The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1901-08-02
SCIENTIFIC
MISCELLANY

Electric baths have been used by DR..
lArnlitage, an English physician, in the
treatment of chronic lead-poisonine
and in 40 severe.cas 81 were benefited.
Isome being completely cured. The rap
id improvement is attributed to the
change of the lead salts in the body
into new and insoluble compounds. The
apparatus used consisted of a large
porcelain bathtub, carefully insulated
and provided with a large carbon mega
tive eleetrode at the foot and a small
movable carbon positive electrode and
a battery of 120 large Leclanche cells,
connected in threes. The treatment be-
gan with the use of Sd to 120 cells, but
at. the close only "a to so We're needed
The patient was immersed for 15 or 20
minutes in the water in the tub. and
the current was regulated by his sensa-
ftions, the best results being obtained
when the skin was Redeemed without
causing actual pain.
Injury of early fruit by frost is
| thought by M. Bellot des Minieres to
be result of rapid heating by the
sun of the plants made sensitive by
cold. He has tested his theory by
|
after frosty nights, and claims that
in every case the slowly dissipated
blanket of smoke so protected the
vines from sudden change of tempera-
ture that they were not harmed by the
cold. French viticulturists are plan
ming to try also the firing of cannon
horizontally over the ground on the ap-
proach of frost, strip of vineyard 500
! 70 xxyf6a hoy vii fb,,C
damage when vines on both sides were
badly injured.
! An equipment of wireless telegraph
apparatus for motor carriages is late
idea Of M. Marconi and it is expected
that carriages so equipped will prove of
much Importance in military maneu-
verS.
| A new work by D. G. Elliott shows
! that the mammals known to inhabit
America north of Mexico have increas-
ed in A years from 800 species to more
than 1,000
| A Chinese plants milky juice, known
oily and volatile matters, then is
ed with ramie fiber for a new artificial
rubber. The fiber is first freed from
eoily and volatile matters, then is
crushed with the gummy juice between
slightly heated cylinders. The result
ing mass is baked In an oven for four
hours, and is then worked in a mixing
mill to destroy the fibrous structure, an
oxidiZing substance, such as potassium
permanganate, being introduced in the
last stage. softening material, like
balata gum, may be added if desired
The mixture is cooled for forty hours,
and is finally cooked by steam at a
pressure of fifty pounds per square
inch for three hours. The cooled prod
uct is claimed to have all the proper
ties of india rubber. A good quality of
fexibl rubber Is obtained from 80 per
cent of gum, Is Of fiber and of sui
phur, better quality resulting from
mixture of 72 per cent of gum, 10 of
fiber, 10 of balata and.8 of sulphur For
a flexible hard rubber formula is rs
per cent of gum, 20 of fiber and 5 of
sulphur. a.2f-,s
Waves passing the breakwater at
Peterhead, North Britain, during a re-
cent gale of fifty to ninety miles an
hour, were 22h feet above saltwater
level, and t is estimated that the
scrests were forty feet above the
troughs. The wave period was from
thirteen to seventeen seconds, and the
length of the waves was between 500
and 700 feet. Though exceeding other
estimates of high waves, these meas
urements seem to be the most accurate
yet made.
| Intoxication from the nectar and pol
len of plants has been a subject of
investigation by DR.. ]. M. Weir, Jr.
This affects insects. and it appears
! that the cosmos flower is specially po-
tent as source of drunkenness in bees
and other nectar-loving creatures. A
bee so drunk that it could scarcely get
upon its legs was taken to the labora-
tory and placed about two inches from
cosmos blossom. It Immediately
staggered to the flower and began to
suck the nectar, and in few mo-
ments tumbled over-ai senseless and
almost inert victim of appetite. Drunk
en- beetles found under the blossoms
prove that the pollen must have the
same effect as the nectar, these insects
being unable to reach the hectares.
The experimenter swallowed half
teaspoonful of the pollen, and in about
fifteen minutes experienced a feeling of
exhilaratfon, with acceleration Of the
pulse and warmth An injection into
the arm Of half drachm of liquid dis
titled from an infusion Of the hectares
caused exhilaration for half an hour,
followed by nausea.
The Nordrach treatment of tubercu-
losis provides for an abundance Of
fresh air day and night, 'superabun-
dance Of food, and exercise graduated
by body temperature. Decidedly ia
vorable results in Ireland are thought
by DR.. Kitchens to be of great interest
as showing that the cure of consump-
ton does not depend on climate or sun
shine. The good effects have been OBJ
tanned during cold, wet summer, and
an unusually wet and stormy winter
! Instructive experience with acetylene
for lighthouses has been gained at
A