The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-02-14
SCIENTIFIC MISCELLANY
THOUGHT LOCATED BY N-
 RAYS.
An Economical Engine-Ths Suns Ring-Telegraph and Transport in the Body-The School Day. Pleas as Plague Carriers. Stone from Milk-A Mine
 of Epson Salt.

The new motor of Peter Thornley, a Manchester engineer Is expected to rev. olutionize the use of steam. In existing engines steam is not admitted until the piston has moved some distance. but | the new arrangement supplies steam at the very start and in quantity just euf- f1cient to finish the stroke, thus avoid ing waste. The purpose is accomplished by a new rotary valve fitted to the top of twin cylinders. Two slotted discs. re- volving in opposite directions. permit the steam to enter the cylinder as the slots pass, and a third .4sc serves as cutoff for regulating speed or reversing A model about the size of a typewriter gives 1,50O revolutions per minute, devel- oping about 15 horse power, under a boiler r-pressure of 200 pounds. The saving is estimated at 25 to several hundred per cent.
 The N rays of Blondlot are not only emitted by the nerves and muscles of man and animals, but 1t appears that they increase with activity in the body. Continuing his experiments. Augustin Charpentier has found that the whole spinal cord increases the phosphorescence of the test object Contraction of mus cles is indicated, and the ''motor-cen- ters'' of the cerebrum are manifested when called into activity, even the cen- ter of speech showing it's location by ex- tra N rays when the person Is speak ing.
 The messenger service of the body is one of the most surprising marvels of living mechanism. We are familiar with the impressions telegraphed to the cen- tral station by the nerves of touch, heat, sight. hearing. taste and smell, but the work of the bloods body guard of thou sands of members Is less we'll known. These white blood corpuscle-the leuco- cytes-are intelligent carriers for the system, They seize. absorb. assimilate or carry away germs ana poisons, and in health they transport drugs to the liver or marrow, while in disease they carry them to the centers of irritation They can be depended upon to convey iron to the blood-making organs, iodoform to tu- berculouS lesions, and so on, as recent research has proven.
 Important physiological experiments have been made in Russia to test the | endurance of ~chool children. The results prove that in the lower four classes study may be continued for 2.7 to 3.5 hours | daily, or 2 to 2 hours per week. but that excessive fatigue results from long CT continuance of brain work. This time for teaching these classes has been fixed by the latest order of the ministry of public instruction. It is urged. however, that this should be the outside limit, and that no lessons should be studied at home.
 From an investigation of the Sydney plague epidemic of 1902. Dr. A. Thomp- son concludes that both this and pre- vious epidemios were undoubtedly spread by rats. Just how this was done has been a matter of much doubt as to the theory that fieas were the carriers it has been objected that the species of fieas living on rats do not bite man. The question seems to have been settled by the discovery Lat one species--Pulex serraticeps-s common, to man, rats and other animals.
 For many years unsuccessful attempts nave been made to produce a useful sub stitute for celluloid from the casein Uf skinned milk. It is claimed that tine dinlcultes are now overcome in the "galalith,' or milk stone. that in Gef- many is being made into many articles having the appearance of horn, ebopy or marble. The material Is made by rem dering the casein insoluble by acetate Cf lead or other metallic salt, then freeing from water and drying. and finally ada ing tormaldehyd. Soot or other sun stance is used for coloring. Galalith has the advantages over celluIold of igniting less easily and being odorless. and, un- like other casein products, 1t absorbs only small percentage of water.
 The Gulf of Kara-bughaz, lately ex- plored by Colonel Spindler, covers 7.Uoe square miles, and has a depth of only U to 36 feet. Through a channel only s6 fathoms wide 1t receives a constant flow of water from the Caspian. This watAr