The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1902-01-25
Correspondence Baltimore County U'.ton.
SCIENTIFIC MISCELLANY.

Why are Jews Not Consumptive Ret
rospection and Forecast--Life's Ups
and Downs--Erratic Human Senses
Red Glaciers-Blood and Lunacy-Ger-
many's Stone--Britain'5 Climatic Ex-
tremes-Compass Variation.
Physique and predisposing conditions would
mark the Jews as probably the most consump-
tive of European peoples. They are the short
est in stature and the most narrow chested, they
live mostly in towns, they are especially ex-
posed to infection from secondhand clothing,
they are weakened by consanguneous mar
rages, and they suffer from poverty, anxiety
and persecution. Yet statistics in Europe,
America and Australia show that the Jews are
almost exempt from tuberculosis. How to ac-
count for this striking immunity is a problem
of the greatest Importance in the present war
against this disease, but one whose solution is
not easy. Lombroso explains that the Jews are
not exposed to the weather In their usual occu
pations. DR.. Maurice Fishberg, late writer.
accepts the view of Behrend that the careful
selection of meat prescribed by the Jewish re-
hgion is the chief reason why they have no
more consumption, but believes that abs Thence
from alcohol is a contributing cause.
-.
As the five great scientific discoveries of the
nineteenth century. Sir William Preece mem
tions-the principle of evolution; the atomic
structure of matter; the existence of the ether
and the undulatory theory of light; the princi-
pie of the conservation of energy. AT the be-
ginning of the twentieth century. the trend of
research is to prove that the basis of all matter
is fundamentally the same, the true atom being
not yet reached. We want better warning of
approach to land, and better communication be-
tween ships and shore. and the century will see
great developments in this direction.
"a
The blood corpuscles of animals are found by
a Swiss biologist to vary enormously at different
times He concludes that life forces ebb and
flow in daily and yearly periods from outside
changes, and monthly from vital processes
-
Our senses are made unreliable by both nor
NAL and abnormal variations. Treating of fair
les, apparitions, visions and Authorizations, Sir
Lauder Brunton lately pointed out the great
differences in the acuteness of the senses, some
persons seeing blue flames in the fire in winter,
and some hearing the shrieks of bats and myr-
lads of other sounds on summer evenings, while
others perceive neither. Similarly, there are
people who feel what others do not feel. Appa-
ritions are probably due to abnormal condi-
tions of the apparatus for receiving impressions.
The internal vessels of the brain may contract,
like those outside, and thus give anaemia of
parts of the brain, and consequent affections of
vision, hearing, smell and taste. Psychologists
connect epilepsy with the form of headache
known as migraine. Migraine is often preceded
by vision of zigzags, and troop of spirits in
this form with which Dore illustrated the I'm
ferno" suggests that both he and Dante suffered
from this headache. Stories of fairies may be
rof in RI xei oil ri ot 0f
sight glide naturally into Authorizations of hear
4RRgg, and beth int epileptic visions. To such
visions the Koran" of Mohammed seems to
have been due, and it is curious to speculate
upon the changes in history thorough dosing
of the prophet with bromide of potassium
might have wrought.
The fall of red dust that covered most of
Europe a few months ago is proving unexpect
eddy useful. Meteorologists had proposed color
ing parts of glaciers so that their movements
might be more apparent, and the dust storm
has supplied the desired coored stratum, and
made it practicable to observe the movement
and fracture of the glacial surface on scale
much grander than could have been attained
by artificial means.
-
The blood pressure in lunatics has been meas
ured by two French psychologists. They find
distinct connection between the blood pressure
and mental troubles, and that there is also
change in the blood pressure corresponding to
different states of mind in the same patient.
~
The new artificial stone industry of Germany
is claimed to have important advantages over
brick-making. The output is larger with
given investment production can be continued
throughout the year. and the stone is harder
and stronger than brick. The ingredients are
to per cent. of lime and "a to SO per cent. of
sand. These are mixed and shaped into blocks,
then placed in a boiler and exposed for ten
hours to steam at pressure of l2O to $50 pounds
per square inch. Pressure and chemical action
combined bring about union of the calcium
and silica, forming, it is stated, much more
fiint-like compound than results from the hard
ening of mortar.
A summary of the British climate for 1900, as
reported from IS stations in all parts of the En-
pre- shows that the hottest place was Adelaide,
with shade temperature of 1122o on January
l, and sun temperature of 1705o. The coolest
place was Winnipeg which registered 3.8o be-
low zero on February 9, and had a range for the
year of 1882 The highest temperatures of
London (95.20 on July 16) and Toronto (9s0 on
August 81 exceeded any before recorded. The
greatest rainfall was 1913 inches at Calcutta and
the least was 1871 inches at Malta.
"a
That the north magnetic pole revolves about
the geographical pole along the SEVENTEEN par
alIel of latitude is the theory Of French
physicist who maintains that this theory ex-
plains the observed variations. AS a cause he
suggests tagging of the earth center, which
must be liquid or viscous, behind the crust in
be revolution toward the east.
-
The solid matter deposited by London fog
Is been found by Sir W. Thistleton-Dyer to
bach tons in a week on a single square mile.
Injurious hydrocarbons we're included, as well
SCOT.
-
The tidal bore of the Severn has been photo
raphed for kinematograph, and a most i'm
Spressiye phenomenon has been thus reproduced
on a screen.