every
gas known to chemists. Saturn, Uranus
and Neptune can impriSon any gases more
firmly than the EARTH but may be unable to
hold hydrogen. although Saturn may detain
helium. Venus most resembling the EARTH
has an atmosphere heavily laden with water
vapor.