The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-01-02
SCIENTIFIC.

The measurement of a degree of latitude
in Spitzbergen is a Swedish project, Rus
sian cooperation to be invited.
Hydrophobia has animal instead of bac-
terial origin. in the view of DR.. A Grigor-
jew, German biologist, who has isolated
what appears to be a pretozoan from pa
tients suffering from rabies.
Prussia now has 1887 steam engines for
electric generation, of 1911 1886 horse power,
the number of engines having trebled in
SIX years. Not less than SO per cent. of all
the engines are used for electric lighting
purposes.
The novel feature of the gas motor of
Herr Diesel, of Munich is stated to be
the bringing of the fuel in the working CYL
inder into contact with air so highly COM
pressed as to be intensely hot The en-
glne may be adapted to use coal dust, Pc
troleum or coal gas, the second form con-
suming about 055 of a pound of petroleum
per horse power hour.
Flour compressed into bricks by hydraulic
pressure, the material occupying only
third as much space as the loose flour, is
being tested for army and navy use. Re-
suits thus far appear to show that the
treated flour is quite unaffected by damp
ness, and is free from mold and safe from
the attacks Of insects Unlike loose flour,
1t may be safely stored for a long time
The accurate determination of the atomic
weights is shown by Prof r. w. Clarke
~ w a iiollCA VI real pIdCliCdl import
ance. The atomic weight of chromium is
still placed by European ANALYSTS at the old
determination of 52.5, while American chem
lists have adopted the corrected value of
is imported by the Baltimore Chrome ore
works in cargoes of about $500 tons, is
valued by Glasgow assays at S967.50 per
cargo more than by Baltimore assays.
Photographic apparatus for divers on
submarine excursions has been devised by
Senior Rnrta1IS of do
sists of an incandescent lamp with reflector
in the divers head piece. and an ordinary
camera inclosed in a rubber envelope hav-
ing glass front. Electricity for the lamp
IS supplied by small dynamo in a boat
above. Pictures are taken by pressing but
tons through the rubber covering and oh
tographed under water at distance of ten
or twelve feet as easily in full daylight
An idea of the fearful slaughter of birds
that is steadily going on may be had from
the fact that on the 18th of last April near
ly half a million birds were sold at an auc-
ton in London. These details of the con-
signment were given the Selborne Society
by Mrs. Edward Phillips: Osprey plumes
II 90 ounces; vulture plumes, 1861 pounds;
peacock feathers, 215,051 bundles; birds of
paradise, 1852; Indian parrots, 22S 2S9: bronze
gers and sundry birds, 9S19S; humming
birds, $3.50: jays and kingfishers, As 1883;
lmpeyan and other pheasant and jungle
t,lO
was a similar sale in February with others
to follow in July and October
The steam-propelled aeroplane of Messrs.
V. latin and Charles Richet has a very
light silk covered wood frame, to which are
attached by steel wires two similarly con-
structed fixed wings and a tall A steam
engine drives two screw propelIers-one at
each end-rotating in opposite directions
An experimental apparatus recently tested
nad about l4z2 square yards of wing sur
Iae ter We e9 oa, about f g pounds including
and developed a speed of 20 yards a second
the size and speed being considerably great
err than those of Langley's aerodro1ne The
longest flight thus far has been about i50
yards the machine having a tendency in its
present stage TO take headers The start is
mace on a car rolling down an inclined
plane 81 yards long, at the end of which the
aeroplane is automatically released for free
flight.
In dealing with chronic constipation. the
bane of so many persons existence, mas
sage of the abdomen and electricity are
expensive and require too much time, while
drugs ordinarily soon lose their action. leay
ing the patient more constipated than be-
lore DIR: Vladimir de Holstein. of Paris
reports the best results from the use of
cFeosote, which he supposes to have the
enect-lnstead of that of a purgative-of
neutralizing some toxin causing inaction Of
the intestinal tube. The creosote should be
given pure in water or other liquid Begin
ming with q small dose-say single drop
on account of the burning Sensation and
increasing gradually to seven or eight drons
or even more IL this proves insufficient THE
dose is to be administered twice daiIv
after meals. The treatment is continued
several months, and it is found not only to
remove the constipation but to Increase
the appetite and improve the general CEN
dition.
Much of the problem of life is intermin-
gled with that Of the vitality of seeds. which
is still a matter of difference among biol
ogists. Some hold that there is simply =
slowing down of life in the dormant seed
imperceptible change and respiration con-
tinuing to take place; while others believe
that the vital machinery is brought to an
absolute rest for cine. to be started again
when external conditions become favorable
IN a recent Royal Society paper MesSrs
Horace I. Brown and +. Escombe pointed
the remarkable evidence available The late
y. j. Romanes kept seeds fifteen months in
vacuum of a millionth of an atmosphere
and also in such vacuum followed nv n ,,
atmosphere Of carbon monoXide carbon Ill
oxide. hydrogen sulphide. ether chloro
form, and ether gases and vap0rs and sl1ah
treatment had little effect upon suhseouenf
termination. There could have heen NO
respiration Of ordinary kind. In 1884 Pic
tet and c. de Candolle exposed seeds and
microbes four days to Temperature az
and the authors have since been enahled
by Prof. Dewar to keep seeds at 1S3 degrees
to 1872 degrees below zero for 10 hours stfiI
with no perceptibie influence on gertnf,saat
ton Chemical action being annihIlafe5 g
100 degrees below zero, molecular inter