Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1900-02-23
SCIENTIFIC MISCELLANY.


for plaintiffs.
SCIENTIFIC MISCELLANY.
The problem OF the hexagonal ar
rangement Of honeycomb cells has re-
ceiVed Il new solution from Messrs.
Charles Dawson and S. A. Woodhead,
English naturalists. Structural instinct
In the bees is the usual explanation, but
on noticing hexagOaal forms In COOL
ing wakes and resins II was questioned
whether the bees had not been credited
with a skin not really theirs and fur
Their experiments were made, Melted
wax was slowly cooled In shallow trays.
when hexagons OF about the size OF
hive bee cells were seen forming. When
perfectly cold the hexagons We're indis-
tinct or invisible, but the planes were
marked by greater density OF the wax,
and the experimenters traced the out
lines with vermilion and black lead, and
then photographed them. on placing
the wax plate In the hive, the bees be.
gan excayating in the center OF the
Rexagons, stopping when the denser
walls were reached Portions Of the
wax were then kneaded into froth
by the bees and placed on the edges OF
the hexagons, and other portions were
put away for future use. Rapidly
cooled wax, free from the crystalline
structure, were entirely chewed up. 1t
is concluded the newly formed wax is
softened by the body heat Of the bees
crowding around It. and In It's slow
cooling forms the hexagons, which are
then followed out by the bees, the
honeycomb being thus built under the
architectural guidance OF Mother Ma,
ture herself. Another interesting dis
cOyery Is that parafiin wax and adul-
terated beeswax take different crys-
talllne form from pure beeswax max
ing this test OF possibly great value
In analysis.
The effects Of hunger when prolonged
are found by Prof. Lassignardie to be
much like those OF drunkenness At
first the intellectual powers become un-
| usually active, and the imagination
runs Wild then there is a change 10
exoitability, selfishness, cruelty, and
weakened faculties.
The number Of roses seems 10 be enor-
nous. Prof. NJ Gandoyer enumerated
7sS species Of Europe. the Orient. and
the Mediterranean basin, two years lat
er adding 95 as new discoveries in
France alone.
The Stassano electric furnace, which
has been tested In an experimental
plant OF horsepower near Rome, ia
claimed 10 reduce the cost Of producing
iron and steel about one-third The
apparatus resembles in appearance
blast furnace Of very small size, the
heat being supplied by an electric arc
between carbons entering opposite
openings at the bottom OF the furnace,
and adjusted by hand. Carbonates and
oxides are the ores usually treated. The
former are first roasted, and II is neces-
sary 20 powder all ores and mix them
with such proportion Of carbon, lime
or silica as analysis may show 10 be
necessary for producing the desired
quality OF metal, and then to form the
powdered mixture into bricks with or
10 per cent OF pitch, under hydraulic
pressure The dried bricks are fed into
the heated furnace, the treatment then
lasting little more than half an hour
in test producing a small ingot The
process Is aided by the combustion OF
trio energy required for each ton OF
metal is estimated at 1900 horse power
hours Further experiments are to be
made with three furnaces OF about 300
horse power each capable Of yielding
about 1900 tons OF metal annually.
The preparation Of a permanent Ink.
which Is Of the utmost Importance 10
pharmacists and all requiring perman-
ent records, has been q subject OF ex-
pertinent by Prof W. $. Scoville The
most satisfactory Of about Twenty-Five
Ink formulas proved 10 be the follow
Ing: fannie acid so grains; ferrous sui
plate tgranulated), 1902 grains: lndl.
gotin, l02 grains: water, pint Dis
solve the acids In ounces OF water
the iron and indigotin each in 4 ounces
OF water, then mix the solutions. This
ink writes greenl>i black, changes 10
almost fadeless jet black, dries readily
and does not rub or run.
A camera that does II all Is the He
lioder' Of Herr 4. O. F0rsterling. II
not only exposes film. but develops
the negative on this, and then prints
positives on sensitized cards Of which
The magazine Of the apparatus carries
l2o.
During an influenza epidemic In the
north OF England, the curious fact has
been noted that only the men working
N very high temperatures have escaped
infection.
Al organs Of sense are stimulated by
electricity, DR.. J Mount Bleyer points
out. In the retina II excltes sensations
of glare and dazzling In the ear IL pro-
duccs a peculiar buzzing noise, In the
tongue II gives a very Characteristic
metallic sensation. and 10 the nose II
creates snee2lng irritation, and an odor !
o. ammonia.
Germany now beginning rapid extern
sion Of Its use Of electric power and
lfht. is said 10 use as yet not more
than 100000 horsepower Of electric on.
ergy in all, while one Of Its steamship
fleets Is alone equipped with $4,000
horsepower In steam.