The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1905-12-30
C0rysspondencs Baltimore County linton.
SCIENTIFIC MISCELLANY.

$4,000 $50 1850 ~@~A~A~~@A'
The Earth's Observation-Disclosures Wire
less Receiver-Horse Bones Needed
Safe Fever-Thermcmeter-0 GLASS Plumb
ing-Explosion Speed-Man the Atom
Photographic Guns.
To explain terrestrial magnetism three by
potheses have been offered, viz: /. The crust of
the earth-probably soon after solidihcation-
has become permanent magnet through the
circulation Of electric currents. the latter pos
sibly generated by heat. 2. The earth, acting
like self-exciting dynamo, has by its rotation
gradually accumulated magnetic field. 3. The
sun Is great electric generator for the whole
solar system, and each Of the planets is dis
tributing station for the energy produced.
~
The new oscillation valve of Prof. j. A. Flem
ing r. r. g., makes ordinary electric oscillations
measurable on galvanometerb by separating out
the two opposite currents. 1t consists of bulb
enclosing a carbon iIament, in an incandes-
cence lamp, the flament being surrounded by
metal cylinder and the bulb highly exhausted
Negative electricity passes through the vacuum
from the hot filament to the cylinder. but not in
the reverse direction. With dead-beat galva-
nometer, the valve can take the place Of the
eOherer as a receiver in wireless te,egraphy, the
signals giving long and short reflections Of the
galvanometer.
ASa
Horse owners and breeders are invited to aid
the South Kensington Museum in collecting a
series Of skulls and limb-bones of pedigree
horses Of all sorts Of breeds. 1t Is hoped that in
time the specimens will show the origin and re-
lations Of the various breeds of domestic horses
with scientific accuracy, and give facts of great
value to naturalists and horsemen.
A clinical thermometer that can be boiled has
q bulb at the top into which the mercury can
expand without doing injury. AS all germs can !
be destroyed, the instrument has been highly
eulogized to the Paris Academy of Medicine.
sss
In the development of the Moore electric
light, which fills glass tubes with an appearance
Of glowing white smoke, many experiments
have been made with various metallic and nom
metallic vap0rs under the influence of the cleo
trio current. The secret gas now used is nom
metallic. The light completely fills the tubes
and some Of these are more than $50 feet long.
From this new method Of lighting has sprung
the new art of glass plumbing. The room or
building is piped with lx-inch glass tubing, put
up in lengths of about sK feet and Theoretically
sealed in position, and for this work has been
devised special set Of gass-blowere instru-
ments, including hand torches, glass-cutting
tools, portable pressure-blowers, etc. Joints at
first declared by experts to be impossible, and
taking half an hour when first accomplished
can now be made in less than minute.
-.
Explosive mixtures are formed by gases that
produce fame. and the velocity OF the explosion
waves in tubes has been shown in late expert
ments by Prof. Dewar. The maximum velocity
seems to correspond with the motions of the gas
molecules. It was calculated in one case to be
m mini OF
ture. and the atoms Of the air we breathe are
supposed to be moving ordinarily about sixty
times as fast as an express train. Under re-
Nuced pressure the explosion does not always
run the length of the tube, spark sent in at
one end Of q tube 120 feet long falling to reach
the other enc when the pressure of the gas was
about one-thfrd of that of the atmosphere.
-
The suggestion has been made by Prof. Lud-
Wig Hektoen that in cerebro spinal meningitis
portion of the cerebro-s spinal fluid be withdrawn
from the spinal canal, and pure serum from hui
man blood be injected in its place. giving an inn
mediate phagocytic effect. AS tried on animals
the treatment is claimed to have effected many
cures. which are believed to be permanent
~
Mans greatest vanity is the placing of the hui
man race at the head of creation. Prof. Oliver
j. Lodge points out that the universe is large
enough to hide vastly superior intelligences and
that our imperial C@sar-or our American bill
lonaire-is but creeping dust atom upon one
of the dark Jumps attending one of the smaller
Of the five hundred million great suns. In re-
cent illustration Mr.. T. e. Heath represented
the distance travelled BY light in year by one
mile. On this scale the sun is Q dot I-1O7 of an
inch in diameter. the earth-to which human
activity is confned-is a microscopic particle
one inch from it, and a table five feet long suf-
hces for the entire solar system, the nearest
fixed star being nearly four and one-half miles
away. Even on this scale, circle thirty miles
across would embrace only 81 of the nearest
stars, the millions being far outside
The gun-camera Of Dr. w. H. Howe, Mexican
angler. Is especially intended for photographing
leaptng fishes. The idea was suggested by his
experience with the tarpon. high jumping fish
often six feet long. which he seeks each winter
at Tampic0. The new camera has shown the
tarpon in various positions in the air, some Of
them quite unexpected and surprising. The
apparatus consists of gun-stock and a by5
kodak. the latter 80 fitted into the stock that the
shutter and opening are on line with the sight,
and the shutter is connected with the trigger by
q wire. the gun being "fred' from the shoulder
In the usual way. Great possibilities are open
ed in photographing also flying fishes and birds
on the wing.
ass
Alcohol is made unfit for drinking-or dena-
tured-by dlssolving in it a small proportion of
acetylene, and this new method increases heat
ing power instead of unfavorably affecting as a
fuel. Grain alcohol. now selling in Holland for
about fifteen cents . gallon. when denatured
with small percentage Of acetylene, 10 claimed
to have heating value much above petrol.