The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1906-10-13


SCIENTIFIC MISCELLANY.
Mother Earth's Warm wave-UnreIiable
Fever Indicators-A Novel SweAc-
Floral Giants-rressure of Radium Ena-
nati0n-Homing Frigate-Birds-Auso-
matte Photography Printing! New
0erm-Laght from Furnace Waste.
That the earth is growing temporarily warmer
10 shown By the mountain glaciers. These are
made by varying temperature and moisture TO
increase and diminish in size during periods Of
years that may be found to be more or less
regular Cycles. and period Of quite general
decrease began about forty five years ago. This
has continued, with many local Interruptions,
as IN the case OF Glacier Blanc, which advanced
from 1850 to 1895. The latest report includes
ninety glaciers In the Swiss Alps. and many
others in the French and Italian Alps, in Nor
way. Greenland. the Caucasus. the Pamir, the
northwestern United States, western Canada
and Africa, and practically all are growing
smaller. In the Savoy Alps and the Pyrenees
small glaciers have quite disappeared.
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Medical thermometers are expected to be ac-
curate, as much depends upon them. Since the
beginning of veriication recently at a Franch
laboratory, 40 Of these instruments have been
tested, and 90 per cent. have failed to safety the
required conditions Of accuracy, their errors
exceeding the admissible obs degree. Frecch
patients, therefore. appear to have been mostly
watched with faulty thermometers.
80
new product of the German chemists is
"banana essence" syrup whose taste Is at
drst caustic and then bitter and then sweet.
DR.. 7. Gigli has'found by analysis that it con-
tains 81 per cent. of saccharine in q base like
pyridine, but solution Of saccharine in pyridine
did not yield the substance.
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Much Of our textile materials now comes from
the mines SILK rustles with 36 per cent. of salts
of tin, flannel is weighted with epson salts, and
linen table-cloths are made from cotton filed
with china clay and starch.
=
The largest flower In the world has been sup
posed to be that Of Raffiesia Arnold. which
forms the entire plant and grows TO diameter
of three feet as o fat circular parasite trees
Ia Java and Sumatra; but still larger, single
specimens weighing as much as % pouncs has
been reported TO exist In Mindanao, one of the
Philippines. A German authority now declares
that the largest flower yet discovered Is pro-
duced upon one of the Aroideae of Sumatra.
The plant has leaf that may attain circum- |
ference of so feet, and the leaf-stem is a column
II feet high and feet in circumference. The |
fully expanded flower takes the shape of a |
mammoth funnel feet in diameter. 1t is light |
green or white outside and the interior is wine |
red and velvety. The pistil, creamy yellow and |
8 feet high, has penetrating odor.
80
The explosion Of a radium tube reported by |
German investigator gives an idea of the force |
the emitted gas may store up when confined. |
A small tube of glass fiftieth OF an inch thick |
contained half grain of the purest radium |
bromide, and after having been sealed up eleven |
months 1t had been placed In bath of liquid |
air. Three minutes after removal the tube I
burst. The glass and the radium were scattered |
about. the particles of the latter shining in the
dark like starry sky, and 1t is estimated that |
pressure of 20 atmospheres was exerted.
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H0ming pigeons are not the only bird letter
carriers Attention has just been called to the /
frigate birds. which missionaries in the South /
Sea Islands forward to islands from which they |
wish TO get communications and which on |
being released fly straight to their accustomed |
perches in their old homes.
80
Numerous experiments have seemed to show |
loss of weight when certain substances react |
upon each other. and Prof. Landott, of Berlin, |!
IL seeking to discover the cause OF this mystify-
ing anomaly.
An electric apparatus for automatically pro- |
ducing bromide prints is a Belgian Photographic |
novelty. The sensitized paper is by the appara-
tus applied from roll against the negative, an |
inCandescent lamp Is then turned on for a pre- |
determined time, and after this exposure the /
paper is removed from the negative and it goes i
TO dark box. The process is repeated until |
the number which the apparatus has been set to |
print is finished. rheostat is arranged TO adj |
just the exposure from to 2OU seconds ana ct |
the end of the printing ratchet device causes |
an electric bell TO ring. The whole apparatus |
is operated BY battery of four accumulators.
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paralysis of the insane, popularity
known creeping paralysis and akin to
lOc0m0tOr arRxia, has been Unexpectedly traced |
to bacli by DIR. Ford Robertson and other |
Edinburgh bacterlologists. It is altogether !
different from ordinary paralysis, which is due
TO injury of nerves or nerve-centers. 1t affects
patients mentally as well as physically. mental |
exaltati0n being common, and the new theory |
Is that the germs of the disorder are terminated
ia the alimentary tract, and entering the blood |
attack the brain. The conclusion is the result |
Of bac geological studies since 1892.
~
"Lusol"a hydrocarbon by product from the |
manufacture of blast furnace coke, is being |
tested in Paris for lighting streets, with a view
especially of having IL as reserve in case of |
failure of electric light or gas. The light is |
claimed to be even softer than that from alcohol.
A 100 candle lusol light costs half cent an hour.
and the domestic lamp gives double the light of |
parafEin at half the COST
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The tantalum electric lamp has been followed |
by the tantalite pen. This has been patented In |
Germany, and is expected to come into extern |
aiye use in competition with steel and gold nibs.