Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1904-03-04
SCIENTIFIC MISCELLANY

Discovered seven years ago, radio-ao-
tivity Is now declared by DR.. Frederick
Soddy TO have reached the stage OF an
Independent science, quite distinct from
chemistry and physics. Explaining the
proptrey, Prof. Rutherford and this au-
thor regard the elements as slow
ly dIslntegrating, the change being
marked by the expulsion Of rays, and
the disintegration proceeding by leaps
through several stages. The energy
given out, enormous compared with
that involved In any previously known
change, Is derived from the store of
internal energy OF the changing atom.
This view Is looked upon as n safe
working hypothesis and II does not IN
any way upset the atomic theory OF
chemistry.
An English medical man points out
that In the last ten years consumption
has increased In countries where eco
nomic conditions have become worse, as
In Ireland, but decreased where the
conditions have improved Not only
must Infection be destroyed, but II is
to be remembered that environment,
light pure air, good food, contentment
and happiness are potent preventive
agents.
A British naturalist suggests that the
destruction OF animal life by heavy
rains has received too little attention
The mortality among insects and all
small animals Is certainly very great.
H.
surface, but mirrors made from il
soon tarnish near the electric arc
probably through the action Of ozone.
A metal that can be safely exposed to
such action Is the rare and expensive
palladium, which has nearly the same
Wilderness as silver. In recently
described German process concaye mir
rors are made by giving convex glass
mould a thin coating OF silver, then a
thicker one OF copper. after which the
metal Is separated from the glass by
heating and the silver surface is given
thin film OF palladium by an electro.
lytic method. This lIght-relectlng sur.
face Is unsurpassed and is not liable to
become dim.
Reduction by electricity OF an aneur-
ism or dilatation OF the aorta, the
main artery of the DOLBY, has been at
tempted IN nine recorded cases but on
~ three OF the patients survived. In a
recent successful attempt. the galyanIc
current was applied TO a Philadelphia
man for one hour, reducing an aneur-
ism that extended three inches above
the base OF the breast bone and was
3lk inches Vide DR.. James Brien, OF
Essex. Ont, has saved q child's life
by electricity, the infant being born APP
parently dead and the current being
applied after 10 minutes. In Is minutes
more signs OF returning life appeared,
pulsatIon OF the heart and breathing
being normal 10 minutes later.
Considering the possible influence OF
alcohol upon human evolution, Dr. Har.
ny Campbell assumes that such cIvillza.
lions as those OF Babylon and Egypt
may date back 10000 years and that
agriculture by migratory tribes may
extend back 10000 years more, but con-
cludes that the use Of alcohol as bev-
eragc has not been known more than
10000 years. He finds no reason to be-
lIeye that, as was suggested some years
dhVi Ult ulSNVNtTy VI itIIncnttu lltluOt
gave the first civlizing quickenlng to
the brain OF ape.man.
Leather ruilway.ties are made by
grinding scrap leather very fine, sub
jectlng to refining process, and COM
pressing TO different grades Of hardness
IN moulding machine,
The smokeless boiler OF Sir John
Primrose OF Glasgow Is claimed TO be
revolutionary In several ways. II de-
Ponds upon separate water acketed
chamber, In which combustion takes
place, and only the gaseous products OF
combustion impinge on the flre OF water
tube steam raising surfaces. The air
and fuel are fed together no uncon-
sumed gases escaping from the fur
mace, while NO smoke or carbonic acid