The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1907-04-27


SCTENTIFIC MISCELLANY.
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Tne 4oune E1yss xcutn>-saes Celiuicid-
New Aera1ed Waters-Desert Making
Rains Seeing BY Bent Tubes he Tired
Feeling and Its Antitoxin-The Flat Iron
Heat-A Week Ia Waterless Desert.
Of23.0e7 flies collected by Prof. L. o. Howard
In the dining rooms of different parts Of the
United States, 08s per cent. belonged to the
species Of Musca domestica, or common house
1ies, the remainder representing half dozen
or more species. The common ny usually lays
its eggs on horse manure. The life period va
ries with climate and and the insect hiber-
mates not only in the puparium condition in
manure heaps but as adult hidden In crevices
in houses. At Salem, Mass. Packard bred q
generation in IA days. At Washington in mid
summer, Mr.. Howard has found that each fe-
male lays about 120eggs, which hatch In 8 hours.
the larva period lasting days and the pupa 5
days, making the total time for the development
of the generation 10 days. The Washington
climate gives time for twelve or thirteen
generations every summer.
s*s
The new celluloid patented in Italy by q
British inventor is made uniniammable by mix
ing glue. gum arabic and COLA oil with the ordi-
nary composition. When purified from sedi-
ment. the new material can be used as an mex
pensive substitute for any kind of tortoise-shell.
and under the most unfavorable conditions IL
simply carbonizes, without igniting or spread
ing fire.
Oxygen bids fair at last to take the place of
some of the carbonic acid used in effervescent
beverages. Oxygen charged lemonade and other
drinks have been meeting with favor in France,
and are found to stimulate digestion and TO pro-
duce various beneficial effects. They are es-
pecially recommended to sufferers from dia-
betes, anemia, etc.
While water is so essential to vegetation that
millions of dollars are spent for irrigation it can
become most powerful sterilizer. Paul
Combes, q French writer, points out that desert
lands and polar iceaelds may support certain
low forms Of plants. but mountain tops and
even slight elevations exposed to frequent rains
are kept quite destitute of any life. The rain
washed clays of Mckran. Persia, of moderate
height and considerable extent, have remained
since Alexander's time without q trace of
living thing. Most of the fertilizing material
taken up by the mechanical and chemical action
Of water is lost in the sea, and so great has the
waste become through the increased stirring Of
the soil in plant culture that alarm s felt at the
possible approaching barrenness of the world.
The Tigris and Euphrates have carried into the
Persian Gulf all the fertility of Mesopotamia,
running powerful empires. The Nile valley now
profits by the rich mud brought down by the
river, but in time the fertilIzing materials must
be entirely dissolved out of the rocks at the
head waters.
IN ho Do Av4mI Ia mn1 -
Of Wakefield, Mass, vision is conducted around
corners by mirrors In the angles of the tubes.
A telescope eyepiece receives the image. and
II the distance is considerable powerful lights
are placed at the transmitting stations. Re-
solvable hoods mounted above buildings or on
ships masts make 1t possible to obtain extended
outside viens. The tubes may be placed under
ground or elsewhere, and with the apparatus
installed in a factory with electric switches
controlling suitable mirrors, a superintendent
may look into any room or building at will, or
may view person at telephone.
The wettest place on earth is reputed to be
Cherrapunji, India, and recent fall of TAX
inches of rain in five consecutive days must
discourage other competitors for the record.
That fatigue results from toxin generated
in the over. taxed organism is a conclusion
reached two or three years ago by Weichardt.
The toxin was supposed to be similar to those of
diptheria and lockjaw, and it was found that an
antitoxin could be developed that would neu-
tralize it. Continuing the investigation, Wolf
Eisner has now proven that the toxin is pro-
duced in the muscles, while the blood contains
the antitoxin. When toxin from a fatigued
animal is administered in small doses to another
animal-as by spreading on the inside of the
eyelid or other mucous surface-drowsiness
and other symptoms of fatigue follow and the
poison Is often sufficient to cause death. Ath-
letic training seems to give an immunity, en-
abling the trained athlete to perform more
work than the unframed. The fatigue toxin
greatly resembles the albuminous bodies, and
Z on breaking down the albumins by electrolysis
toxins are formed that can also produce an
antitoxin. Such breaking up Of essential parts
of the organism may give the fatigue toxin.
-
Even the advertisement writer has need of q
little elementary science. Attention has been
called to the recent curious announcement that
the ordinary fatiron 'radiates a tremendous
heat" and that the electric iron "does moi
radiate any heat" The fact is. both irons radi-
ate heat-in moderate degree and about equally
1t Is the waste heat from the stove that makes
unbearable the ordinary ironing days in sum-
mer. and the use Of electricity brings greater
comfort because the only heat generated is the
small amount necessary to warm the iron.
sts
The record for thirst endurance belongs to
Pablo Valencia, a Mexican. who recovered after
fully 16O hours in the desert without water. So
far as known, half of the victims of the desert
have died within SO hours, another quarter in
4S hours, and very few have survived longer
than 20 to 50 hours.
An Historic Barn Must Come Down.