The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1906-10-20

C0rssspondsncs Baltimore County Union.
SCIENTIFIC MISCELLANY.
The Midnight Sun at Paris-An Easily
Made 6tone-Disease Chloroforming-
AProduct for Tropical Farmg-Dissocia
ton by X-Rays-Visible Digesti0n-The
Latent Image-Automatic Lighting.
At the summer solstice at Paris, the sun de-
scends only eighteen degrees below the horizon,
and twilight continues from the setting OF the
sun in the northwest until its rising in the
northeast. At midnight luminous arc several
degrees high can be observed in the north. This
was first photographed by Pouchet and outset
from the top of the Eiffel Tower, and it was con-
cIusively proven to be from the sun. Photo
metric study was urged by the late NJ. Cornu.
special photometer has now been constructed
by II. Touchet, and with this apparatus the
varying intensities Of the twilight arc will be
accurately measured from the Eiffel Tower
observatory.
A new artificial granite reported from Frei-
burg Baden, is made from chips Of granite or
marble, or both. These are made into con-
sistent putty with a suitable proportion of
cement, water, coloring matter and any other
desired Ingredients. and the mixture is shaped
then immersed in water to acquire certain
amount Of water. On removal, they are dried
and hardened in a warm and shady place, after
which they are polished.
~
The idea of using chloroform for consumption
was suggested to British physician on noting
the temporary improvement In consumptive
patients after operations requiring an anaesthe-
tic. He has had no opportunity to test the
theory fully, but has obtained favorable results
in little experimenting with chloroform as an
inhalant. This liquid being very volatile and
germicide he contends that it should be an
ideal drug for destroying bacilli in the lungs.
*ss
Capock. much used in Holland and other
European countries, is q product Of certain
bamboos known in the Dutch Indies as the
"false cotton tree" 1t is down of yellowish
brown silky filaments, which is found in the
capsule of the fruit, where it surrounds and
protects the tender pulp. It is not only very
light, but it absorbs scarcely any water even
after months of maceration. Less than pound
is sufficient to support man Of ordinary weight
in water. In the English and German navies
the material is being used instead Of cork for
life-saving apparatus, and French surgeons now
find that it has advantages as a substitute for
wadding or cotton for bandages or congresses.
It is suggested that the price. which is now
high, might be reduced by encouraging the
cultivation of this variety of bamboo in eastern
colonies.
A toxine of the blood of eels and allied species
preventing coaguation of poisoned blood. was
discovered by N. Mosso as long ago as 1889. The
toxine has not yet been isolated, but late in
vestigators have found that the eel serum re-
tains its toxic power for considerable time in
the dark, but that the degree of toxicity varies
with the individual eel and with the season.
Like snake venom, the toxine appears to be
active only when entering the blood, being
harmless when swallowed. An antitoxine can
be produced in the blood serum of susceptible
animals, and this renders rabbits and goats inn
mune against great doses. though little effect is
produced on guinea-pigs
-.
The strength of hair has been found by a
German experimenter to vary greatly with color.
A single black hair supported ounces; one Of
very dark brown. 3K ounces brown. 8 ounces;
but yellow scarcely held up ounces without
breaking.
Twice as much heat is generated by X-rays in
lead as in zinc. The only explanation evident to
the discoverer is that certain elements are
1AOnOA up W ehOoC ray o. oAu shoe hhO CACA6J
liberated from these atoms forms part of that
appearing when the rays are absorbed by matter.
~
The powers of the stomach have been gagged
hitherto by means of test breakfast and the
subsequent use of the stomach-pump, or less
directly by chemical test of the urine. A new
method is being tried in Europe by DR.. Schwartz.
He administers large pill of third or half an
ounce Of subnitrate of bismuth enclosed in q
coating of conductive tissue from the sheep or
OK, and when examination is then made with
X-rays this substance shows as dark shadow.
At first it appears as deep black spot. As
digestion progresses, however, it disseminates
through the stomach, and in health gives faint
shadow Of theentire organ in about seven hours.
In such disorders as deficiency of acid, pyloric
disease and cancer, the black spot persists 9, II
or even 20 hours, while in hyperacidity the too
rapid digestion may cause the spot to disappear
in to hours.
When the glass of Photographic negative is
scraped free from film and cleaned chemically
nothing remains visible, but on breathing on
the glass the Photographic image may be brought
out again as faint gray and white positive.
These curious breath images" were described
the other day by Mr.. E. ]. Bull in lecture to
British photographers. In the discussion that
followed, the general opinion seemed to be that
the latent image-the undeveloped photograph
is an electro-chemical formation of molecular
nuclei. around which the visible image is snbse-
quentIy built up by development.
sFs
The automatic gas kindle and extinguisher of
Herr Raupp, of Mayence. is based upon the
singular effect of light in increasing the electric
conductivity of selenum. With the coming of
daylight, the salenium permits the ready passage
of an electric current, and this causes the
shutting of of the gas. which the apparatus
turns on again and ignites as darkness comes
again. The selenium. of course, is shielded from
the light of the burning gas.