The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1905-05-06


zer-An Interesting Problem-Radium
Light = Water Ansesthesia - White r
Melting Ice.
One Of the most remarkable Of insect-catching
plants seems to be grass (Cenchrus echinatus
Linn that is great pest along the edges Of
Cuban canefelds. With the beginning Of the
rains, says E. A. Schwarz in calling attention to
this plant, great swarms of insects appear, and
they are caught in enormous numbers In the
towering spikes Of the grass. Even beetles SO
large that they cannot be easily held in the hand
are retained. only large earwig and a large bug
being able to escape. The plant seems to de-
rive no benefit whatever from its ruthless
captures.
A new use for carborundum has been discov-
cred In Germany. Two large gas retorts becom-
ing very leaky, a paste of equal parts of carbo-
rundum and fireclay was applied to the still red
hot edges of the cracks, and in three minutes
the retorts were receiving their usual charges
of coal, subsequently proving quite sound. For
repairing cold object the carborundum may be
mixed with one-third its weight of water-glass
instead of fireclay.
81
Powders for the temper are prescribed by Sir
Lander Brunton. AS the irritability preceding
bcarbonate of potash with 10 to 20 grains OF
bromide Of potassium and for the irritability
coming before a headache or caused by heart
troubles he advises few doses of bromide of
potassium and salicylate of soda.
s-s
The recent nutrition experiments have shown
that man utilities about SO per cent of the mate
rial and 81 per cent. of the energy Of his food.
The steam engine with an efficiency of ten per
cent. or less. is poor machine by comparison.
-
Epilepsy. though known to Hippocrates 1900
years ago and numbering its victims by millions.
still remains one of the most mysterious and me-
elected diseases. 1t is estimated that not less
than 10000 living persons in the United States
are epileptics and they are no fewer elsewhere,
all classes, conditions and ages being affected.
The attacks may appear but few times in
long life, or they may number hundreds and
even thousands in twenty-four hours. There
are four chief forms, viz: a. A sudden severe
fit, with loss Of consciousness and muscular con-
troll (2) mild fit, with partial unconsciousness :
tS) spasm in a single leg or arm or group of
muscles. and al a temporary blank in the MEM
DRY. -mindedness usually follows epilep-
sy. insanity developing in fully 20 per cent. Of
the cases. Considering the reclaimed relation
ship between genius and epilepsy, DR.. w. p.
Spratling, specialist in epilepsy, contends that
the disease always impairs the mental powers,
and that Caesar. Napoleon. Mohammed, Sweden
borg and other great epileptics must have be-
come affected when their strength was on the
wane.
Radiant, the invention of two English engi-
neers, is claimed to increase the eficiencyof gas
fires as remarkably as the incandescent mantle
adds to the light. 1t is a product of the waste
of chemical works, replaces asbestos or fireclay
balls, and causes the gas to burn brightly and
completely. trebling the heat. The material can
be had in any quantity at no greater cost than
frecay.
whether matter undergoes any change of
properties on being charged with electric cur
rent has been q subject of experiment. The re-
suits have been practically negative. Mr.. Paul
r. Heyl states that when carrying heavy cur
rent the change in the tensile strength of iron
cannot exceed half of one per cent and the
melting point of tin can hardly be changed two
degrees.
A very infusible friedrich, promising to serve
many needs, is made by cementing quartz sand
with magnesia, drying and carefully burning.
-
Some new and simple radium experiments
have been described by Prof. Orazio Rebuffat,
an Italian physicist. On rubbing glass tube
with wool in medium containing radium salt,
luminous glow followed the wool, and glow
also appeared when the finger was brought near
the excited glass. Using a vacuum tube brought
into connection with a tube of radium salt, a
brilliant glow appeared inside when the outside
of the glass tube was rubbed with wool. This
experiment, it is believed. makes it possible to
demonstrate the production OF emanations from
radium mixtures of low grade, or feeble activity.
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The action of water as an anRsthetic is illus
trated in some recent cases brought to notice by
Joseph Clements. In one case five hemorrhoids
were injected with distilled water, when they
were removed in fifteen minutes without pain,
and the patient at once returned home. In an
other case two fistules were opened and scraped
one after the injection of water and the other
without it. The last operation was exceedingly
painful. The action of tie water is declared to
be the same as that of solutions of cocaine or
other drug--a filling of the interspaces of the
tissues, thus temporarily suspending intercellu-
lar respiration and paralyzing the local nerve
centers.
The melting of glaciers in winter has called for
explanation. DIR. Il. Won Lendenfeld, of Prague,
believes that the earth's interior heat cannot
account for more than three to six per cent. of
the effect, but that the principal cause of the
melting is the heat from the work of the ice in
descending. The pressure of winter SHOWS
would probably somewhat increase the internal
melting.
-.
Aside from errors of refraction w. H Rivers
finds the eyes of all races and classes of men to
be practically the same. The apparent supe-
rior sight of savages is attributed entirely to
practice and education, with familiarity with
the surroundings.
Reduced Rates to Pacific Coast Points.
On account of the Lewis and Clark Exposition
at Portland, Ore. June LIST to October 18th, and
various conventions to be held in cities on the
Pacific Coast during the summer, the Pennsyl-
vania Railroad Company will sell round-trip
tickets specified dates, from all stations on its
lines, to San Francisco and Los Angeles, April
9th to September 9th; to Portland, Seattle, Ia
emma Victoria Vancouver and San Diego Nav