The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1900-06-02
Oorrsspondence Baltimore County Union.
SCIENTIFIC MIS- CELLANY.


Molluscs of the Farthest North-Cellu-
lose archaeological Effects Initiated
Alcohol Again-Food Anomalies-A
Much-Explained ust
From the Leonids.
The electric organ Of the Adlaktsrxrus eleetri-
cas-, the formidable electric fish Of the Nile, 10
situated in the skin enclosing the entire body,
and consists of rows of compartments, each
having peculiar protoplasmic disc with pro-
iecting stalk. The total number Of these leaf
like discs is 100000 Each half Of the organ is
connected to single nerve fiber. and late inves-
LEGATIONS show that the power Of the shock
reaching maximum of 200 volts in a fish eight
inches long-is due to the simultaneous develop
ment Of similar electromotive changes in all
the discs. The electrical disturbance in single
disc is about the same as that in ordinary nerves.
The shock consists Of a rythmical series of
rapid impulses, and the interval between the
shocks increases from tenth Of a second to
several seconds as the animal becomes fatigued.
The organ as weapon is likened to self
loading and self-discharging automatic gun.
AFn
The early history of appendicitis cannot be
traced, but DR.. George W. Edebohls believes
the first reference to it to have been in 1912.
The first recorded operation on the appendix
was performed Aug. "a, 1888. The first success
ful removal Of the appendix was carried out on
May s. 1885, and since that time the percentage
Of successful operations has been slowly in
creasing. The obstructing bodies found include
q great variety of articles. pins being very
common. About four per cent of all women
are said to have appendicitis, the male victims
being fewer.
The mollusca collected by the Jackson Harms
worth expedition are found to include 30 species
fromKolguev and 90 from Franz Josef Land
these being the most northerly points from
which molluscs have been obtained. The total
number of species known from the coast Of
Norway is 400.
A peculiar property of the water of Lake
Titicaca-attributed to contain salts-is said to
be its lack of action on immersed metals.
Chains and anchors continue for weeks as bright
and free from rust as they were originally.
-
The artificial silk of Chardonnet is one of the
most interesting of the many products of cellu-
lose. The value Of this product is attested by
the rapid growth Of its manufacture, the en-
larged works at Besaneon, France, having a
capacity of 1000 pounds daily and the production
at Sprietenbach being 600 pounds per day, while
factories are projected in England, Belgium and
Germany. The first stage of manufacture is the
nitration Of the cotton or wood-pulp, producing
pyroxyline. This operation requires great care,
as mistakes may occur and several varieties of
pyroxyline are obtained by using different mix
lures of acid. The pyroxyline Is placed with
ether and alcohol In a cylinder, which is rotated
twelve hours, the resulting solution being COLO
dion. The collodion is filtered through cotton
wool under pressure Of fifteen atmospheres,
and is then ready for use. The silk spinning
frames have pipes running on each side. Each
pipe has number of taps terminating in glass
capillary tubes, and the collodion is forced by
pressure of forty-fve atmospheres from the
reservoir through these pipes and the ins tubes.
1t hardens as it reaches the air. forming fine
threads CT silk. The threads are led to bobbins,
from twelve to twenty to each bobbin, as in the
case of natural silk. This silk being very in
fiammable, the product is reconverted into cell
lulose by process of denitration. novel use
of the material is for the mantles of incandes-
cent gas lights, the rare metals mixing with the
collodion better than with any other thread.
81
Folds of rock with allied phenomena, are re-
produced for the instruction of geological stu
dents by novel apparatus devised by Prof. G.
A. Lebour, of the Durham College of Science.
Two parallel wooden rollers. about four inches
in diameter. are mounted about three feet apart |
and are provided with gears and crank to rotate
them slowly in opposite directions. A sheet of |
rubber is firmly attached to both rollers. The |
rubber is stretched by rotating the rollers when |
layers of cloth, clay paste are laid on it, and
on reversing the rotation the folds are shown
gradually growing with the contraction.
-
Crystallized naphthaline, Prof. S. P, Thompson
points out has sixty per cen s sssat ssls est in
~ ,reia..sv ,,rfif5rlz Into frisfnss how - must
be covered with glass TO bfgNsffa slBfimation.
The physiological effects of alcohol still attract
much attention Speaking to a Britfsh temper- |
ance society Mr.. Victor Horseley stated that,
though himself a rabid teetotler, he could not |
endorse the assertions on this subject often |
made on temperance platforms. But the harm
full tendency Of even small doses of alcohol has |
been definitely proven in recent experiments.
The nervous system is injuriously affected by it,
the oxidation necessary to the protoplasm of the
brain is diminished, and certain amount of
tissue degeneration is produced, even in healthy
persons. Hospital practice with alcohol has
greatly changed during the last half century.
In cases of pneumonia and typhoid fever, milk
has been largely substituted for the alcohol for
merly used, and in surgery the antiseptic system
of Lord Lister has made alcohol unnecessary.
-.
What is one animals meat may be truly an
others poison. Mr.. ]. 3. Harting lately repor- |
ted to the London Linnean Society several cases |
in which parrots were poisoned by eating pars- |
ley; and he recalled that. on the other hand, the
berries Of the yew and privet held to be poison |
GUS to man, are greedily eaten by blackbirds. |
thrushes and other birds. Cases are on record, |
however, of the poisoning of pheasants by yew |
leaves. Theimmunity of goats from yew poison |
ing is remarkable in view of the fact that deer |
and cattle have died after eating the leaves, al
though suggested explanation is that the dried |
leaves eaten by cattle differ from the green |
leaves eaten by goats.
About thirty different theories are found by |
NJ. A. B. Chauveau to have been offered to ex- |
plain the diurnal variations Of atmospheric cleo
tricity. From a comparison of various records, |
he concludes that the influence of the soil |
probably due mostly to the evaporation of mega |
lively electrified water-is disturbing cause in
the daily variation, and that the general law of |
variation is represented by simple oscillation |
having maximum in the day and remarkably |
constant minimum between 800 and 4.S0 M.
"a
The brilliant sunsets due to dust from the |
great volcanic explosion at Krakatoa are still |
vivid memory. Mr.. Horace Darwin suggests
that dust from the LeOnlu meteOEs may haNc |
been q cause of recent striking sunsets.
Deer Park Hotel, Md.
Swept by mountain breezes, $500 feet above |
sea level. Absolutely free from malaria. hay |
fever and mosquitoes. On main line of Balti- |
more & Ohio Railroad. Hotel and cottages. |
Every modern convenience. Rooms en- suite |
with bath. Electric lights, elevator, turkish |
baths fwo large SWIMMING rools. uoif hrke. |
tennis courts, bowling alleys, magnificent drives.
complete livery service. Annapolis Naval
Academy Band. Delightful cottages furnished |
for housekeeping If desired) ready for occu- |
pancy June LIST. Hotel open from June 23d to
September 30th. For rates and information |
address W. E. Burwell, manager, B. & o. Build |
ing Baltimore, Nd, until June 10th. After that |
time, Deer Park, Garrett County, Md.
Reduced Rates to Philadelphia.
On account of the Republican National Con- |
vention at Philadelphia, June 10th, the Pennsyl- |