The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1902-07-12
Correspondence Baltimore County Union.
SCIENTIFIC MISCELLANY.


Insanitary Cars-The Upper Air-Heredi-
tary Hair-Parting-Coming Novelties
Use of Liquid Air-The New Coherer-
A Mountains Microbes-Animals and
Music-Photograph in Tailoring.
Fresh air contains about parts of carbonic
acid in 10000, respired air about AL parts, and
about parts will cause the air of room to be-
come "close." Considering the ventilation of
street cars, DIR. G. A. Soper calculates that 50
cubic feet of fresh air per minute should be ad-
mitted for each passenger. But the supply in
cities and underground is much less than this,
and the carbonic acid in Mont Cents tunnel rises
to 107 volumes in 10000; Mersey tunnel, IA to
26.4; Severn tunnel, AZ to liza; Liverpool Over
head Electric Railway tunnel, 1873; South Lon
don Electric Railway tunnel, S.4 to 1913; Metro
politan Railway tunnel, maximum of 1914;
Boston Subway, 6.53 to 9.45; an electric car in
Boston Subway, 24.97; steam car on New York
Elevated Railway, So to 61.2; New York cleo
trio surface car, 81 to 26.2. In addition to the
headaches and other direct effects of this bad air
is the lessened resistance to disease.
The constituents of the air up to nine miles
have been shown to be practically the same as at
sea level. But theory tells us that the carbonic
acid should disappear at IS miles, the oxygen at
81 and the nitrogen at 62, and Prof. Dewar pre-
diets that we shall soon test this view by bring
ing down by balloon samples of air from heights
of 20 miles. Where the atmosphere stops, or
whether there is an interplanetary atmosphere,
is still disputed point.
Curious proof of the Inheritance of ACQUIRED
characters has been given by DIR. Kidd. Inves-
tigation into the arrangement of the hair on the
human forehead has shown certain lines of divi-
sion that seem to have been derived from pecu-
liarities of parting the hair adopted by the
parents.
Certain Observation-Disclosures ,s',-'.n.sa sni4S,
salicylic acid, mercury, tobacco, alcohol, car
bonic oxide. lead. chloroform and ether-have
been reported specially dangerous to hearing
and liable to cause deafness.
Among the products Of the electric furnace
now giving promise of industrial i'm portance, an
English engineer mentions the diamond, fused
quartz, graphite, and carbon boride. The dia-
mond is very desirable material in the arts be-
cause it is very hard, fairly strong and complete
ly unattackable except by oxygen and one or
two solvent metals at high temperature. Quartz
resists great heat and is in every way superior
to glass for transparent vessels, and when it can
be melted by the ton, it should be possible to
affected by sudden changes of temperature and
practically indestructible under the severest
conditions. Artificial graphite is much better
than the natural on account of its freedom from
grit. There are three ways of obtaining it in
the electric furnace-direct conversion of car
bon at very high temperature, crystallizing
from supersaturated solution of carbon in
some metal, and crystallizing the dissolved car
bon by displacing it with some element like
boron or silicon. The last named of the novel
products, carbon boride, is of Industrial interest
only on account of its great hardness, which ap-
proaches that of the diamond.
s*s
The superintendent of the only establishment
producing liquid air commercially reports
weekly consumption of $50 gallons at the present
time. The carriers are so well insulated that
gallon will not wholly evaporate under about
month, and recent improvements have largely
diminished the loss from their fragility. The
modern system of liquefaction yields pound of
liquid air per pound of coal used. As source
of power, supply of II gallons has driven an
automobile so to 60 miles, and, while too costly
for stationary engines. the substance will be
useful for submarine and aerial navigation.
Other possible uses, of course, are numerous.
"a
The coherer of Brandy, upon which wireless
telegraphy depends is a tube of metallic filings,
whose resistance to an electric current is varied
by the transmitted waves. new and more
sensitive and durable coherer of the same inven-
tor consists of a tripod of iron or other metal
with rusted feet resting upon polished steel
plate.
The greatest elevation at which bacteriolog-
ical survey has been made is the summit of
Mont Blanc. At this point M. Jean Binot has
made some examinations without finding any
bacteria, and the usual number has proven to be
only about to 10 in 1000 quarts of air and to
in a cubic centimeter (one-fourth of fluid
dram) Further down the mountain the number
increases rapidly. Glacier water high up had
to bacteria per cubic centimeter, at the foot of
the Glacier des Blossoms there were 95, and water
of the Arve at Chamonix contained as many as
1850 per cubic centimeter. From 12l samples of
mountain air, ice, snow and water, not less than
300 different varieties of microbes were isolated
of which one-third have been identified with
previously known forms, the others being still
under investigation. Even Mont Blanc's sum-
NIT is not free from disease germs one deadly
variety of bacillus having been discovered there
in the air and another harmful form in the
water; and sparkling spring water ON the Mon
tanvert road, near mountain pastures, held
meter.
~.
Studies of the influence of various musical in
struments on animals are to be continued at the
German Geological Gardens. In experiments
with the violin the puma proved to be most SEN
sitive, and its moods changed rapidly according
to the melody. The leopards were quite indf-
ferent. The lions were afraid, the hyenas terri
fed, the monkeys curious and interested, and
the wolves so appreciative that they seemed to
wish the music continued.
-.
While photography seems to offer much in
topographic surveys, it is a little surprising to
find the tailor resorting to it. By the process of
NJ Franz Dolezal, the person to be measured is
photographed in several positions behind a net
work, the squares of this network on the picture
giving the tailor the data necessary for drafting
a suit of clothes.
&~s
One of several prizes offered by the Belgian
Royal Academy of Medicine is 5000 francs for
valuable discovery connected with epilepsy.
Reformed Church Reunion at Pen-Mar.
The 18th annual reunion of the Reformed
Churches of Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia
and Pennsylvania will be held at Pen Mar Park,
on the Western Maryland Railroad. Thursday,