The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1902-08-03
SCIENTIFIC MISCELLANY.

rance.
SCIENTIFIC MISCELLANY.
How the electric waves used in wireless
te!egraphy follow the earth's curvature Is
sun an unsolved problem. e. Lasher sup
poses that the waves run along the sur
race OF the earth, and especially of the
sea, In the same manner that they fol-
low wire, and that part Of the electric
energy enters the earth's surface as part
OF 1t penetrates the surface of the Wire
A suggested test of the theory is signal
ing between two balloons, when the diff
hculty of communication should increase
with the height. The electrical oscilla-
lions being at right angles to the wire or
earth's surface, another interesting ex-
pertinent would be the sending of signals
up a precipice, using both horizontal and
vertical antennae.
The rainfall variations of the nine
teenth century have been traced by Herr
HAM from the monthly and yearly means
of Padua, Klagenfurt and Milan. The
rainfall of the driest year was from AZ
TO 62 pei. cent of the general mean, and
that of the wettest year was ISL to 152
per cent There were "a dry years and
70 wet years. A 35-year period, CORE
spending to that of Bruckner seems to be
1725-having been 1888, 1878, 1913, 1843,
1878, while the extremes of drouth were
reached in 1853, 1888, 1923, 1859 and 1893.
The spectrum of the aurora borealis
seems to be practically identical with that
of krypton as produced by the electric
spark. BY an electrodeless discharge in
air, Pref. w. Ramsay makes visible the
leading green line of krypton, and this is
detected In streamers by a magnet, thus
reproducing the main phenomena Of the
aurora.
Two plumb lines, 1880 feet long. sus-
pended in mine shaft, have shown Prof.
F. w. McNair a spreading of an inch.
DETECTION by air currents seemed the only
explanation.
Submarine photography Is not likely to
become popular. pastime. But it is
leading us into unknown regions, and NJ:
eating the animal life of the waters has
become an enthusiastic sea-bottom cam
his~remarkable photographs of submarine
scenery. He uses hand camera
which is enclosed in a. tight copper box
having a plateglass window. and is
mechanism is provided to expose and
change the plates. The pressure of the
ty or thirty feet, was an early difficulty,
but this was counteracted by means of
a. rubber ball, holding about gallon,
tube into the box as the pressure in
creased. Light fades rapidly in sinking
below the surface. daylight exposures be-
tive feet Magnesium, powder is burned
in oxygen in a suitable glass globe and
by this powerful Illumination instantane-
Gus exposures ase made with interesting
results.
Poisoning by shell fish is not yet fully
finds that it is not due to the substance
on which they grow-such as the copper
sheathing of vessels-but that it depends
ever, does not seem to be produced by
bacteria. 1t is concluded that the i'm
purities of the water-even such poisons
a nd alrc aY~Oo = Ivy Il
sorbed and stored away by the mollusks,
but that the storing is not temporary, for
1i.e,dl in foul water are not at all
are made harmless or are. returned to
the water unchanged remains to be
proven.
That the highest mountains may be
climbed is the conclusion reached by
Slgnor Mosso after many experiments and,
observations Oh ser Ancongagua, in the Andes
1898 feet high, is the loftiest summit
yet reached, and J., Himalayson peaks tow
se that m the d ffoyg as 81 but It Is
may be overcome by a very slow rate of
travel. This will acclimatize the climber
air.
The possibility Of melting carbon and
been demonstrated by DR.. A. Ludwig. The
heating was effected under great pres
sure in the electric furnace and a GU
10
mospheres was very brief failure of the
electric arc, the current refusing to pass
even when the voltage was much increas-
ed It is supposed that as the carbon
passed into the liquid and transparent
state, it assumed a rare allotropic form
becoming a conductor. The expert
ment was too brief for study of this
condition, but was made to include
sudden cooling Of the molten carbon by
a fioodirs with water OF the interior of
the pressure vessel. Though minute dia
monds were recognized in the gray pow
der thus obtained, the result was not
wholly satisfactory.
A study of the cancer and peculiarities
OF diet of certain districts has led J.
Bra1thWate to conclude that excessive use
OF salt is leading cause of the disease.
With this there is probably some local ir-
r1tant or stimulant, and either an over
nourished condition of the body, due es-
pecially tc much meat, or a loading of the
cells of the body with effete matter, as in
the aged, the incident and those who live
become disused. The theory is confirmed
by the facts that cancer is rare among
tHtlve workers in the open air and prac-
tically unknown among animals that do
not use salt.
The nasal passages are stated to have
inches. A new preventive of hay fever is
the rubbing with surgical cotton twice
daily OF as much of this inner surface, or
mucous membrane, can be reached.
The massage hardens the membranes,
lessening it's over sensitiveness.
The volcanic dust from Mount Felee
proves to have little fertilizing value. An
analysis by an American engineer of
specimens from Barbados, where-though
80 miles away-the fall on May was
about three inches, has shown only 0.675
per cent Of potash and DIAL of phosphoric
anhydride.
That a certain portion of the blind may
be taught to see is indicated by the strik-
ing success of M. Heller, of Vienna. When !
brought to him three years ago, two Hun
garian boys, aged seven and five years,
could see nothing, but their eyes appear
ed to be normal. Their training began
with looking at bright disk in a dark
chamber: They learned to distinguish
this, and the younger boy, who has pro-
crossed more rapidly than the other, was
then shown familiar objects against the
disk, then lines and figures, and finally
was able to read Later he was made |
to recognize the objects and letters by
daylight. Another examination showed a
defect of the retina, and it was concluded
that the field of vision was so narrowed
that the feeble impressions reaching the |
brain attracted no notice before the un-
foo nl1i r10