Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1904-01-08
SCIENTIFIC MISCELLANY.

Electric Currents In the Earth-Air
Carrier For Fishes Modern Num-
nnies-curiousIy Associated sensa-
tions-The Coming Teeth-Gas For
Heatins-Fall Blossomins Due to In
iury-A Quickly Formed Coal Seam
Roaring Of Muscles.
Besides occasional discharges In
thunderstorms, induction from neigh
boring charged wires, and currents due
to chemical action Of moist earth on
buried conductors. telegraph and
telephone wires are being constant
ly traversed by earth currents.
These are sometimes so strong
that the lines cannot be worked. M.
Emile Guarini, the French electrician,
finds the cause to be still a mystery,
although NJ. de la Rives has attrib-
uted the currents to chemical action
in the earth's crust while sun-spots'
earthquakes and storms have been sug-
gested as causes, and increased scin-
tillation Of the stars has been noticed
at times Of strong disturbance. Perez
del Pulgar, in Spain, has lately shown
that they are affected by clouds, sun
shine, fog and wind. An automatic re-
corder, called the "electro-telluro-
graph" has now been devised by Prof..
Lancetta, an Italian, and will be used
for collecting data to show the changes
in earth currents with varying atmos-
pheric conditions.
The hydrobion Of DR.. Won Lorenz,
of Marienbrun, Austria, greatly SIM
plifies the carriage Of live fish. The
apparatus Is placed at the bottom OF
the tank Of water, and 1t consists or
cylinder Of compressed oxygen, with
protecting grills, regulating valve, ana
a porous cylinder through which the
gas Is slowly diffused into the water.
The supply of oxygen is easily adjus-
ted, as the inventor has calculated the
quantity needed by the fishes likely to
be transported alive.
In recent European experiments,
corpses have been kept for certain
time in a bath Of chloride Of calcium
heated 1913 degrees, then taken out
and steeped for "a hours in a cold So
luton Of sulphate Of sodium. The
bodies are transformed into perfect
mummies, to be kept Indefinitely.
The association of colors with sounds
or color hearing" is believed to be
faculty Of one healthy person in every
ten. This and other mixing Of sensa-
tions occurs in certain abnormal con-
ditions, and the peculiar state of mind
giving rise to 1t Is now being studied
under the name Of "synes-thesia-" In
q remarkable case reported by DR.. AL
fred Ulrich Of Zurich, the senses seem
to have been all involved at once. A
boy Of nervous temperament, who de-
veloped epilepsy In his thirteenth year,
had always heard colored sounds, diff
ferent sounds Of the voice and the cries
Of animals having each its character
istic color. The sounds Of the vowels
gave especially vivid colors, A being
light green, E yellow, black, o red, U
dark green, and Y white. Some sounds
gave also sensations Of taste, Of tenn
perature, and Of form. Sensations OF
form were associated with color and
sound; smells had colors; tastes had
colors; and colors had taste and tenn
perature. Cold was green, and heat
was red.
False teeth as firmly fixed in the
gums as natural ones are claimed by
Dr. Znameusky, Russian dentist, as
solution of a difficult problem. The
teeth-which may be Of gutta percha,
porcelain, or metal-have holes at their
roots, and they are set in natural or
artificial cavities in the jaw. The teeth
are soon fixed firmly in place by a
gradually hardening growth into the
holes. Several operations on human
beings as we'll as on dogs are reported
to have been successful.
Acetylene Is found to develop 1850
heat units per cubic foot, and coal gas
only $50, the acetylene flame having a
temperature of about 1900 degree F.
An acetylene burner consuming cubic
feet per hour raised a quart Of water
from SO degrees to boiling point in 81
minutes, while illuminating gas, burn
ing at the rate of 16 cubic feet per
hour, required 1O4 minutes.
The illuminating power Of the sun at
zenith is estimated by M. Charles Fa-
bry at 100000 candles.
A second blossoming Of trees late in
the season, after the usual forming Of
buds for the next year, may result
from some injury, such as removal Of
the leaves, If the inference Of M. E.
Apert is correct. In October, 1900, this
observer saw a white lilac in full
bloom, the bush having small green
leaves and beautiful clusters of white
flowers, while some hundreds of feet
away was another bush Of the usual
autumnal appearance. Investigation
showed that worms had eaten off the
leaves Of the first bush several months
before. A return Of the worms in July