The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1900-02-03
Correspondence Baltimore County Union
SCIENTIFIC MIS- CELLANY.

Correspondence Baltimore County Union.
SCIENTIFIC MISCELLANY.
Sleep and Nutrition-Europe's Birth
Rate-Magnetism's T Q C nte nary-
Electricity in the Hospital-An Electric
Barber-The Best Coating for Iron
Speech Recorded by Light-A Prom
ising Material-Mud Stone.
Sleep is found by Prof A. L. Herrera to be
universal, and he discovers but one entirely
general cause.-the delay of the protoplasmic
winch 1tl0 0OHslUtss surveying me
Whole field of living things, he sees that nutri-
tive currents are endowed with very great We
locity in active life, these currents-say. blood,
protoplasmic currents-being periodically de-
layed by the want of the reserves expended
during the day. This delay produces sleep.
The same currents may be less active during
the day on account of inaction or other cause,
giving somnolence they may be delayed by the
constant action of cold. giving sleep in winter,
by an excess of external heat, resulting in sleep
in summer, or by lack of moisture, showing us
latent life. The general co-ordinated currents
may be definitely stopped by coagulation,
poisoning, hemorrhages, asphyxia, etc., this
bringing death. An ingenious artificial or
ganism-with digestive, crculatory and excre-
tive apparatus-has been constructed by Prof.
Herrera to demonstrate his theory and to illus
trate the principal varieties of sleep, life and
activity.
An analysis of European statistics by NJ.
vauthier shows that the mean birth rate of the
various countries is in the following order, be-
ginning with that having the highest Russia in
Europe, Hungary, Servia, Roumania, Austria,
German Empire. Italy, Spain, Finland, Portugal.
Holl Ero nd md oil
mark, Norway, Belgium, Sweden, Switzerland,
Greece, France, Ireland. In all but four coun-
tries the birth rate is decreasing, the rate of de-
crease-0.3O6 per lOO-being most striking in
England. In Italy, Spain, Servia and Norway
there is a slight increase.
Attempts in Queensland to improve sugar
cane by chemical selection have resulted fa-
vorably. Canes were planted that were shown
to contain the richest and purest juice, and the
-yield was juice richer in sucrose and poorer in
glucose than that from seed canes proved chem
ically to be of low grade.
AS long ago as twenty-four centuries before
Christ, states Prof. Ewing, Chinese navigator
named Hoang I'll used magnet for navigating
feet of ships. This is supposed to have been
the first use of the mariners compass. The
form in which he is said to have used it was that
of a fragment of lodestone, natural magnet of
iron oxide, which was fioated so as to be free to
revolve. The mariners compass Of Chinese
origin was first brought to Europe in the thir-
teenth century by man named Marco Polo.
Notwithstanding these early uses of the mag
net, the science of magnetism will be only three
hundred years old next year, as it dates from
the publication of Gilberts famous book in the
year 1900.
IFne effects of high-frequency electric cur
rents on disease, as shown by 24,37l applications
to a total of 9l3 patients, have been summarized
n lie SssS,, 6sSIs 4 Z ,,snroSes IN, tsrs e
return of energy, appetite and sleep. with in
vigorated digestion and greater fatigue en-
durance. The current is harmful in acute rheu-
matism, while it is directly injurious in bring
ing on eczema. 1t is beneficial in chronic rheu-
matism, especially so in govt, and gives good
results in neuralgia, sciatica, calcareous forma-
tions. varicose veins, piles, dyspepsia and
asthma
A progressive Paris barber serves his custom
ers by electricity. The water is boiled in q
soapstone tank by German silver tube kept
hot by an electric current; the curling irons
are kept at a steady and harmless heat by cleo
tricity; the hair is cut by clipping machines
driven by electric motors, and smuggling of the
hair is done by platinum wire in an electric
circuit much better than in the old way.
"a
The Widen process for coating steel and iron
consists in the use of bath containing "a per
cent. by weight of zinc IA of tin. Is of lead and
0.5 of aluminium. AS in galvanizing, the articles
are dipped into the melted alloy and the result
ing coating is claimed to be the best known,
being firmly adherent, resisting corrosion and
standing red heat without injury.
sFs
Photographic records of messages borne upon
rays of light are made and reproduced in the
new apparatus of Josef Chania, of Lemberg,
Austro-Hungary. The recorder is box with a |
mirror diagram, and it's reflections are passed |
through prism and focused upon a rapidly |
moving chemically prepared tape. The vibra-
ion of the reflector by the voice affects the in
kensity of the reflected light, causing the action
upon the sensitized strip to vary. In the repro |
Queer, the unrollng strip reflects a ray of light |
upon the rim of a rapidly moving wheel madeup |
Of many strips of selenium, which are in a tele-
phone circuit. The variations of the record strip
are claimed to vary the current passing through |
the selenium-that is, to vary the resistance of |
the selenium-and thus to cause the sounds re-
corded to be reproduced in the telephone.
"a
The acetate of cellulose Uncovered two or
three years ago by Cross and Bevan, in many re-
spects resembles the nitro-celluloses, which in
clude gun-cotton but differs from them in be-
ing non-explosve and in resisting high tempera-
lures. It is not soluble in alcohol, acetone or
ether, but dissolves in chloroform, nitro-benzine
and some other substances. DIR. G. o. Weber has
lately called attention to its valuable properties
for it an important future. It is a
better insulator than gutta percha or India
Euhher and may take the place of mica for in
sulation and of celluloid for many other pur-
poses.
-
Sea mud is made by a German company into
stone that resists weather and water, and is
claimed to have unusual advantages as an insu-
ator of heat. 1t is mixed by adding per cent.
Of quicklime to the mud, then dried, lixiviated,
again dried at 1902 c.. and afterward burnt.
Still greater firmness is given by adding crystal
lized iron sulphate.
An English engineer mentions troublesome
,olliery fire that was extinguished by the use of
six cylinders of liquefed carbonic acid gas On
,hipboard and in other places this extinguisher
,ould be quickly applied. and would damage
yoods far less than soaking with water.
.R. SAMUEL e. LLOYD,
-: VETERINARY SURGEON -
BALTIMORE COUNTY VET
Urinary HOSPITAL,
TOwsON, MD.