The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1903-07-25
Correspondence Baltimore County Union.
SCIENTIFIC MISCELLANY.

Weight of B6cQuer0l hays-OdnSino
less Coffee-Fever Dan ger-,Under-
ground observation-disclosures culture
Tropical Potatoes.
Coherers. instruments that respond to electric
waves are of many forms. That used by mar
conf, tube of metallic filings that the waves
make conducting and cause to pass dot and dash
signals, is unsatisfactory and often unrenaole,
and requires constant tapping to keep the parti-
Giles separated. The Lodge Unirhead apparatus,
requiring no tapping, is claimed to work regu-
larly in all weathers. This coherer consists of a
small fne-edged steel disk rotated by clockwork
upon globule of mercury, from which it is
separated by film of oil, and its action depends
upon the breaking down of the film by the cleo
trio oscillations, which thus close the local cir
cult and cause the signals to be given. The sys-
tenn of telegraphy of which this forms the essen
tial part has been in course Of development since
1894.
The sea-serpent seems to be taken more seri-
ously by some biologists than by the general
public. A few years ago Dutch naturalist re-
viewed the evidence of alleged eye witnesses,
and concluded that such an animal may exist.
that instead of being serpent it is probably
mammal of the order of Pinnipeds, which in
cludes the SEALS and that we may expect to find
it about 260 feet long. 1t must resemble the an
cient Plesiosauri, with small head, very long
neck, spindle shaped body with two pairs of
fippers, and tail comprising half its total
length. Later reports, with the fact that so
large mammal as the okapi has remained I'M
known on land until the twentieth century,
to express his belief ID tins hypothetical marine
monster.
MI.
afternoon by an English observer, appeared as
black arch with black streamers against blue
sky. The sun was shining brightly and some
bright white clouds were being driven rapidly
in front of the aurora.
An improved seenium cell for electric vision
at a distance has been described by NJ. Dussaud.
The transmitter consists of non-conducting
plane surface divided into two-inch squares, in
each of which is coil wound with two wires
covered with selenium of maximum sensitive
ness. A weak current, like that of a telephone,
passes constantly through one wire On being
Illuminated the selenium is made more or less
conductive according to the brightness, and
corresponding portion of the current escapes
from the first wire to the second. Through a
relay this acts on a circuit lighting an incandes
cent lamp at the receiving station. The receiver
is another surface divided into squares, each
with an incandescent lamp, and the blocks of
varying light reproduce the image broken up at
the sending end.
1t is known that radioactive substances, like
radium, impart radio activity to other sub
stances. and r. Geigel has attempted to show
whether the absorption of energy is accompa-
MED by any increase in weight. He was unable
N dqfoaf q
sensitive apparatus Carl Forche has repeated
the work, making numerous weighings of So
grams of lead, and has found that a large mass
of active material half an inch below the lead
increased the weight of the latter about one part
in %, 100000
Coffee berries are understood to contain about
one per cent. of caffeine, to which the stimula-
ting properties are due. In late analysis of
nine kinds at the Pasteur Institute, NJ. Bertrand
has found that Coffea Canephora contains as
much as 10y per cent. of caffeine, but that two
species-C Humboltiana and c. Mauritiana-are
practically free from the stimulating alkaloid,
not more than O.07 per cent. appearing in either.
~
rise of body temperature from 98.4o F.-the
normal-to 1879 is speedily followed by death.
Drs. Halliburton and Mott find that cell globuln
coagulates at the latter temperature, and they
conclude that the fatal results of high fever are
due to coagulaton of this proteid in the cells of
the nerve-centres and other parts of the body.
-.
While the upper air is being studied with kites
and balloons,and dredgings are making the ocean
bottom better known than much dry land, the
earth's interior remains. almost 90 great a rnys-
ureds or suDteranean 0DServatorieS at varying
depths down to a mile, or even more. These
observatories would take the form of deep
borings, like arteslan wells, which in the making
would yield important geological information
and when completed would receive registering
apparatus to record temperature, pressure, cleo
trical and magnetic state, etc. The composition
of the gases would be among the problems to be
studied. Some of the observatories would be in
ground of normal condition and others would
be in places showing peculiar phenomena, as
near hot springs and old volcanoes. With daily
underground observations over a large part of
the world, important results should be expected.
-.
Extra long tail-feathers in fowls, with sup
preston of the moult, have been produced in
England by Mr.. J. T. Cunningham through what
is believed to be an imitation of Japanese meth
DDS. Two cocks of the long-tailed Japanese
variety were Matched January ID, 1901. One bird
was loAb W udCure, anu lLS Tall ceased growing
in March, 1902, when the longest feather measur-
ed feet AZ inches. Moulting followed normal
ly in the autumn. The other bird had the
feathers stroked between the thumb and finger
every day, with slight pull on the roots, and
growth continued until July, the greatest length
reached being feet inches. Feathers pulled
out were replaced by new ones, which grew
through the moulting season.
~
tropical substitute for the potato, already
being tried in French colonies, is Coleus Cop
PM, new edible of the Mint or Labiate family
Its tubers, which average an inch and half in
length, closely resemble the potato in flavor
when prepared in the same way
-.
Pack thread or cord is given extraordinary
strength, according to German authority by
laying in a strong solution of alum and then
carefully drying.