Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1903-09-05
SCIENTIFIC MISCELLANY

Albinism states E. .Henriot. may be
traced back moro than four centuries be-
fore Christ when It was described as OK
isting IN india, but until the end OF the
seventeenth century II was regarded as a
condition Of the skin Sachs.-himself an
alblno--aud others have shown that It Is
caused by absence OF iron In the lower
skin. In man It ~ most common among
blacks. The white alblno has u skin OF
peculiar pallor, hcmp-coored hair rose
colored iris and red pupil; the negro IN
some cases has a skin nsswhite as milk
while in others It resembles wax. and the
hair Is pale blonde yellow. orange or
even red. Alblnsm has been recorded IN
70 mammals, including horses, rabbits
and mice Numerous exampleso are
found among birds the white blaekbIrl
being no myth, and II II often observed
among llshes. reptiles and batrachians. II
takes two forms In plants. In one the
yariegated colors, and tho other manifesth
itself IN the corolla, There are aibinos
also among fruits, suGh as the raspberry,
strawberry and sooseberry'
Attention has been called by r.. BONN
TO two new forms OF incandescent lamps.
In both the lower half Of the bulb II OF
iiuted glass, which, acting as row or
lenses, concentrates the light downwards.
and gives the special advantage OF strong
illumination directly beneath the lamp.
one form has the ordinary fllament with
the upper half of the bulb OF opal glass
while the other has zgzag horizontal
flament and a top Of clear glass.
A report OF the Austrian weather SER
vice notes "a cases OF damage TO trees by
lightning In 1901, n being pine or larch, "A
.I..sa "A "a.
beech usually supposed 10 escape light
ming, was struck only once, but several
other trees shared the same freedom from
damage.
Investigation into the decline Of popu-
lation In France has Included an inquiry
Into infant mortality BY y. Budin. IT .ap-
pears that In Parts i45 out Of every 100
deaths are OF children less than a year
old and In st. Pol-sur-Mer the proper
ton is as high as 500 per 1909. In the
i've years ending WIN 1870 the average
year In France was 1874 43i The principal
causes OF death are infantlie diarrhoea
respiratory diseases, ana c0ngenltal de-
biity, the first named claiming much the
largest number Of victims, The dlar-
rhoea, comparatively rare In breast-fed
infants, IL chiefly induced by excessive
and improper feeding especially In the
premature use OF solid food. With proper
care ututnH from inns cause might DC AZ
most entirely prevented. Suggested rem
edies for the excessive mortality include
state Intervention to persuade healthy
mothers 10 nurse their own children reg
uar weekly medical Inspections, hospital
care Of Weddings, and the prohibition Of
the insurance OF the lives Of Infants.
The mineral spodumene, usually known
I'm Opaque whltish crystals, occasionally
Yields small transparent specimens OF
good color Such are the clear yellow
gem.spodumene OF Brazil the. green hid
denite, or lithia emerald. OF North Caro-
lima, and the lilac or amethystine or
fragments of Connecticut. The recent re-
rnarkable find OF spodumene In the rubel-
lite locality Of San Diego county Cal.
includes transparent rosy lilac crystals
up TO the size Of mans hand Mr..
George + KUnz reports that no such
crystals OF this mineral have been seen
before, and that they will undoubtedly
yield gems. Of great beauty with the
hardness of the amethyst.
The latest estimate places the United
Kingdoms coal supply at S0,6S4 OO0, 900 tons,
when he present rate e, OF mining would
the United States produced 2i5. 900 tons,
and Great Britain 229 10000 tons.
The "sixth sense" by-which blind per-
SONG perceive certain objects is attributed
by Or, Emile Javel, whof has been blind
several years, 90 sensitiyeness OF the skin
to obscure radlations that do not affect
the eyes.
svI
A remarkable adaptation OF a molluso
to strange conditions has been brought TO
notice by Baron Uordenskiold Portions
OF Bolivia produce an unctuous edible
earth known as ''chaco' and during the
wet season IN these localities a species
Of fresh-water limpet tAncylus morioan-
do abounds In the numerous pools. In
dry seasons, however, the pools are COM
plotely dried up, the whole country be-
coming practically an arid desert. Tho
Ancylus does not succumb, but protects
itself by securely closing the opening to
It's she'll the material used being true
she'll instead OF the thin skin with which
certain land snails guard themselves in
times OF drouth. When there Is no marked
dry season, the Ancylus retains its or
binary condition.
Microbe farming to supply flavors for
tho fable IA a DORgblp future dcVplon-