The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1903-05-16
SCIENTIFIC
MISCELLANY

| a most striking example OF deiicacy in
Weighing has been referred to by Mr.. j.
A. Brnshear. the widely known instru-
| n,ent maker. At the International Bu-
| reau OF Standards, near Paris, Is a ball
ance mounted in vacuum In heavy
glass case. and provided with mechanism
| for handling the weights from distance
great enough to give security against In
fluence Of tho heat of the body. So per-
lfectly made are instrument and accesso-
ries that when two klogramne weights
are placed side by side on each pan the
indicator finally comes TO rest at zero.
But when one of the weights In one pan
| Is placed upon the other, the Indicator
shows the opposite pan to be slightly the
| heavier, the almost incredible explanation
| being that one weight Is made lighter by
Ito slight increase Of distance from the
cartlls centerl
The gradual dsappearance OF loc,lsts
In Rhodesia and other parts of South
! Africa. is attributed by Mr.. J. M. Orken,
writer on the agriculture Of tho region.
to rapidly growing mould. The invs-
bic seeds are scattered by the wind. and
In favorable weather tho growth attacks
and destroys vast swarms OF the insects.
Since Its discovery during the last locust
invasion. the mould has been regularly
distributed by the Department OF Agrl-
culture. The disease thus artinclally
spread has been very effective. but dry
ness has caused some failures.
Mosquitoes are krcTn to live through
the winter, awakening with the first
warmth. late investigation by Mr.. John
B. Smith proves that certain species hi
hnr mn ia. ~ fhrs nd 7J Of mi tn
larval state also; others only In the lar
val state. and some In the egg. Many
larvae survive repeated freezing and
thawing.
a lately tested section OF the submarine
ca Bile laid twenty years ago between Glen
fuegos and Santiago. is In excellent condi-
ton. proving the durability Of rubber
covered cables.
Quite astonishing Is the rapidity OF
working of brain and nerves In modern
piano playing. At the conference of mu-
sclans in Dublin, it was shown that the
ordinary player must cultivate the eye
Z to sec about 150o signs per minute. the
fingers to make about 1000 movements.
and the brain to perceive the 15O0 signs
while issing 1000 orders. In a part OF
Chopin's "Etude in T. Minor" the rate
OF reading must reach $3.50 signs In two
and q half minutes. This Is equivalent
to about twenty-six notes per second
and as the eye can receive only about ton
consecutive Impressions per second, 1t APP
pears that in very rapid music the notes
must be read In groups instead Of singly.
In his experiments In electric anaes-
thesia, NJ Let1uc has used a maximum
current Of 80 volts. and this was passed
through electrodes Of cotton moistened
with saline solution. one OF which was
applied over the kidneys and the other
upon the forehead. The current was in
creased to the maximum In Ave minutes.
4 numbness OF the limbs was followed
by loss OF speech. and then by suspen-
sion of the other faculties. The only dis
agreeable sensation was nightmare. Tho
breathing was somewhat obstructed. but
the heart was not affected, and con-
seriousness, with sense OF IMMIGRATION
came Instantly on breaking the current.
There seems to be risk in the stoppage
OF breathing by too long application.
Ordinary thermometers are known to
be very Inaccurate, varying many de-
grces, and this fact throws doubt on
many reports OF extreme summer or WIN
ter temperat lures. Even the scientific ther-
mometers of the cheaper grades. prove to
be unreliable. although their Indications
have been placed on record as results of
great precision. Medical men especially |
have need OF tested instruments. and
thermometers OF a New York hospital
varied as much as Z, 10 degrees suggests
compulsory certifcaton OF professional |
Thermometers. The error named might !
show a we'll man to have a raging fever. |
or patient to be cured while still in
critical condition.
From about 400 pounds OF gaseous mir.
Sir William Ramsay has found the kryp- |
ton to equal part by weight in about z
millions or part by volume in 20 mil
lions: and tho xcnon, part by weight In !
40 millions. or l part by volume in 40
millions.
An explanation Of the remarkable
influence OF electricity upon plant growth
Ia found by Hugo Helberger, of Munich.
In the destruction OF the Injurious Insects
or the soil. Noticing some worms striving |
to get away from an ingot mould that
was being dried on the ground by cleo
tricity. ne placed In the earth a metal
wire connected with current OF 10 |
volts. and soon had the pleasure OF see
two yards come to the surface and strug-
gle to escape from the electrified circle.
In later experiments, using many wires
with a very small current of high In
tensity. the ground was completely freed
from insect life over n considerable area.
Modern science seems to show that lep.
rosy, tho loathsome scourge OF many
lands In the past, is among the disorders
that may be easily prevented. Ills late
In South Africa and In In
dla have convinced Dr., Jonathan Hutch-
inson that the disease Is rarely. If ever
transmitted from one person to another,
and have confirmed the theory that the
cause is the eating of badly cured and
fish. The Kaffrs. who
furnish very many victims, have de-
PRAYED appetite for rotten fish
The new local anaesthetc OF M. Court
ade. has the advantage over cocaine OF
being not poisonous. while its action is
much less transtory. 1t Ia para
ether. a derivat!ve OF or
thoform, and has been named anesthe-
sine. II has proven especially useful In
cases of throat liberation by enabling
The patients to swallow without pain.
Swallowing Is no longer an effective .
method of hiding stolen property. At the
mint cmployes suspocted ne