The Savannah morning news., 1904-06-09
ITEMS OF INTEREST.

passing through water. Inc ldte MI
William Froude experimenting in this
manner at Torquay arrived at conclu-
sions that probably no amount of the
oretical reasoning and calculation
could have reached, and his son, Mr.. r.
E. Froude, is carrying on the work for
the government at Haslar. Recently
series of trials were made with pro-
pellers of the Drake and County classes
of cruisers. They were of the simplest
order, merely increasing the blade
area; but the outcome was a gain of
speed of three-quarters to one knot an
hour. In the Drake class the altera-
ton raised the speed from % to "a
knots. Engineering remarks that
there is a concensus of opinion that
only experimental investigation can
deal with questions of this kind in a
satisfactory manner" Similar econo-
mics have been effected in merchant
steamers.
The oldest bell in the United
States is on exhibition in the New
The bell was brought from Spain on
one of the first expeditions to Mexico
by Father Juan de Padilla, one of
the Franciscan fathers who accompa-
MED Coronado to New Mexico. IT was
hung in one of the mission churches
established in one OF the seven cities
of Cibolla. From there it was taken
to Gran Quivera, where it was hung
in a church of which the ruins are
still visible. From Gran Quivera 1t
was taken to Algodones where it has
hung in the parish church ever since.
Father Padilla was killed by his guides
While on the way from Gran Quivera
to Algodones. The bell weighs eX-
actly 1873 pounds. 1t was baptized
Maria Josefa. 1t was cast in the year
A. D. 1855, according to the inscrip
ton which is cast in the bell. The
'F'' in the word "Josefa" is inverted,
and the letters IS" and e. are trans
posed, the mistake evidently having
been made in the mould.
"A new and most deadly poison has
been discovered recently, as noted in
scientific journal. by Mr.. Lascelles
Scott. an Englishman. The substance
is scientifically known as di-methy
larsine cyanide, or more Familiarity as
substance diffused in room full of
people would kill all present. 1t is a
white powder melting at 80 degrees,
and boiling at 40 degrees. When ex-
posed to the air it emits a slight va
por, to inhale which is death. While
trying its effect upon animals Mr.. Scott
experienced the deadly nature of this
poison. One-mililoneth part of cyanide
of cacodyl in the atmosphere of an air.
tight cage killed a dog almost in
simultaneously and then its power was
by no means exhausted, for a second,
third and fourth dog placed in the same
cage instantaneously died from the eff
feet of that single inflnitesimal dose.
Although so little of the properties of
this poison are known, 1T was first
made many years ago. Cadet, the
famous French chemist, by combining
acetate of potassium with white ar
senic, produced Tuning liquid which,
although he did not know it, was OK
ide of cacodyl. The German chemist,
Bunsen, combined this with cyanogen,
a radical of prusic acid, and made cy-
anide of cacodyl.
The so-called vegetable caterpillar
of New Zealand, is attracting much
attention at present, says Nature, of
London. F'ungoid parasites are COM
mon in all parts of the world, but not
generally conspicuous enough to be
noticed by any but naturalists. Many
of the largest and most remarkable
moths of the Australian region are
known to be infested by various para
site fungi, which convert the whole
substance of the caterpillar into a
woody substance, and then sprout from
it to a length of several inches. The
caterpillar (Which is usually about
four inches long when fully grown,
live until they are ready to assume
the pupa state when they bury them
selves in the ground, die, and the fun
gus sprouts upwards, generally from
the neck Of the caterpillar sometimes
acquiring the length of nearly a foot,
n hn
above the caterpillar. Very rarely two
or even three of these filaments may
sprout from single caterpillar. The
New Zealander's names for this plant
caterpillar are Hotete and Anuhe. The
natives eat the plants, which when
fresh have the flavor Of a nut, and
also use them, when burnt, as color
ing matter for their tattooting, rub
bling the powder into the wounds, in
which state is has a strong animal
smell.
In recent issue of the Lancet, Mr..
R. Clement Lucas, the senior surgeon
at Guys Hospital, London, gives the
details of two cases treated at Guys.
in which painful operations were neces-
Sary to remove cancers of the breast,
In the first case the patient worked at
a fur factory, and "for many hours
ward and forward in her work, and
her pectoral muscle, moving to and fro
while she leaned over her desk, press
ed the soft tissues against the upper
edge of of her corset" The second in
stance was similar, and the hard tu-
NOR ''corresponded exactly with the
friction level of the upper edge of the
corset, as it crossed the margin of the
pectoralis major muscle" Mr.. Lucas
sets forth these examples as further
proofs of the theory that carcinoma
(cancer) is apt to attack those parts
whose vitality has been lowered or the
power of resistance lessened by chron-
ic irritation" Doubtless this is the
reason why cancer of the lower lin
rarely occurs except in pipe smokers
Corset and pipe have much to answer
for, so far as health is concentrates
pecially corset. 1t may be laid down as
general principle that it is DANGEROUS
for any part of the body to be subject
ed to chronic pressure or irritation.
Stiff chafing collars on the back of the
neck produce boils and carbuncles
just as irritating corsets develop can
Ger Of the breast.
1t was in 1882 that the British frig-
ate Flora, one of Admiral Rodnev's
squadron, cruising about the West In
dies, chased and captured a French
ship bound from Mauritius to Haiti
On board the prize were found MANY
plants and seeds of economic value.
which the French government were in.
Producing from their East to their West
Indian colonies. Among these were a
number OF young mango trees al ,,,,,,,