The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1906-11-10


SCIENTIFIC MISCELLANY.
Radiation from Metals-Science In Green
land-Neolithic Observation-Disclosures the
Life Germ-Hlectricity in Animal Climb
lng-Leafless Trees-The Secret of the
Tarred Roads.
More than sixty years ago Moser noticed that
certain bright metals emit rays capable Of af-
fecting Photographic plates and Of passing
through thin screens of paper, etc. Continuing
the investigation, Prof. H. Piltchikof. Of the
University of Charkow, has now found that
some metals give OF rays that decomp0se the
silver bromide of the Photographic film and
others that restore the decomposed bromide.
He names these radiations positive" and mega
tive" Most metals, including cadmium and
zinc, are positive; osmium and tantaIum are
negative; copper and brass have neutral radia-
ton, with no action; and gold and mercury give
OF no radiation at all. The radiationis DETECTED
BY air currents but Is not affected by electric or
magnetic fields. One suggestion is that it may
be q band Of heavy metallic irons penetrating
thin metal and human skin.
&c
Arctic science should be greatly advanced by
the permanent station for its study to be es-
tablished this year on the south coast Of Disco
Island. This novel station, to be established by
gift from Mr.. A. Holck of Copenhagen and to
be aided by an annual grant of $1,000 from the
Danish government. will have a well-equipped
biological laboratory with working places for
visitors. and will provide library Of Arctic
literature. The only charge to visiting natural
lists win be small fee for board.
-
The dew pond" is curious Stone Age relic
yet to be tracedin Great Britain. In the absence
OF springs, broad hollows were scooped out, and
these were covered with straw or other nom
conducting material. with thick layer Of clay
and stones on top. At night the cold surface
Of the clay condensed an abundance of water
for the cattle to drink.
-
The discoverer of "radiobes," Mr.. J. Butler
Burke, has published book describing his re-
searches, and his reasons for believing that he
has produced living organisms from materials
hitherto regarded as lifeess. In his experiments.
first shown late in 1904, little chloride or bro
mide of radium was added to carefully sterilzed
bouillon. with the usual gelatin thickening,
when In few hours the growth appeared on the
surface and spread out like colony of bacteria.
The microscope showed that the individuals of
the colony were unlike any known bacteria, and
they seemed equally unlike any inorganic bodies
although Sir William Ramsay has expressed the
opinion that they were bubbles containing
radium emanation changing into helium. Mr..
Burke finds that radiobes possess all essentials
Of life. They have definite structure, with
nucleus and boundary or cell wall, they con-
tinue to grow rapidly for time, and then, when
growth ceases they seRregate and multiply, the
reproduction being in itself common test Of
life. Yet the investigator agrees with the view
hat oor Orlu frnr, Tia
seems to be that radium If the seed that grows
in the bouillon soil, and may be taken as the
vital fiux or vital force" of the philosophers
of the Middle Ages. While the explanation may
not satisfy. able men appear to think that life
may have been produced In these remarkable
experiments.
The little lizard called the gecko has been
supposed to cling to the ceiling. like the house,
fly. BY means of suctorial discs at the ends of
the toes. This proves to be incorrect, and DR..
Schmidt has found that the under side of the
soles have clusters of hair-like, erectile bodies
by which the animal seems to cling. It is
now believed that the holding power is due to
electricity.
~.
The 'leafless acacia" is a peculiar tree that
forms forests in Australia. The tree has no
AGA t~1f oub ACoyAACo tuHOuBu u lAltlc ctcku dL-
swering the purpose of leaf.
e.
The earth, whose interior still remains one Of
the greatest Of mysteries, is believed by Mr..
Beresford Ingram. an English physicist, to en-
brace three concentric spheras. The solid
nucleus he supposes to be between 5000 and
1000 miles in diameter, and this is surrounded
by liquid substratum, outside of which is the
crust variously estimated at 70 to 1900 miles in
thickness. More than two centuries ago. a
similar theory, including the slow rotation Of the
inner solid sphere on different axis from that
of the entire globe, was held by DR.. Edmund
Holley to account for the changes in the
earths magnetism. The axis of the nucleus was
thought to have been originally that of the
globe, and TO the change, of course, was
attributed the deluge. The earth's internal
heat. 1t is now pointed out, may be accounted
for by the friction of the differently rotating
bodies. AS the entire globe is about 5K times
as heavy as water while the rocks at the surface
average only about 2K it is assumed that such
heavy substances as gold and platinum should
be at the center, while mercury or molten lava
may constitute the substratum.
80
The slow distillation of readily fusible metals
in q vacuum has given results making it desir-
able to apply the same method to less fusible
metals. Herr Kraft finds that fairly thick
quartz vessels containing perfect vacuum may
be heated to 2.5520 F. without fear of crushing
by air pressure. and at this temperature he has
rapidly distilled zinc, cadmium, silicum, tellur-
ium, anthony. lead. bismuth and-silver and has
slowly distilled copper and gold. These expert
merits on a small scale encourage the idea that
the industrial publication of metals may be
carried on in this way.
~
For preventing dust, an English village last
season distributed thin layer of hot liquid tar
over the road surface, and on this scattered
mixture of sand and lime. The result has been
highly favorable. the road being still drier and
cleaner than others in the vicinity.
NAeT0BIA