The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1902-10-04
Correspondence Baltimore County Union.
SCIENTIFIC MIS- CELLANY.


Used-Up Metafs-A Hay-Fever Study
Improved Luminous Paint-Pnotogra-
ply with Dyes-Glaciers from Volca-
noes-The Eyes and Health-lnvlslDle
Northern Lights--Swallowing Pnoto-
graphed-Moss on Trees.
After its life in the arts, NJ. Ditto tells US, a
metal is gradually returned to the eartn-in
most cases in its original form. Iron and TIN are
reconverted into oxides; copper, into oxides
and sulphides; silver, into sulphdes; and lead,
into sulphides and carbonates. Gold and platl-
mum, usually found pure, disappear through
friction and mechanical action. In the SOIL
the more or less altered metals and further
changed by saline substance and water. and
are slowly washed into cavities, to form metal
lferous deposits for the use of future centuries.
~
Hay fever is a subject of perennial investiga-
ton. BY inquiries among 400 persons at North
Sea resorts, DIR. Thast has confirmed the as
sumption that its chief popularity is an idiosyn-
Grassy Of olfactory nerve in respect to the odors
of certain flowers, and that the only places abb
solutely free from it are those with scanty, low
vegetation without much poisoning. While
no remedy will cure once for all in few appli-
cations, the experience of these persons shows
that it can be relieved and even cured by local
treatment.
The new self-luminous mixture of French
chemist, claimed to require only very short ex-
posure to light and to be unusually brilliant ana
lasting, consists of 20 parts of dehydrated sodi-
UNI carbonate, 5 of sodium chloride, of magne-
SUM sulphate. 500 of strontium carbonate, and
$50 of sulphur. The wel-mixed materials are
kept at a white heat for three hours in mufie
from which the air is carefully excluded.
-.
The largest pendulum ever made is that with
which Messrs. Berbet and Flammarion have
been demonstrating the earth's rotation, in
Paris A lead ball of SO pounds Is attached to
fine piano-wire about 30 feet long. The oscilla-
ton lasts 16 seconds
Color photography through the bleaching
action of light upon certain dyes has occupied
the attention of Karl Worel for more than
three years. He has found that paper coated
with suitable proportions of certain red, yellow
and blue dyes reproduces the color of the light
falling upon it. and that the sensitiveness is
greatly increased by ethereal oils. OF about
100 different oils tried, the oil of anise proved
the most powerful sensitzer this property de-
pending upon its anethol. In practice, bath
was prepared with alcoholic solutions of prim-
curcumin, auramine, and certain amount of
anethol. and writing paper-free from wood
pulp-was passed through stained glass pic
ture or a colored positive. The aDethol was
then removed from the print by soaking an
hour or two in benzine No perfect liking
agent has been discovered but placing the
print in saturated solution of sulphate of cop
per for two or three hours gave fair results.
~
The novel theory that volcanic eruptions pro-
duce glacial ephoch is advocated by Paul and
Fritz Sarasin, German biologists. 1t is calcula-
ted that lowering of the mean annual tenn
perature by 70 or 50 +. would be sufficient to
give all the phenomena of gaciation; and the
vast quantity of dust thrown off by the Kraka-
tor eruption of 1884. and remaining suspended
in the air for years, satisfies these theorists
that the simultaneous eruption of many volca-
noes could so veil the sun as to give the neces-
sary slight lessenDg of temperature. This
would make possible new iceage at any time
-
Simple eye strain is at the root of many of the
ills of nervous patients, in the opinion of DR..
George s. Hull. The brightness of CALIFORNIA;
sunshine sends many visitors to the local ocu-
lists. who, in relieving the eyes relieve also the
stomach trouble, headache insomnia, depres-
sion, spinal exhaustion, and even tuberculosis.
for which long health trips are taken.
white rust is an unexplained disease of
English and German galvanized iron that has
developed within year or two.
-.
Spectroscopic observations prove that auro-
ras occur much more frequently than has been
supposed. At new observatory near Coffin
gen, the auroral line was distinctly seen in the
northern sky by e. Wiechert from Nov. to 9,
and he was led to suspect that the phenomenon
is always with us. But it could not be detected
on clear evenings of December and January.
on February 2Sth and March 3D., and it was cal
culated that, if the aurora's height was not less
than 80 miles, the same method should detect it
as far south as Italy. In all these observations
the naked eye showed nothing but faint gen.
eral luminosity of the sky, not half as bright as
the Milky Way.
Internal parts of the living body in action
have been photographed by DIR. P. H. Eykman.
In investigating the motion of the tongue,
pharynx and larynx in swallowing, he fixes an
electric contact on the Adams apple. the move
ment of which closes the current feeding the
X-ray tube at perfectly definite moment dur
ing the motion. To get distinct photograph it
is necessary to repeat the motion 12O or 100 times
The position of the contact is altered for OBJ
tanning pictures of other phases of the swallow
ing. Despite the difficulties of this curious ex-
pertinent fairly good photographs have been
made, and they throw new light on the work
ing of the organs of the throat.
-
A familiar belief is that moss grows chiefly on
the north side of trees. The notion is not es-
tablshed by science, and an examination of
many trees has shown Prof Henry Kraemer,
Philadelphia botanist that 10 per cent. had the
moss on the west side, 10 per cent. on the north
west side, 10 per cent. on the north side, 20 per
cent. on the northeast side, 50 per cent. on the
east side, and Is per cent. on the southeast side.
-
Berlin dentists new local anaesthetic is a
preparation from fresh suprarenal capsules of
oxen and calves, Injected into the gums, this
gives insensiblity as deep as the bone.
Low Rate Excursion to Niagara Falls.
The Pennsylvania Railroad Company will run
its remaining popular ten day excursions to Nj
agara Falls from Washington and Baltimore on
September 18th, and October I'd and 10Th. A
special train will leave Washington at A. NJ,
Baltimore 905 A. NJ, York 10.45 A. NJ, Harrisburg
11.40 A. M, Millersburg 1920 p. NJ, Sunbury 1858
p. NJ. Williamsport 2.3O P. NJ, Lock Haven 3.Os
p. M, Remove $3.50 p. NJ, Emporium Junction5.05
p. NJ, arriving Niagara Falls at 935 Pm.
Excursion tickets. good for return passage on
any regular train, exclusive of limited express
trains, within ten days, will be sold tat $1,000
from Washington and Baltimore; 1885 from
York $1,000 from Littlestown $1,000 from Ok
ford, Pa: $685. from Columbia; $3.50 from Har-
risburg; $500 from Winchester, Va. 81. 80 from
Altoona; $40 from Tyrone $6.45 from Belle
fonte': 500 from Ridgway $3.50 from Sunbury
and Wilkesbarre; 1915 from Williamsport, and
at proportionate rates from principal points.
A stop-over will be allowed at Buffalo within
limit of ticket returning. The special trains of
Pullman parlor cars and day coaches will be
run with each excursion running through to
Niagara Falls. An extra charge will be made
for parlOr-car seats. An experienced tourist
agent and chaperon will accompany each excur-
sion. For descriptive pamphlet time of CON
Meeting trains, and further information apply
to nearest ticket agent, or address Geo. w.
Boyd, Assistant General Passenger Agent, Broad
Street Station, Philadelphia
Reduced Rates to Washington via Penn
sylvania R. R., Account National
Encampment, G. A. R.
For the Thirty-sixth National Encampment,
G.. A. R., to be held at Washington, d. c.. Octo-
Der 6 to ii, the Pennsylvania Railroad Company