Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1902-02-08

The Superintendent OF the Assay
Office at Vancouver. Ii. e., believes
that the miners of British Columbia
ana the Yukon territory do not know
platinum when they see II, and that
in all the placer mining districts in
the territory mentioned large amounts
of platinum and kindred metals have
been thrown away, the value of the
products being unknown.
A common sight in Sicily, where Is
famous Mount Etna and where re-
mains of Greek architecture abound
is train of freight ears bearing tons
Of bars of sulphur, rs yellow rs gold.
This island now supplies about ninety
per cent. of all the sulphur produced.
The rocks and the soil are largely of
volcanic origin, and the sulphur mines
penetrate in some cases deep in the
earth. Some of the best mines are
near Girgenti, the celebrated Agrigen-
UNI Of the Roman historians.
Government experts have been ex.
perimentlng with formaldehyde US a
the results do not promise any practi-
cal applications. 1t Is found that
while the gas is Il very effective bac-
terra disinfectant. 1t does not destroy
mosquitoes unless they are exposed to
the direct action of the concentrated
gas. This is explained by the fact
that formaldehyde gas readily enters
into combination with the protoplasm
of the lower forms of vegetable life,
but it is not toxic to higher forms Of
life.
Mr.. A. Pizon proposes to substitute
a mechanical theory of vision for the
chemical theory, which leaves many
phenomena unexplained. He has
shown that in the visual organs Of all
the vertebrates and invertebrates, sim
pie or complex, the Elementary gran.
ules that accompany the visual cells
are. without exception, in rapid motion
like that of micrococc. The presence
of these granules in immediate con
tact with the visuai cells and the
constancy of their motions leads nat
urally to the conclusion that they serve
as Intermediates in the eXcitation of
the cells. The granules acquire their
energy from the light and transmit it
to the rods and cones Of the retina
with which they are in contact, and
from them it travels along the optic
nerve. This simple theory removes
several difficulties in the theory of Wis
ion and changes the received notions
Of the Importance of the purple Of the
retina, etc.
A young electrician, NJ. r. Hut chin
son, has recently invented device
which ought to prove Il special boon
is to be carried in the cap, just as an
ordinary miners lamp is carried the
electric current to be suspended from
a storage battery. The battery is less
than three pounds in weight, and :
good for eight to ten hours steady
work. 1t may be carried in IL pocket.
Indeed, Mr.. Hutchinson has built the
batteries in such shape that they fit
snugly into Il pocket. The practical
result of the use of such Il lamp as
this is that the danger Of death from
fire damp is removed, the valuable
oxygen of the air Is not burned up as
it is by the use o. an ordinary lamp.
the Who'll, apparatus is clean and COM
pact; moreover, the light given is much
better than that o. any other device
used in this way. The lamp should
be introduced into every mine where
men are obliged to work far away
from light and good air. The device
should also find place in cave ex-
plorlng, well digging or any under
ground work.