The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1902-05-10
Correspondence Baltimore County Union.
SCIENTIFIC MIS- CELLANY.

Correspondence Baltimore County Union.
SCIENTIFIC MISCELLANY.
Chemical Production of Life-Milk for
Infants-A Novel Fruit Preserver-Tin
Foil-Hertzian Waves and Solar Phe-
nomena-Poison in Manure-The Small
est Notwithstanding a Nervous NAL
ady-A New Sense-Scientific Tailoring.
The missing solution necessary to complete
the transformation of dead matter into per-
feet living organism is being confidently sought
by DR.. A. d. Houghton. He affrms that he las
succeeded in producing an active protoplasmic
mass containing distinct nucleus-like centers,
which exhibited ameboid movement. Itassimi-
lated nutriment, it gave the reaction to aniline
dyes that organic cells do. it had protoplasmic
stomach, it showed selective affinity, and it even
made feeble attempts at perpetuation OF its
species. 1t split into four or FIVE cells, each
like the mother-cell After half an hour to
three weeks of activity, the cells became inert,
but they had fulfilled all the conditions of liv
ing cells, such as amebae, except in perpetu-
ating their kind indefinitely.
-
By regulating the food of mich COW, NJ
Spolverini claims to have made its milk salts
factory substitute for human milk. The first
experiments were made on goat by feeding it
with eggs or little meat in addition to the regu-
lar food. and later on another goat was fed with
sprouting grains of barley. In each case the
goats milk was changed to the chemical COM
position of human milk.
az
A new French refrigerator consists of closed
metallic cylinders surrounded by a freezing
mixture, being designed for keeping fruit at a
fixed temperature. with a restricted amount of
air and an absence of light. Thawing must be
gradual. After two months peaches were in
perfect condition. and the method is adapted
for transporting soft fruits, including bananas.
-
OF double monstrosities, like the Siamese
twins, or two per week are stated to be born
in Europe alone. They are too short-lived to
become widely known.
-.
In paper on the modern manufacture of tin
foil, Rafael Granja states that the varieties now
supplied are pure tin foil composition foil, and
Dutch leaf The composition foil consists of
lead covered on both sides with thin coating
of tin while the Dutch leaf is prepared from an
alloy of tin with a small percentage of secret
metallic composition. The grade of fineness is
indicated by the number of square inches to the
pound. The best composition foil covers 1900
square inches, the thinnest pure tin foil spreads
over 10000, and Dutch leaf reaches 1900.
-
Whether HertZian waves reach us from the
sun is a question that astronomers are about to
investigate. Reasons are found for believing
that the sun must emit such waves and NJ.
Charles Nordmann shows that the emissions
must be particularly intense during violent
eruptions and at periods of maximum sun-spots
This view is made to explain the form of the
solar corona and the spectra of comets.
-.
The possibility of poisoning from arsenic in
the soil has been studied by Messrs. A. and A.
F. Angel, British chemists. The arsenic i'm
purity of superphosphate of lime was in
creased to one-half of one per cent, about II
times the usual proportion, and this manure
was applied to various crops in two lots-part
at time of sowing and part when the plants
were well above ground. 1t was found that
some arsenic was drawn up mechanically into
the young leaves of rhubarb and the grasses
and into the green pods of beans, but no trace
reached the fruit or seed of any plant.
-
Horses are shod with various materials. Most
horses in Japan wear shoes of rice straw bound
with ropes of the same material; and ponies in
Iceland are shod with sleeps horns, and in
camel's skin are sometimes used on horses in
Egypt.
beautifully carved boat of oak lately dug up
in Ireland is 46 feet long, finely preserved and
about 1000 years old.
Young cattle of South America are attacked
by peculiar disease-sometmes known as
manquea-that is recognized by characteristic
lameness of one leg and develops foul-smelling
3 abcesses. Mr.. o. Voges, of Buenos Ayres, has
discovered in the assesses bacillus that is
UGH smaller than that of influenza or any
: Tr hitherto known, being scarcely percepti-
chen magnified 1900 times. Experiments
fectio-aya. mice rats and hhts resist 10.
cumb in "a to As honrs, and that the effects are
due to direct action of the bacilli and not-as in
the case of tetanus and anthracite poisonous
products they produce. The disease is one of
hot weather, NEGOTIATIONS failing in winter
-
Of the pupils in German schools about TX per
cent. stutter. In Berlin six specialists have
been engaged to devote twelve hours weekly to
treating the defect, and two systems are being
employed. One method consists in vocal drill in
the most difficult sounds. The other plan deals
with suffering as nervous disorder-the use
of meat being lessened, open-air exercise in
creased, etc..-and in three weeks so cases out
of 90 were almost completely cured.
-.
The ear is found by NJ. Paul BONNER to have
sense of altitude in addition to that of hear
ing. 1t depends on change of barometric pres
sure due to altitude, and he has proven its exis-
tence by his sensations during balloon ascent
1t is believed to be more highly developed and
useful in such animals as birds than in man.
~
A Munich tailor proposes to lessen the perils
of hot climates by clothing made on approved
optical principles. The outer layer is of white
material to reflect heat rays, and an inner layer
of black or other colored fabric is expected to
absorb the chemically active light rays
-.
A London baloonist is collecting the microbes
OF the upper air. and has already discovered
many hitherto unknown germs.
miscellaneous.