The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1905-10-21

Correspondence Baltimore County Union.
SCIENTIFIC MISCELLANY.
The First Rock Tunnel--The Earth Mass
Of Compressed Gas-Madhouse Indus
tries-Hypnotism and Inebriety- Alco-
hol Lighting Smoke Disinfection-A
Muscle Stimulating Drug Tempera-
ture in Mines.
The piercing of the Simplon leads DR.. Berthe
lot, Of Basic University, to call attention to the
earliest rock tunnel on record. Shiloah Tunnel
was bored by King Hezekiah, who reigned about
727 to 500 B. c., and its purpose was to permit
the water of Mary's Spring to flow into the Pool
of Sloan for the use of Jerusalem. It's present
length is $50 yards, although straight line be-
tween the two ends would measure only 1858
yards. An inscription discovered in 1880 con-
firms the belief that the hewers with bronze
picks began at both ends and met near the mid
die, and numerous abandoned galleries give an
idea Of the difHculty they had in keeping TO
their course. The tunnel is to feet wide. di-
minishing in height from 10 to II feet, then
rising again to feet. Though the engineers
deviated so much from direct line, they fol-
lowed the horizontal level with remarkable ac-
curacy, the total variation being not more than
one foot, and we may infer that the old Hebrews
had some instrument akin to our spirit level.
-
The earth's interior, instead of being fluid. is
now known to be exceedingly hard and rigid.
This is due to the uncomfortable pressure, and
Prof. T. j. J. See points out that as the heat is
beyond the critical temperature of every known
element, the matter must be essentially gas
reduced by pressure to hardness and rigidity
possessed by no substance known to us.
a*s
Work for the insane is special study at the
villejuif Asylum, Paris. Painting, carving,
sketching and even tattooing are included. and
recovery is often due to the employment. In
other cases the condition of the patients mind
Is mirrored in the work done. aiding the physi-
clan in his study of the case more than any
amount of discussion or consultation.
~
The possibility of curing drunkenness by sug-
gestion has been widely recognized. In one of
his recent experiments, DIR. Paul Farez the
French psychologist, claims to have gone step
further, and to have effected a cure against the
patients will and even without his knowledge.
The patient, a healthy man of twenty-five whose
incorporate habits had continued eight years,
drank daily two quarts of wine and several
glasses of rum. brandy, absinthe, ETC., in spite
Of the fact that his wife had married him to eff
feet reform. Treatment began by suggestion
four or FIVE times per week during natural sleep,
and slow Improvement followed at once, the fits
of intoxication at first falling to about one a
month, while the drinking steadily lessened.
After persevering a year and half. the cure
was pronounced complete, only little absinthe
being taken once or twice month. The mans
irritability and violent temper had disappeared,
he was regular and contented worker, and was
gentle and affectionate in his home.
**s
Wood alcohol is coming into quite general use
for lighting in France and Germany, where it is
as inexpensive as kerosene. The alcohol is led
to special burner by wick. which does not re-
quire trimming, and with a small Welsbach
mantle in slender glass chimney smokeless
and steady light of IS candle-power is produced.
This very bright light can be regulated perfect
ly and is quite odorless.
The vapors of burning sugar. resins and aro-
matte plants have been found by M. Frillat to
contain considerable formic aldehyde, thus
showing the wisdom of the ancient custom Of
burning these substances for disinfection.
Burning sugar vapor destroyed such organisms
as the typhoid bacillus in 80 minutes; other
germs, in one to four hours.
-.
The automobile of NJ. Serpollet. the French
engineer, is expected to give a speed of 125
miles an hour, while its motor, without steam
generator, will have weight of only about $50
pounds.
Formic acid is the elixir of strength of Drs.
Clement and Hubbard. French physicians. This
substance is a colorless liquid found in the
bodies of ants, in the hairs and other parts of
certain caterpillars, and in nettles, and to its
presence nettles, bees, and ants owe their sting
ing powers. 1t has pungent smell. is highly
corrosive. and is variously prepared by artificial
means. The new dicovery claimed is that small
doses of formic acid give the human body an
extraordinary increase of muscular strength,
one delicate subject having been enabled to lift
five times as heavy a weight as before taking,
while DR.. Hubbard himself is stated to have
doubled his own strength in two days and
trebled 1t in five.
Late observations have shown that the rate OF
increase of temperature in boring into the earth
is not as great as has been assumed. A rise of 10
G. for every 10S feet has been accepted for
Europe and America. but James Stirling, an
Australian engineer, from measurements at the
deep mines Of all parts of the world, shows that
tnO atCAU8C tCAABOAobuAO AhOACocO 10 " AOA
every 15I.5 feet in depth. The extremes are 10
@. for every 90 feet at Saarbrucken and 10 c. for
every 4O2.2 feet at the Calumet and Hecla mine.
The rate diminishes somewhat with increasing
depth. but even the most favorable conditions
make mining impracticable at the depth Of a
mile.
-.
The change in the electric conductivity of
metals under the influence of radium has been
investigated in France by B. Sabat. Increased
resistance was found in iron. STEEL copper, brass
bismuth and platinum. 1t is inferred that the
beta rays of radium are changed into heat on
striking the metals. and this heat has the usual
effect in lessening conductivity.
"a
About 642 species and varieties of trees occur
ring in North America north of Mexico are de-
scribed In Sargent's new manual for this region.