The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1900-09-15
Correspondence Baltimore County linton.
sCIENTIFIC MISCELLANY.

Correspondence Baltimore County Union.
SCIENTIFIC MISCELLANY.
A Much-Prized Horn-The Coming Stage
Coach--A Brain Destroying Game--Hair
Growth-Direct Photographic Posltives
Grabs as Vegetarfans and Soil-Tnlers
The Gunners' fredericksburg by
Electrolysis-An Acoustic Paradox.
The most magnificent of the wild cattle Of
Europe called Urus, or sometimes Aur0cns;
name more often given to the Di s6 s wss Of an
elephant, and seems to have become e1tlnct De-
tween two and three centuries ago. IL was
ers, our modern breeds of cattle being at least
partially descended from it. Its immense size
Is eEdens rr0m Ssn 4, N s sne Whie tbe spa
of the horn cores is 5H feet. A horn OF this
splendid animal is unique relic that Or. Nehr-
ing has just reported from peat bog In Lower
P0merania. Such horns have been unknown OF
late, although they were quite common at pub
lie resorts in South Germany and Alsace-L o-
raine until quite recent date, one known ia
the Strasburg Cathedral as late as the nrst
French Revolution having measured 81 feet.
A problem that NAV mean much to rural dis
tricts is receiving attention near Paris, pair
of trolley wires has been stretched along the
highway for half mile, and double troiley
driven by little motor along these wires carries
to the motor Of an automobile. The length OF
the cable permits the carriage to run on either
side of the road, turning out as may De neces-
sary: 1t is predicted that trolley-fed carriages
will become valuable extensions of railway sys-
TENS. and that the wires Will also PROVIDE
farmers with a source of needed power for az
ricultural work.
Why chess playing should lead 70 insanity Is a
question raised 10 Germany BY the melancholy
condition Of Steintz, the great master OF chess.
The list OF mad chess-payers' IL long one.
mathematicians, who might be supposed 70 SUI
fer a. much from mental strain. do no become
insane.
The hygienlc-dIetotIc treatment has been
found By v. schrotter 10 an experience Of IS
e5Iozls. even ia dTsncs.i stages.
CutsIue the hair close 20 The head in small
patches on several persons. +. P0hl has careful
" measured The subsequent growth and made
checked the growth Tor = month. when u re-
turned % the normal. TIE average rate II
ineh month ID isoys II Is n wears 81 are. 81
luch a. q % = years and little over = inch
% g. Ia q number q insane patients the rate
% hairs form distIncf group. Ia which one
takes the lead in growth for q time. then the
tssf ~ h~i,s rss .ls ~ ,ts 49, al
out. io similar succession IN each group. The
t.me singular pnenomena we're ioand IN the
~ : hair y % years. in which time l. gross
~ - ~ lncheA. the most rapid Mrowth being Ia
the m'adie q The perip,
The producfien % direct posltiTcs. b the sim
pie methol - }. \. thornton and G. y 5. Roth
t0aFAphy. The process consists essentially Ia
the ne ~ q thin transparent nlm q selatino-
pfpmldf cmulsi1n coated upon an opaque nex.-
nie backing, such a. black paper Or colluloid.
and treatment Of picture with q whitening so
luton after the usual developing and the fixing.
fecled by q solution Of mercurlc bichloride.
cuprlc bromide or chloride. fcrrlc chloride. or
other chemical having the desired action on the
m
protected BY the Opaque backing. can be trans
ierred 20 the camera By daylight.
During a recent visit to Christmas Island. 200
miles south Of Java, G. W. Andrews Of the
British Museum was able to verify by photo
graghs the story that the palm crab Bir0Ns ldfr0)
climbs trees, which Is done not only TO secure
the fruit but also TO feed on juices from cuts in
the tree-tops. Some of the smaller land crabs
do great service In renewing the soil by contin-
ual burrowing, doing work performed elsewhere
by earthworms.
A study of scuryy, in Russian provinces where
i has been epidemic for many years, leads Prof.
form OF chicken cholera. The same bacteria APP
peared in both diseases
The causes of the detection of a proiectiIe as
IL leaves the gun is the interesting and impOr-
tant study which Profs. Cranz and Koch have
begTa. The experiments thus far have been
made with an ordinary rifle. and the method has
consisted in throwing beam of light from a
bright spot on the barrel upon rapidly moving
sensitive film, the vibrations of tuning fork
being photographed at the same time for COM
parison. The position of the rejecting spot
and the size of the powder charges syste-
matically varied. The gun reaches its greatest
vibration after the ball has left it. but motion
before is distinctly recorded, and is especially
marked with reduced charges This true theory
is yet to be worked out. Release of the barrel
from the weight of the protectile, waves of heat
causing unequal expansion, and the thrust of
the gas ring against the ri6ing, are among the
suggested causes of the vibration, but the real
explanation will doubtless be found in a COM
several
will be continued with larger guns.
ga
The electrolytic cartridges of Tommas which
are intended to take the place of those of dyna-
mite and powder and are harmless when not in
aa2e Of an alaafrfs oIss.sossf I'Iatfnufz wires
passing through the ends are connected to a
suitable battery. One kind of cartridge con-
tains concentrated solution of carbonate of
potassium, which on being decomposed by cleo
trOlysis gives of hydrogen and carb0nic acid,
increasing the pressure until the cylinder ex-
plodes. Other tubes are filled with chloride of
ammonia.
A new rescue apparatus for coal-miners, made
in Vienna. embraces an oxygen container.
tight-fttng mask, and a breathing bag in the
form of rubber cloth collar containing quick
lime for absorbing carbonic acid and water
vap0r. The wearer Of the appliances can go at
will into mines filled with irrespirable gases
-
A curious test for deafness has been brought
before the Paris Academy of Medicine by DIR.
BONNER. On applying tuning fork to the knee
or other part of the bony structure. nothing is
heard by the sound ear but the note is distinctly
audible 70 an ear in which disease has begun.
Niagara Falls Excursions.
The Pennsylvania Railroad Company has Sc
lected the following dates for its popular ten
day excursions 10 Niagara Falls from Philadel-