The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-11-29
SCIENTIFIC MISCELLANY
RADIUM'S woRK-A NOVEL
 DANCER.
Severing of Comets Tail-oxygen Healingt-A Store of Food for SheepLElectric Oscillations. Parks for Preserving Rare
 Species - Electric
 Medication.

Medication.
 From what is now known of radium. Dr. s. | c. Tracy reaches these conclusions: The dis covery may make it necessary to change our theories about 4natter and the conservation of energy. Radium may possibly open up the way for a cheaper and more wholesome lighting Of houses by phosphorescence. It is practical agent to differentiate genuine gems from ar- tiicial. It is a useful agent to kill bacteria. It may be considered a valuable agent for the treatment of lupus. cancer. tuberculosis and | a possible agent to improve the eyesght and overcome blindness. Later discoveries will
 doubtless show service in other diseased condi- tions. In June. 1866, the waters of Lake Roto-, mahana New Zealand. seemed to find their way to the heated rocks near the surface of the earth in this locality when there was a sudden generation of steam, and the lake was emrtied and an enormous mass of rock was blown out. In place of the old lake, which
 was < mile long and z mile wide, a much larger one is forming. It is now 6 miles long, containing ten times the old volume of water.
 and may rise many feet more before finding
 an outlet A tremendous eruption is feared
 if some shock should bring this water in con-
 tact with molten rocks.
 The novel small boat of an Italian designer has a framework of small steel bars, which
 is covered with wire netting and the latter with cement. The surface is then polished. The cost Is less than that of a wooden boat. and 1t Is claimed to have greater speed de- spite It's greater weight.
 From the latest earthquake data 1t is in-
 ferred that the crust of the earth is not
 more than 40 miles thick and that the nucleus
 Is more uniform in chemical and physical con-
 ditions than is usually supposed
 An extraordinary change in the tail of Borel-
 ly's comet is shown by photographs to have kaNrA nIaA T,,l,, A the head and traveeld away at the rate of 2s miles per second in a retrograde direction, or
 with an actual repulsion from the sun of
 miles per second, the comets motion being
 22 miles per tsecond toward the Profess
 sor Barnard suggests that either the outburst
 from the head suddenly took a slightly diff
 ferent direction else the existing tail forcibly detached by some unknown body, like swarm of meteorites The severed section
 fioated away in its old path. under the suns
 repulsion, until 1t was dissipated, or its light
 emitting power died away; and meanwhile the new tail was evolved at & mysteriously in- creased velocity, giving the phenomenon of two tails nearly parallel for some distance. The oxygen treatment of advanced tubercu- losis is claimed to cause speedy reduction of temperature and disappearance of the tubercle
 bacilli. The Oxygen Hospital in London ports S3 cases treated fin the past year. of which 50 were discharged cured and Ia were greatly relieved. consumption being arrested in
 
 One of the cures was that of a leg ulcer of 34 years standing the patient having been con fined to bed for several years. and tried other treatment in vain.
 Natures curious provision for a long sleep is shown by two English observers in the so- called hibernating gland of the hedgehog. CSreful analysis showed that the 40 per cent of fat contained in this gland fell to i6 per
 cent. during the Winter sleep. but that the proteids only slightly reduced. It was evident that life during Information is main tained practically upon fat alone of which the hibernating gland is a store for the pur- pose.
 The introduction of paraffin into the tissues proves to be not entirely harmless. Dr. L. l Hurd of New York. having reported 6 case | of permanent blindness from three injections l of paraffin to relieev nasal deformity. The existence of oscillatory electric currents and discharges Is shown in a beautiful way | by A. Winklemann The apparatus consists of | two vertical vacuum tubes connected by a | cross tube. the tops of the tubes containing | electrodes, while a crystal of corundum is ' mounted on a glass support in the center of one bulb and one of scheelte in the other. | Cathode rays cause the hrst-named mineral | to shine with a red light and the other to take | a blue color. When a current is passed, the cathode is shown by the shining of the mineral | under it.; and both minerals shine out when 1 the current is oscillating For showing the | transition from one type of discharge to the | other, the two electrodes are joined to an in- | huence machine. The discharge Is continuous | when the dscharging rods are pulled so far apart that no oscillations take place. but both | crystals shine out when the rods are near | enough to let sparks pass.
 | Thoughtful nature lovers note the rapid ex- I tinction of numerous species of plants as well | as of animals. Professor Conwentz of Berlin | mentions the destruction of orchids in Thur l ingen the extermination of rare thistles on | the German coasts, the cleansing of brooks | of large trees He urges the setting aside of | districts where the natural features of the | country should be preserevd.
 | Drugs introduced into the affected parts by | electric osmose from high frequency alternat- | ing currents have been used in the treatment of | cancer by an English physician. with success | in 22 per cent. of cases. He has reached the | conclusion that a radio-a salt of stron- | tium used would a large portion of | the cases of all malignant diseases Vitiation of the air by burning gas always | causes a feeling of oppression. Dr. J. S. Hal 1 dane shows that this cannot be due to the in | crease of carbon dioxide, and he attributes | the effect to sulphur compounds chiefly sul- | phur dioxde.
 SCENE IN PANAMA.