The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-09-04
SCIENTIFIC.

Nervous people should be relieved to know
that a search of medical literature reveals
no substantial case of burial alive
Two members of the Italian Chamber of
Deputies propose a society for studying ma
laria, which keeps from cultivation 5000 600
acres of Italy and kills 1900 inhabitants
yearly.
Paper teeth, which are not sensitive to
heat and cold and are made proof against
the moisture of the mouth, are reported to
be becoming popular in Germany. Such
teeth do not break or chip. and they are
much cheaper than porcelain.
For the mysterious and smuch-dscussed
sea-coast sounds known as 'barisal guns"
or mist pouffers,' Prof. Cleveland Able
suggests that the causes doubtless vary
They may be produced by the drum fish, by
breakers dashing on rocky cliffs by the
cracking of rocks in lodges or by genuine
earthquakes at the ocean bottom.
One of the later marvels of little things
is the taking of pictures through the lens of
an insects eye. We are filled with astonish-
ment, says Mr.. F. W. Saxby, when we re-
fleet that from dragon fy's head we could
obtain 20, 900 perfect lenses. so minute that
million of them would not cover a square
inch and yet each be capable of yielding a
recognizable photograph.
A dye that can be quickly removed by
washing, stated to be made by boiling
chickory with sea water and adding pure
chlorophyll to the cooled liquid. is to be
carried in stock by German war vessels
sent to foreign waters. 1t is intended espe-
cially for use in active service in tropical
jungles, it's purpose being to give to uni
forms dark color not easily seen by the
enemy.
plea for hypnotism was lately made
to the British Medical Association by DR.. j.
Milne Bramwell. He gave instances of it's
successful use in medicine. and asserted
that although the many patients he had
hypnotized included those of all ages and
mental conditions, he had never seen the
slightest bad effect He refuted the state
ment that hypnotized patient could be in
duced to sign a large check under the "sug
gestion'' that it was a small one. The sub
ject, he affirmed, loses no power of his nor
NAL state but gains others, persons of weak
will being often enabled to give up vice.
Some interesting observations on hail have
been reported to the st. Petersburg Acad-
envy of Sciences. On April 80. 1897, NJ
Czernik, near Ivangorod, in Russian Po-
land noted two falls of different kinds from
nearly opposite directions. the hail of one
being large. pear-shaped grains containing
peculiar nucleus. while that of the other
was transparent granules of the shape OF
1attened ellipsoids The dark particles of
the former have been found to consist of
iron. with traces of nickel, cobalt and sill
con. From the composition, Professor Kar-
pinsky concludes that the dust unquestion-
atmosphere from space. On an earlier occa-
sion. volcanic dust from Vesuvius was
found in hail collected by nj. Czernik at
the same spot.
The regular increase in the area Of the
Pc delta has been studied by Professor
Marinelli. Comparison of the Austrian map
of about 1923 with the records of surveys
made in 1893 shows that the mean annual
increase during those seventy years has
mill
and from all known data 1t appears that
the total increase during six centuries has
been about 1873 square miles. That is. the
sea CONQUEST of one river has added 1-600 to
Italys area in this period. The increase is
continuing and the Gulf of Venice is
doomed, to disappear; although Professor
Madinelli calculates that the time required
to fill the entire northern Adriatic above
AS north latitude will certainly exceed one
hundred centuries and will probably be
more than 120.
The odor emitted by man has been held
by Prof jaeger to vary according to the
moral qualities of the individual. While not
concerning himself with this view. DR.. A.
Bethe a German psychologist. has made ex-
periments that lead him to declare that
every person has his own peculiar scent.
and he believes that there is also a family
scent of which every member Dartakes to
a greater or less degree, and which is never
completely lost by long and wide separation.
| Yet he maintains that the human scent is
not born with us. but is acquired. The indi-
| vidual odor can be distinguished not only
| by a dog but also by some persons of ex-
| ceptionally well developed sense of smell.
| and one of these gifted individuals. with his
| ewes bandaged, successfully named more
| than twenty acquaintance by simply put
| ting his nose to each one in turn.
The plan of travelling by tunnel to the
| center of Mont Blanc and then taking an
elevator for vertical ascent of mile and
a half to the summit is an amazing one
even in these days of great works. French
engineer M. Paul Issartier proposes a
| tunnel Is, S64 feet long, to terminate at $500
| feet above sea Level after rise of 600 feet
! In its length, and from this vertical shaft
/ ia bv l3 feet in size. TO the summit, $500
/ feet above. The excavatsng would be done
/ from below. A strong two-storied steel
/ chamber would be raised on steel racks az
| the corners of the shaft, the upper floor
/ carving the compressed air drills and the
! Il wer one being provided with rock crushing
apparatus. and the rock blasted out would