The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-08-28
SCIENTIFIC.

SClENTlFlC.
1t is claimed that acetylene is likely to
prove a specific for cancer The surface is
coated with calcium carbide, water is ap-
piled, acetylene is evolved, burning sensa-
ton is felt and the symptoms are immedi-
ately abated.
nA new German exciting liquid for electric
batteries. called 'calcidum consists of
oXychloride of calcium dissolved in a solu-
ton of sal ammoniac. This is cheap, good
conductor of electricity and does not
crystalline even at zero temperature.
copper mask, believed to be unique. is
an interesting object found in the wrap
pings of a mummy at Chimbote, Peru. 1t
was shaped from a single nugget Of copper
by hammering on a mold and the features,
except the dwarfed nose, are well formed
and distinctive.
The wabbling of the earth's axis is meas
ured by a systematic determination of lati-
tudes. Prof A. De Lapparent points out
that it is a decided error to regard the
earth's crust as immovable, and suggests
that 1t may be we'll to make sure, by sulta-
bic measurements, whether the supposed
displacement of the pole is not due to local
changes of the very points whose latltudeS
are selected for determination.
Striking changes in New Zealand have
followed the volcanic eruption Of 1886, which
destroyed the famous Rotomahama ter
races. A visitor Of this region, Mr.. Fl. M
Cadell, reports mat the shower of fine vol
canic ashes has made the surface water
tight for miles. causing the streams to be-
come raging torrents after every ralnfall,
and to excavate deep gorges. Shortly after
the eruption two new lakes, with COM
bined area. of twenty-five acres. had taken
the place of the terraces; but five years ago
the water had risen four hundred feet unit
ing the two lakes in one of $500 acres.
The "pine-barren region" of the eastern
coast Of the United States, with flora
quite distinct from those of the neighbour
ing hill and mountain regions, becomes
wider and more continuous toward the
south, and in the Carolinas often extends
back from the coast about eighty miles. MY.
T. Fl. Kearney reports finding miniature
pine barrenS in sandy spots high up in the
Appalachians. The. islands of coastal
vegetation, with their pitch and scrub pine
and the associated herbaceous plants, are
especially to be seen along the French
Broad river in East Tennessee and western
North Carolina.
Volcanic flames are so rare that. while
they have been described by credible OBJ
servers, their existence has been doubted.
They had not been noticed on Vesuvius for
eighty-four years until last April, when the
phenomenon was so conspicuous as to be
convincing, and to lead to speculation as to
it's cause. Prof. e. Semmola supposes that
the orifice may have been closed by fall
of the crater wall, the pent-up gases becom-
ing heated until chimney was formed
through which they escaped in flames. Prof.
V. Matteucci noted that the small flames
were of longer duration than the larger
ones, and that thhe latter did not last with
out intermssion for more than nineteen or
less than fifteen days, and ultima tely be-
came small and Quiescent like the others.
He concludes that the greater part of the
gases evolved from VOLCANOES has the power
Of producing flames.
Some curious experiments with liquid air
have been reported by NJ. D'Arsonval to the
Paris Biological Society. A guest who had
been handed glass of champagne contain
ing half an ounce of liquid air drank the
mixture without waiting for it to thaw, and
in few moments suffered from a great
distension of the stomach. which, however,
was soon relieved by sudden violent expul-
sion of food. and gas. On pouring liquid air
upon the hand it at once assumed the sphe-
roidal state. breaking into globules which
baciili and bouillon, cultures, of diphtheria
and other disease germs were placed in
liquid air, in one case remaining for six
but, contrary to what had been expected
this had little effect upon the subsequent
growth of the organisms.
novel method of measuring high tenn
peratures, capable Of accuracy within one
degree in measurements up to the melting
point of gold, depends upon the fact that the
retroactive index of a gas takes the same
value when the density is reduced by dimi-
mutton of pressure as when it is reduced by
rise of temperature. A beam of light is di-
Vided, one-half passing through a tube of
air in which the pressure can be varied and
measured. the other half traversing a tube
of air which can be heated electrically by a
coil of wire surrounding the tube. The two
portions of light are then recOmbined, so IS
to give interference fringeS. The pressure
of gas in one tube is varied so as to coun-
terbaance any motion of the interference
bands due to rise Of temperature in the
other and the rise of temperature is then
calculated from the variation of pressure.
The spectroscope with which Fraunhofer
made his famous map of spectral lines early
in the century contained single prism.
Greater dispersion of the light vibrations
was later effected by the use of trains of
prisms, and in recent Investigations the
spectrum has been still further spread out
by ruled gratings. Even more powerful is
the new Echelon spectroscope, the invention
of Prof. A. A. Nicholson, which is pro-
nounced the greatest advance for many
years in optical science The light diffract-
ing part of this consists of a pile of glass
plates, each plate narrower on one side
than the preceding, thus forming steps, and
dividing the light into beams, each of which
has travelled something like 10000 waves
more than the one behind and 10000 less
than the one next in advance. In other
spectroscopes the difference between success
SlVe DcaUlS Is one TO -FOUR waves LII a TRIAL
Echelon. at the University OF Chicago,
there are twenty plates, each about three
fourths of an inch thick and projecting one
twenty-fifth of an inch over the next sue
ceeding plate; and with this the three COM
ponents into which Zeeman found spectral
lines to be separated in the magnetic field
are doubled and tripled. The resolving pow
er is increased from 10000 in the older in
struments to 10000 with the reasonable
certainty that at least 100000 will soon be
reached. With the advantages of cheapness
and enormous dispersion of small portions
of the spectrum, the new instrument has
the disadvantage of not giving continuous
spectrum.
LITERARY NOTES.