The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1905-12-23

Light isinfection-Animal Pests Not
Wanted.
The human body varies greatly in its resist
ance to electric shocks and healthy men have
been killed by little more than 100 volts, while
other men have survived many thousand volts.
Nervous affections, heart disease. intemperance
and other morbid conditions increase the dan
ger. At late congress Of Austrian medical
men the conclusion was reached from the ex-
perience Of recent years that death from cleo
tricity results from paralysis OF the central
organs OF respiration. and IL q special form Of
suflocation. Though apparently killed. the vic
tim Of electric shock is at first seldom more than
asphyxiated. In the Austrian hospitals the
treatment Is the same as IN ordinary suffocation
"a process Of artificial respiration-and many
lives are undoubtedly saved in this way, while
many others are as certainly lost through failure
TO apply the remedy in time.
=.
The atmosphere contains great quantity OF
solid matter usually imperceptible. though
visible when q ray Of sunlight enters dark
room. A. Ditto states that cubic meter Of the
air Of Paris usually contains to milligrammes
Of sometimes % milligrammes- away
from cities there Is less. Nearly third Of the
city dust is organic matter containing living
germs. The dust usually carries few metals
sodium, calcium. magnesium, aluminium and
especially iron, with nickel and cobalt. the last
three being brought to the air in meteoric dust
from space.
The effect of ultraviolet rays Of light on some
kinds Of glass is strikingly shown at high alti-
tudes. At q mountain station Of the Canadian
Pacific Railway-5.0OO or 5000 feet high-green
glass telephone insulators have changed to bril-
liant purple.
Meteorites are usually regarded as stones from
space. differing in composition. but all having
similar origin and belonging to one general
class. From Is years of observation the Direc-
tor Of the Geological Survey Of Mexico reaches
q novel conclusion. Mexico is q region of many
meteorites, which range in size from monster
of q tons downward. and astudy of these stones
give evidence that there are three zones in the
country-northern,c central and southern-mark-
ed by a different class of meteorites for each
zone. This opens remarkable field for specu-
latlon. Why certain localities should attract
certain meteorites, or why the meteorites select
certain places to fall upon is dificult to guess.
and a solution of the problem may show that
some meteorites have terrestrial or local
origin.
The possible value Of radium to the physician
still remains chiefly q matter of conjecture.
Two Italians, Tizzoni and Bongiovanni, have
satisfied themselves that it has an important in
fueuce upon rabies. and that it may act either
upon the virus or directly upon the bitten ami
NAL. When the virus Is exposed for to 80 hours
to radium rays It is converted into powerful
vaccine, injections into a rabbits eye overcom-
ing the otherwise fatal effects Of NEGOTIATIONS
with dogs virus. With powerful specimen OF
radlum. and direct exposures of several hours
during six days, animals inoculated 48 to 100
hours before treatment were saved, while SINH
larly inoculated animals not treated all died.
sss
Many observations have convinced Mabel 8.
Nelson. British psychologist, that men hear
better than women. and that both men and wo-
men hear farther with the right than the left
ear. Men are clearly superior in recognizing
blue. and women are possibly superior in recog-
nizing yellow.
The largest Grasshoppers are found in South
America, where some specimens reach length
of inches with a spread Of wings of 10 inches.
~
The electric disinfector recently exhibited in
London is believed to be the first attempt to use
rays of light for killing disease germs In bedding
and clothing as they have been used by Finsen
for destroying germs in the skin. The appara-
tus. specially designed for hotels and hospitals,
consists of metal chamber feet high by Q feet
long and feet wide. fitted with the Doweing
system of heating by means of powerful electric
lamps. The bedding and other articles to be dis
infected are placed 10 rotating cage of FIVE sec
tions in the centre of the chamber. Both light
and heat-the temperature being raised to 3O0o
or $500 F.-play a part in the germ killing, and
steam and chemicals are entirely discarded. In
another application the apparatus is made 90
free moth eaten articles from all living moths
and eggs.
The importation of injurious birds and man.
mails into the United States has been carefully
guarded against since the passage Of the Lacey
Act on May 25th 1900. In the five years ending
June 30th, 1905, the authorities issued 1851 per-
mits for the entry of 1884 birds Chiefly cana
ries), 2.el6 mammals and SO reptiles. and 10 per-
mits for the entry of $500 eggs Of game birds.
OF the consignments 4O2 were inspected. No in
furious animal is known to have been admitted,
but mongooses, "a flying foxes or fruit-eating
bats. kohlmeise, Is biaumeisen and 2 starlings
have been refused entry. At Honolulu keas
were refused entry.
Penny-in-the-slot billiard tables are the idea
of an ingenious German. The first coin causes
the balls to drop on the table from invisible
pockets. and at the end of fifteen minutes one
side of the table rises two inches, stopping all
play until another payment is deposited.
-.
The small lake Of Sewalik. in Alaska, has reg
ular tides, probably due to underground con-
nection with the sea, and the water of the bot
tom is salt while that of the surface Is fresh.