The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-05-03
MISCELLANY
oU1 NEToHBoRs WITH MANIAs.
 BIOGRAPHY MADE EASIER.
oteams in Eye and Brain Unknown 1adiations--The Earth's Make up-varieties in Electocution. Scientific Life-saving-A Melting Island-Cancer
 in Ireland-Central
 American Cork.

Melting Island-Cancer
 in Ireland-Central
 American Cork.
 Some of the victims of habit, who are always with us and are generally degen- srAted by French physician. The mis- @kostrepsomaniac, who twists his mous- <ache. becomes affected with the appear crates of a higher order, have been enum- once of down on the lip. and, his disease not being morbid, recovers later in life. The nnadomaniac with a mania for pluck ng out his hairs, loses all control of him. oelf, and is difficult tt cure. The rapho- maniac has the curious affiiction of ner- vous snifling. More offensive is the dis order of the sorabdomaniac, who reck- lessly twirls his cane or umbrella. and may become terror in the places he fre- ouents. Musicians ara often otodactylo- unaniacs. placing the finger in the ear and moving 1t violently. Most children are early. stomadactylomaniacs placing the fingers in the mouth, and may devel- cp into the more morbid onyxophagias, who bite the nails. Kratopodomaniacs. usually clerks. have the habit of cross Ing the legs and pulling the shin. at the came time assuming an attentive attitude. Iremopodomaniacs continually move the legs, though free from morbid affection. 8ynopkyromaniacs wrinkle the forehead on hearing of any trivial matter. harmo- uiomaniacs breathe or act in unison with others, sphingomaniacs move violently with utter lack of self-control, arithmo- xnaniacs count many things in many ways, and so on. the list of these ner- Ncus disorders being almost endless. Teaching geography from an atlas is difiicult and unsatisfactory. Prof. Elisee Recjus. the French geographer. urges the use of new and inexpensive relief maps of H1umnium or copper, which give eleva- tions Impressions and globular contour in correct proportions and show coun- tries or slices of the earth on a much larger scale than they can be represented on globes of practical size.
 A blackening of photographic plates by metals and organic substances was no- xiced some years ago by Russell, and was thought to be due to the chemical action of hydrogen peroxide. Some late obser- vations throw doubt on this explanation and increase the mystery. A German ex- perimenter in absolute darkness, sus- pended the film side of photographic plate an inch or so above some hydrogen peroxide. and placed a copper cross or other metallief object on the opposite side of the plate. Development gave bright image of the metal on a dark ground. On 1nterposing certain substances between the metal and the plate the image was actually strengthened, and this was es- pecially true when the interposed sub stance was q liquid acting chemically on the plate. In this way photographic register of chemical reactions was ob- xained. The images were very sensitive to temperature, and the warmer side of the plate often appeared perceptibly light CT. The experimenter can only say that the remarkable phenomena are not due to direct action of hydrogen, oxygen or ozone. nor to negative electricity.
 
 Astronomical considerations have led Professor Wiechert to infer that four 1Ifths of the earths radius is nucleus of iron, with density of S.2, and that this is covered by shell having den- sity of 3.2 Earthquake phenomena sug- rest to prof. J. Milne that the core must be a material lighter than iron that transmits such vibrations as earth quake waves half as fast again as steel. He concludes that this unknown mate rial--which he names "geite"-is fairly Homogeneous, and that il may find its chemical equivalent in certain meteorites, consisting largely of nickel, iron alloy. Its density is approximately 6. if we as- gume that the density of the covering
 
 of the earth's radius-is 2.7, and that of the whole world is 5.5.
 High and low tension electric currents, Dr. F. Battelli or Geneva finds, produce death differently. Currents of 12,O0O volts act on the nerve-centers and arrest res piration, but the heart continues to beat, and artificial respiration usually restores life. Currents of low tension stop the heart, evidently by causing irregular ccntractions and disturbing the rhythm.
 The kite of Comte Brossard de Cor bigny is claimed by the inventor and other French experts to be the most im- portant life-saving device a vessel can carry. When a ship runs ashore the kite is released, Is blown inland by the wind, likely to be blowing, and, by in- genious manipulation is lowered over the spot where the persons on shore can seize the guide rope. pocket carries signals and gives space for any commu- nication the ship-wrecked crew may de- sire to send The kite moreover, car ries a telephone transmitter and receiver, and thus enables the seamen to direct the work of rescue.
 The famous North Sea Island of Helgo- land, which Is little more than a mile long. is gradually slipping away from Germany. The cause is geological, how ever, instead of political. The island eight centuries ago was five times as large as now. and late investigation has shown that nothing can be done to stop 1he disintegration. which is particularly rapid in the region of the grottoes on the western side. The rock of the island contains, much salt which is steadily diss0lving in the sea.
 An investigation into cancer by the Registrar General of Ireland where, n 1901. there were 2.s93 deaths from this scourge or 6.5 in every 10000 of the population. gives these results! Cancer Tecurs from generation to generation in many families, which often are afflicted also with tuberculosis. lunacy. diocy oI epilepsy. It frequently follows wounds or injuries. sometimes irritation of the lip from clay pipes and it often accom- panies unfavorable conditions of resi- dence, food. etc. It appears to be high < 1y contagious and somewhat infectious
 The forests of Nicaragua are found by Prof. F. D. Baker to contain 900 ds. of