The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1907-04-06


tract Liehtning-Perfumed Butterflies
A Safe Volatile Soivenr-Anorher Form
of Oxygen-Bedbugs the Carriers OF
Leprosy-By Long-Distance Wireless
Bread-Crumb Statuary.
The rapid acceleration of scientific progress is
a striking feature of recent history. Whether
this is due to increased power evolved in the
human intellect was considered by Principal 3.
H. Grifiths, in his late British Association adj
dress, but he concluded that it would take
bold man to assert that the mind is more power
full than in the days of Homer Pericles and
Archimedes. He finds that the mystery may be
explained by the extension of our senses by
mechanical appliances. The bolometer and
electric coherer have increased the range of our
vision thousandfold. and the electroscope and
the galvanometer have extended our sight and
touch until we can detect an electron. By the
many instruments supplying the deficiencies in
our faculties. we 60 forward confidently where
previously all was dark.
sss
The human breath has been found to be q fair
conductor of electricity, a spark from
Wimshurst machine being longer in breathed
than in pure air. Investigating further. Dufour
has concluded that the lung and skin exhalations
sensibly increase the leakage from an electri-
cally charged body. and it is suggested that the
vapors rising above a flock of sheep or cattle
may explain the tendency of lightning to strike
the huddled animals.
81
Certain butterflies have marked odors-some
good. some bad. DR.. z. A. Dixey, British ento-
mologist, mentions white butterfly Of England
that has the fragrant scent of lemon verbena,
and has noted many species In Africa with such
odors as those of chocolate, vanilla and various
flowers. The agreeable odors belong to males.
The offensive odors, shared by both sexes. are
protective, repelling enemies.
Asa
Carbon tetrachloride is being made an impor-
tant new prodnct in France. chemical works at
Moutiers in Savoy especially having undertaken
its production on large scale. 1t is colorless,
mobile liquid like petroleum in appearance, and
has the composition of about 81 per cent. of
chlorine to 8 per cent. of carbon, 1t can be
probably made only where chlorine is an in
dustriai residue, as in the production of soda or
potash by the electrolytic method. 1t boils at
77' c. is entirely volatilized without odor, and
isso stable that it does not attack metals fabrics
or colors, even at high temperatures. 1t Is un-
infiammable and incombustible. 1t dissolves all
fats and it is expected to take the place of such
phide, benzine. chloroform, alcohols and ether.
1t dssolves certain gums and resins, making it
probably available in varnish manufacture.
-
A new modification of oxygen seems to have
been discovered by DIR. Erich Ladenburg. From
the purest OF oxygen. developed by electrolysis
of boiled potassium hydrate, he prepares liquid
ozone, and this he allows to vaporize into
vacuum, obtaining nearly pure ozone gas which
has deep blue color In thickness of eight
inches. The absorption spectrum shows five
new lines that do not belong to ozone. They
always appear when the liquid ozone is allowed
to vaporize. and the gas to which they belong
can be separated. The molecular weight is
higher than that of ozone.
s"s
A novel charge is brought against the common
bedbug (Cimex lectularius) by DIR. W. J. Good
hue, medical superintendent of the Molokai
Seper Settlement, who regards it as a chief
agent in spreading leprosy. It is believed to
have greater influence than the gnat, for it
comes noiselessly and during the patients sleep,
and bedding among lepers is too little disinfec-
ted. After long research, DIR. Goodhue has
demonstrated the presence of the bacillus of
leprosy in the mosquito (Culex pungens) as well
as in the bedbug.
-
A message from Mars, which at cannon ball
speed would take several centuries to reach US,
would get here in five minutes on rays of light.
At the inconceivable velocity of this lightwave
telegraphy, message was started from the con-
stellation Perseus about the time jamestown
was settled it flashed along day and night at
$4,000 miles per second while the American
colonies were slowly gaining foothold while
they grew into an independent nation, while
the nation passed through the bloodiest struggle
in history and it was still rushing toward US
sixteen billion miles every day when Deweys
guns proclaimed the nation world power and
jamestown was nearing the close of its third
century. Then, on February 21st. 1901. the
signal asseen. Theapparition was called Nova
Persei by the startled astronomers, it proved
the brightest of all recorded temporary stars
except one, its fluctuations were the greatest
ever observed, and there was reason for hailing
it as the most wonderful of all stars. Its maxi
mum brightness was reached on February 24th,
when its light had increased 100000 times in
two days. It fell off third on the following
day, and this was followed by strange fuctua-
tons, while little later nebulous ring formed
and spread outward at the velocity Of light
The message so received, as interpreted by
Kapleyn and Wilson. is a marvellous chapter of
cosmical history. 1t tells that three centuries
ago an invisible dark star travelling at great We
locity ran into a dark nebula. that the stars
surface was made white hot by the friction but
rapidly cooled, that the heating wars partially
renewed as stray nebulous wisps were penetra-
ted and that as the stars bright rays shot out
ward they lighted more and more of the pre-
viously dark nebula, which became visible for
little time. So far away was this collision that
in four months the flash. travelling at light-speed
across the line of sight, illuminated stretch of
nebula barely wide enough to be perceived by
the unaided eye of man.
-.
Modelling In bread-crumbs, which are soaked
in liquids of various colors and are made elastic
and almost unbreakable by a special process. is
the curious new art of Suzanne Meyer, French
woman.