The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1900-07-10
SCIENTIFIC
MISCELLANY.
Constant Battery-HOuse Light
ing-Anti-Fat of Greece.
THE CORSICA'S CHESTNUTS
Measurement of Taste-Oxygen for Sea-
ckness-Hail-C Cloud Bombardment
-Blood-Temperature-
Mamma.

In the new electric battery of Pop
penberg, the positive elcctrode is a
hollow cylinder of retort carbon filled
with depolarizing matter and closed at
the bottom by an insulating plate, the
negative is a cylinder of zinc and the
two rest on a horizontal porous plate
or diaphragm, beneath which is a thick
layer Of sulphate of soda, with or with.
out little common salt. When water
is poured into the cell, part of it passes
through the porous diaphragm, dissolv-
ing the salt. The solution passes by
endosemose into the water above, form
ing an electrolyte that varies but
slightly with time, and causes the bat
terry to retain its strength for long pc
riod. The electromotive force is about
two volts.
The color and character of the walls
have much to do with the lighting of a
room, and experiments have shown
these percentages of reflection by diff
fcrent wall materials: Black velvet, GA;
black cloth, 1.3; black paper, AS; dark
blue, SO; dark green. 10.1 pale red 1862;
dark yellow, 20: pale blue, 30 pale yell
low, 40; pale green, 46.5; pale orange,
54S; pure white, 20; mirror covering, 92;
Dull or vanished paint also has effect
Aside from mirrored walls, white var
nish ensures the best lighted room, and
this may be advantageously used in
conjunction with incandescent gas light
as the most economical source of arti-
fetal illumination.
OF nearly 500 treats mostly on
medicine, alleged to have been written
by Galen, less than 100 accepted as gen.
unine are now known. A hitherto un-
known Greek text on the lessening of
obesity has just been published by Dr.
kalbfeisch, Of Fribourg. Among the
recommendations are to eat birds which
are found in arid mountains and fish
which frequent rocky shores, and to
avoid vegetables which are round.
Records of more than 5000 observa-
tions showing the deviation of the mag
netic needle from the voyage of Col
umbus in 1892 to 1850, have been collec-
ted by German physicist.
Probably no modern discovery in
natural history has been more seeminly
gum exuding from the bamboos of
Central India at a time when people
are suffering from their greatest fam
Inc. This substance is pleasantly sweet, |
occure in white or brown stallactiform
rods about an inch long, and is found |
by David Hooper, of the Indian muse
um at Calcutta, to consist mainly of a |
sugar related to, if not identical with, |
q
the bamboo forests of Chanda was first |
made known last March. The sugar
differs from the bamboo mama Of his !
tory, which is not sugar, but white |
gritty body occurring inside the stem
Of the plant, and now called tabashir by :
Europeans. Tabashir contains about
80 per cent of SILICA, with varying pro-
portions of alkalies and organic mat
ter. 1t has been much used in medi-
cine.
Wherever extensive forests cover the
land special industries are growing at
their expense. Immense forests of
sweet chesnut trees exist in Corsica,
and the most fiourishing industry of
Island Is probably the extracting Of
tannic acid from these trees, about 20.-
300 tons Of the wood being now required
annually for the 1000 tons of liquid ex-
tract sent away. Without compulsory
planting, this wholesale destruction of
forests is likely to bring serious conse-
quences in time. 1t is feared that not
only will the climate be affected, but
that the peasants will suffer the loss of
their staple food of flour from the dried
fruit of the chestnut
Attempts to measure the sensation of
taste are being made by e. Toulouse
and V. Vaschide, French psychologists.
They test with sodium chloride for sal
ty tastes, saccharose for sweet tastes,
Of quinine for bitter
and citric acid for sours-solutions of
these substances, varying in strength
along decimal scale, being prepared
with distilled water. A special dropper
gives drops of unvarying size. Another
series Of solutions is used for determin-
ing "odor tastes" which, as with anise |
or vinegar-are ordinarily experienced,
but disappear when the nose is stopped.
With the universal use of electric
light instead of oil, gas and candles,
al iIH6llSH StdllSllCldn calculates
the United Kingdom would have 10000
less deaths annually.
The disappearance of consumption |
within period of so years Is recorded |
as a prediction of Sir James Crishton |
Browne. This Is to be largely a result |
OF more open air and sunlight in cities. |
The inhalation Of oxygen as a remedy |
for sea-sickness was first suggested by
DR.. Dubois of Lyons. The idea has
been taken up by NJ. l.. Dutremblay, |
who has made numerous successful |
experiments, and has brought the mat |
ter to the attention Of the French acad- |
emy of medicine. The malady proves
to be due to imperfect ventilation Of the |
lungs. The sudden and rapid displace-
ment of the viscera and the contraction
OF the diaphragm act as principal
causes, and bring about such secondary
manifestations as headache, nausea, |
chills, etc. The oxygen gives rapid re-
lief. 1t Is inhaled through the mouth |
A.<- - -.