Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Benton County, Or.) 1900-1909, 1903-05-01
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NszE4lvention| :

A late British investigation has
shown that 13 per cent Of manganese
makes iron practically non-magnetic.
cial iron may be produced with nickel.
silicon and aluminium.
A recent series of experiments made
In Germany on the vibrations set up In
gun barrels bythe effects of firing, in
dicates another allowance that the ex-
pert marksman should make for the
individual peculiarities of his rife. The
shock Of firing sets the particles of the
gun barrel oscillating in elliptic curves.
producing reflections of the barrel. The
periods of vibration In different barrels
vary between between one twenty
fifth and one f1ve-hundredth of Sec
ond, and the experiments indicate
that a small-bore gun Is to be pre-
ferred to one of large caliber because
the bullet can leave its muzzle before
the detection of the barrel has be-
come considerable.
Among the many interesting discov-
cries of DR.. Sven Hedin in Central
Asia is a singular oscillation in the
position of the lake OF Kara-koshun,
or Lop-nor This lake seems as rest
less as some rivers that change their
beds, but the cause Of it's movements
Is a secular change In the level Of the
desert in the midst of which 1t lies,
bordered by vegetation. At present
the lake is retreating northward from
the place where Prjevalsky found it.
and creeping toward its ancient bed,
where 1t Is known to have lain In the
third century Of the Christian era; and
as it slowly moves, the vegetation. the
animals and the fishermen with their
reed huts follow it's shores northward.
DIR. Hedin believes that after reaching
the northern part of the desert the
lake returns southwark, the period OF
oscillation being 1000 years or more.
The precious pearl is produced. at
least in many cases, by the presence
Of minute parasite in the shell-se-
creting mantle of the pearl-oyster and
other mollusks from which pearls are
obtained. A spherical sac forms
around the parasite, which becomes
nucleus about which the substance of
the gem Is gradually built up in con-
centric layers. Sometimes the para
site remains at the center Of the pearl,
and sometimes 1t migrates from the
sac before it has become hopelessly
imprisoned. Reasoning upon these
facts, DR.. H. Lyster Jameson, to
whose efforts the discovery of some of
them is due, suggests the possibility
of the artificial production of market
able pearls by injecting beds of pearl
oysters with the particular species of
parasites that are known to attack
such mollusks with the effects above
described.
In the body changes that take place
as we grow old, Metchnikoff and other
Psychologists suppose that an impor-
tant part is taken by the phagocytes,
or devouring cells. Some years ago
it was made to appear that some of
these cells are color eaters, and that
they whiten the hair by seizing the
pigment grains and conveying them
into the skin or out Of the organism.
On further study the theory has been
evolved that old age itself Is due to
phagocytes that destroy the nerve
cells. The nerve-eating cells have
been found in the brains of many old
people and old mammals. as well as in
persons suffering from nervous dis
ease, but In no case have they been
known to reach such developinent-or
to have SO nearly taken the place of
the nerve cells-as in the brain of
parroquet that died at the great age
of eighty -one, after some years of fee
bteness and seaility.