Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1904-06-14
SCIENTIFIC MISCELLANY.

Science-A World Darkened PERIOD
| Science vs.. Nature-A Long Sought
MetaI-BurgIar Asphyxiatins.
When highly magnifled, the images
Of objects under microscope reach the
eye in a pencil of light so small that
it is liable to be blurred by defects OF
the eye lens or floating particles in the
/ vitreous humor Of the eye. In an in
strument lately shown the London
Royal Society," w. J. Gordon has over
come the difficulty by the use of Sec
ond microscope with half inch OBJ
ject glass, giving further magniflca-
tion of 100 diameters, the pencil OF
light being expanded by an oscillating
ground-glass screen so as to fill the
aperture Of this second microscope.
With this instrument a diatom mag
nified 10000 diameters was shown won
derfully we'll defined and free from
blur. To give an idea Of the power 1t
Is stated that the same magnification
would cause the eye Of a house fly
to cover an area Of 312 square feet.
| Not all fishes are dumb but many
species emit sounds and few give
remarkable concerts. Instances Of the
latter have been collected by Henri
Coupin, a French author. On the
western coast Of Borneo, Prayer one
night heard musical sounds varying
from the resonance Of an organ to the
soft tones Of an eolian harp; and in
the China sea a United States naval
officer was struck byl an extraordinary
blending Of the low notes Of an or
gan, the noise of bells and the sounds
Of a great harp, the intensity causing
the vessel to CULVER. The pogonias or
tambours Of the tropical western At
lantic sometimes congregate about ves-
sells, producing maddening chorus.
| The oxygenophore Of Sabbatier, the
new French apparatus, stores 15 liters
Of chemically pure oxygen In a 100
gramme tube Of agglomerated sodium
peroxide. This little automatic gene
rator gives off regular current Of the
gas at the instant when wanted for re-
storing an asphyxiated person, disin-
fecting or any other Of many uses.
| A beginning in the dosing Of plants
as means Of treating weakness and
disease Of the human body has been
made at the agricultural bacteriologi-
cal station of Vienna Artificially pre-
pared foods containing iron salts often
fail to have their intended effects, be-
cause the iron Is not completely assim-
Hated. The purpose Of the experiments
has been to increase the proportion Of
iron in our natural foods. In the first
trial spinach was grown in soil to
which hydrate of iron had been added,
and the plants were found to have taken
up seven times the ordinary per centage
of iron, and this without injury. This
iron, in a form free from the defects
Of the artificial preparations is suf-
ficient for medicinal purposes. Other
plants should give as good results, and
great possibilities in the hygienic and
medicinal culture Of common vegeta-
bles are suggested.
One of the late new sciences has re-
ceived the name Of "Eugenies," and as
expounded by DR.. Galton, it seeks to
determine the laws governing heredi-
ty, and to apply them to the better
ment of the human race. Part of Its
work will be to show the bearing OF
the decline Of the birth-rate on nation
al deterioration, and the conditions that
promote thriving families. 1t Will
strive to regulate the passion Of love-
absurd as this may seem. and much
toward this is expected from placing
social ban on unsuitable marriages.
One observer declares that men and
women now select life companions less
carefully than they do cashiers and
cooks.
| Observations in different parts Of the
world have suggested that the earths
atmosphere as a whole was made less
transparent than usual in 1902, and
that this popularity disappeared IN
1903. Prof. Cleveland Abbe OF the
United States weather bureau, Is seek
ing evidence bearing on the reality OF
this supposed phenomenon, the dates
of it's beginning and ending, Its ex-
tent and it's cause.
| A new German camera, for secret
use, Is concealed in the head of
cane.
Human sense organs lack the refined
delicacy of the instruments of science.
DR.. Carl Snyder points out that count
| ,to 1tQnnvarqn
the Photographic plate and the tele-
scope t pl: of the 5000 visible to
the eye, and that an object 1O,OOOth OF
an inch in diameter Is comparatively
large in a powerful microscope, al
though one Of 1-20Oth Of an inch Is
scarcely visible to the unaided eye.
The tread Of a fly, which requires
delicate ear to detect, is magnifled by
the microphone to the tramp of caval-
ry. The change in temperature of less
than 18th of a degree Is not perceived
| by the most sensitive skin, but the
bolometer registers on scale an In
crease or decrease of a millioneth OF
degree and actually notes the rise In
! the temperature of room when
motch is lighted mile away.
Invar, the peculiar alloy of DR.. Gull
laume of Germany, contains nicKel
and steel in certain proportions. II is
remarkable on account Of its lack Of
expansion on being heated, and it may
even be so made as to be slightly con-
tracted by heat. 1t Is expected to
prove of great value as means OF
avoiding the errors in Instruments OF
precision hitherto caused by expansion.
Measuring apparatus, surveying aPpa-
ra tus and especially timepieceS Will de-