The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1903-08-08

for Home Artisan Insect Balloonist
Internal Light of the Body-Plant Pro
tection-An Optical Novelty--Delhfs
Iron Pillar-The Boosting In Medicine
Hearing in Fishes.
Delicate vibrations too slow to produce sound
that is, having rate Of less than sixteen per
second-are made audible by the new apparatus
of s. Herr. A ten-pound weight, having small
carbon plate cemented vertically to its side, is
suspended from the arm of standard by
stout rubber band and carbon block is placed
on the floor or other vibrating body, with
slender graphite pencil resting on it and leaning
against the carbon plate. The carbon block and
carbon plate are connected with telephone in
an electric circuit. When the apparatus is
placed on a wood floor, the heartbeat of per-
son standing near produces an audible vibration
in the telephone, as do also delicate tremors
and distant vibrations from any source.
-.
Easily fusible alloys, for casts of leaves,
fruits, insects, etc., must contain cadmium. ac-
cording to German authority, to preserve the
articles from injury. Such an alloy is Woods
metal, which consists of parts of tin, of lead,
Z to of bismuth, and / to 2 of cadmium, and
which fuses between GO and 72o C. Lipowitzs
metal which softens at $50 G. and becomes per-
fectly liquid at $50. consists of parts of tin,
parts of lead, Is of bismuth and of cadmium.
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Certain spiders sail in airships made of silken
threads, and now an insect that travels in bal
looms has been reported by two American nat
uralists. Small balloons, quarter of an inch
long and composed of tiny bubbles, having been
observed, it was found that each carried a fly
resembling the hornet-fly, with dead fly sup
posed to be food. As the males also attract fe-
-
further study.
In the North Sea fisheries investigation, a
plaice has been found to migrate 100 miles in
six weeks.
In the curious light cure of DR.. W. ]. Morton,
violet light is produced in the body itself.
quinine solution of one grain to eight ounces
shows a beautiful violet fuorescence under the
x-rays, and, as a twenty-grain dose of quinne
would probably cause the ten pounds of blood
in the body to become a solution of similar
strength, it is assumed that the blood would
light up in a like way. The quinine, in dose of
five to twenty grains, is administered an hour
before the x-ray treatment. The violet radia-
lions are credited with curative properties, and
DIR. Morton thinks that in cancer, which he has
treated more than a year, he has obtained re-
suits that could not be reached by the Trays
alone.
The reasons why certain plants are avoided by
slugs and snails have been shown by experiment
to be various. Tannin, acid saps, ethereal oils
and bitter substances prove to be Objectionable
to these creatures, and some plants are protec-
ted by acid-secreting hairs. The carrot, which
is particularly attractive to slugs, remained
practically untouched after treatment with
one per cent. solution of tannin, or with SINH
lar solution of potassium binoxalate. Certain
aquatic plants we're Stunned by the water snails
but were speedily eaten after the tennin had
been extracted.
The curious looking eyeglasses of NJ. Ribard
seem to be gaining favor in France. The lenses
instead of being oval, are in the form of long
and narrow rectangular strips, but they are
otherwise like ordinary lenses. Their advan-
tages consist in the readiness with which both
near and distant objects may be viewed without
removing or replacing the spectacles. In read
ing or working the worker looks straight ahead
through the lenses, but on looking off he raises
or lowers his eyes, seeing over or under the
glasses.
The new thermo- element of DIR. s. P. Dross-
bach is claimed to be an important advance in
the production of electricity by such batteries.
The electrodes are made up of an alloy of ele-
ments of the cerium and zerconium groups,
giving, with copper, ETC., increased electromo-
tive force and conductivity.
-
The famous iron pillar of Delhi, India, rises %
feet above the ground, and extends to an I'M
known DEPTH which a leading archaeologist has
reported to be more than 26 feet the total length
being possibly 60 feet. 1t tapers from 1874 inch
es to 1876 inches in diameter. the weight being
estimated at about II tons. 1t is found to be
pure malleable iron, although a curious yellow
shade long gave it the reputation of being
bronze, but there are no records of early iron
working processes to show how it was welded
up. roughly-cut inscription is credited by
some authorities to the third or fourth century,
while others suppose it to belong to a later
period.
The bee-sting as cure for rheumatism has re-
ceived serious medical endorsement. DR.. Perc,
of Marburg, Germany, has announced that he
has proven the efficacy of the treatment in 500
cases, and has cured the most obstinate and
painful rheumatism. When the sufferer from
rheumatism is stung the part does not swell
until the bee poison has been frequently intro
duced, when the pain vanishes. DIR. Perc causes
his patients to be stung at first by few bees
and then gradually increases the number.
81
The sense of hearing in fishes is still matter
of uncertainty. They have no ears resembling
those of the higher animals, but they are sensi
tive to sound in some degree. although it is
doubtful if this can be called hearing. Late ex-
periments by DIR. Zenneck, of Strassburg, show
something of the degree of constituencies. The
sound of bell in the water caused roach, dace
and bleak to dart away, if within 10 feet, or to
show signs of disturbance if within 25 feet.
When the bell was muffed and in pail the fish
were slightly disturbed.
A"s
The loss by friction on the worlds railways is
enormous in the aggregate. Dr. Haarman, a
German, estimates that it reaches 247 600 tons of
steel in year.