The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1906-08-25
OOrTsspondenes Baltimore County linton.
SCIENTIFIC MISCELLANY.

COsTsspondenes Baltimore County linton.
SCIENTIFIC MISCELLANY.
The Perpetual Clock-Forces That Shape
Comets-Progressin Radiotherapy--T
New Alchemy-Upper Air Seasons
Volcanic Silver-Power from Earth
Currents-A Novel Engine.
The radium clock described some months ago
by the Hon. r. J. Strut is now manufactured
by q London chemist. 1t consists essentially
of a small glass tube in which twelfth OF
grain Of radium is supported by rod OF quartz
in an exhausted glass vessel, the lower end OF
the tube containing an electroscope OF two
aluminium films. Treatment with phosphor1c
acid renders the surface of the glass conductive.
The positive charge received from the radium
expands the leaves Of the electroscope until
they touch the sides of the tube, when they are
discharged to earth and the leaves fall together.
This is repeated at intervals of one minute, the
estimate being that action will continue several
thousand years.
The tails of comets are found by Prof. Barnard
to be shaped by several causes in addition to
the suns repulsion. Short, straight minor tails
issuing from the nucleus at considerable angles
to the main trial, seem to be due to an eruptive
force of the comet itself, and the rapid defec-
tions or distortions of the tail or tails suggest
the existence of some resisting medium that is
not evenly distributed through interplanetary
space.
In the rabies treatment of Tizzoni and Bon
giovanni, italian physicians, radium has had
effective action both upon the virus and the
animals. Exposure to radium rays has CONVEX
ted the virus into very active vaccine, protecting
animals against deadly NEGOTIATIONS with virus !;
and exposures of several hours daily for six
days, begun from 10 to 100 hours after inocula-
ton, have reduced The fever and caused the
recovery Of the animals experimental upon,
while all untreated animals similarly inoculated
soon died.
In radium. we are told, has been found the
philosophers stone of the alchemists' dreams.
II may not transmute the baser metals into
gold and silver. but it seems to have opened the
gate to the secrets of Natures laboratory,
showing us that uranium may be parent sub
stance. and that radium itself breaks up into
helium and perhaps lead. Mr.. Donald Murray,
Of London, has brought to notice curious group
ings of metals that suggest further transmuta-
tions. Lead and silver are almost invariably
found together in mines, although they have
little chemical attraction, and there are reasons
for inferrlng that silver is a disintegration pro-
duct of lead. In the same way we may conclude
that copper is changing to gold. This view is
meeting with approval, and long ridiculed idea
is gradually developing into fundamental
principle of twentieth century science.
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Balloon souudings have shown surprisingly
low temperatures in the upper air. At st. Louis
in December. 1901, A. L. Rotch recorded 1925
below zero at 1854 feet; while at Vienna. r.
Nimfnhr, on March 2, 1905, obtained a record of
1919 below zero at only l,S72 feet. Midsummer
seems to come in October and midwinter in
April. This is thought to have an important
effect at the earths surface, as the cold, heavy
everything stratum gives the atmosphere I'M
stable equilibrium, producing the variable
weather of early spring; while in October the
upper stratum is warmer and that at the surface
cooler, this stable condition yielding more even
weather.
Silver has been thrown out by volcanoes In
two instances recorded by ]. W. Malet. Ash
from an eruption of Cotopaxi in 1885 showed one
of silver in $1,000; and that elected in 1886 by
Tungurague, in the Andes of Ecuador, contained
one part of silver in 10Y 200.
81
The ocean contains about 2,130 grains of salt
and other solids per gallon and the Dead Sea
about 1890 grains per gallon.
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Electrical currents constantly traverse the
earth in general but varying direction from
northwest to southeast, at an angle of about 70
degrees with the geographical meridian. A
Belgian astronomer, NJ. Guarini, contends that
these currents are due to the action of the sun
and the earth with its atmosphere as a gigantic
dynamo, the sun being the magnetic inductor
and the earth the revolving armature with the
atmosphere and the superficial crust as two
windings. The earth's rotation develops a con-
trary, or east to west current in the atmosphere,
which induces contrary, or west to east, cur
rent in the crust. NJ. Guarini believes that
large amount of current could be passed through
a motor of low resistance. and made to yield
large amount Of power for industrial use.
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The low efficiency of the steam engine tempts
inventors with great possibilities of saving fuel.
NJ. Cantor, European engineer, has hit upon
an altogether new form of heat engine, and
proposes to use for power the expansion of the
gas produced by the burning of liquid full-like
petrolem and alcohol-when sprayed up on
white-hot oxidizing material, like oxide of
copper. The oxygen removed from the copper
oxide would be restored by an air-jet. Pending
practical test, it is claimed that the highest
possible rate of expansion would be produced
in the working gas, and that greatly increased
thermodynamic efficiency would be secured.
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The celluloid wind screens of automobiles
give great risk of fire. Very fine copper gauze
is said to have proven satisfactory substitute,
being easily seen through and nonin1ammable,
while it does not crack like celluloid.
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Glass bricks, German product, are translu
cent but not transparent, and possess the ad-
vantages of being acid-proof and of harboring