The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1907-02-23
Correspondence Baltimore County linton.
SCIENTIFIC MISCELLANY.

Fish Out of Water-Our Ancestors Red
Haired-Cadmium Dated Iron-Costly
Fuel-Eyesight at Elevations-A Useful
Heat Retainer-A PregIacial Axe
Where Ovens Are Hottest-Life Under
Preesure-Consumptive Hearts.
The new lsh-car Of DR.. Eugene Erlwein.
German. carries no heavy tank Of water, but
keeps the fish alive during long journeys in
supply Of liquid just sufficient to keep the gills
moist. Small pumps keep the water in con-
slant circulation. passing IL through appara-
tus that charges it with oxygen and extracts
the carbonic acid. In the laboratory, the fish
are placed on shelves in large glass case, and
here, entirely out of water, pike, trout, bass
and other filmed creatures live contentedly for
an indefinite time, having been shown to be as
much alive as ever at the end of thirty hours.
The oxygen supplied is kept moist by passing
through water and by wet cloth on the floor Of
the case.
Red is believed by DR.. Beddoe, a European
anthropoiogist, to have been the original color
Of the hair Of Europeans, and he attributes the
brown pigment to the action of heat Red
hair is occasionally found among the negroes,
and dull dark hair among the pigmies of Central
Africa. Chinese and Japanese adults always
have black hair. but Japanese children some
times have dark reddish yellow hair, and Chinese
children may have brown hair
Sc
As a protective coating for iron. cadmium is
proving much superior to zinc. The coating
looks like zinc. but it is much more adhesive,
and harder, it furnishes less rapidly, and it
withstands the fumes of acids better.
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diamond burning in the electric arc was
lately exhibited on q screen by Sir William
Brookes. The stone could be seen to sprout
and swell and blacken under the intense heat
until nothing remained but a swollen lump Of
graphite.
Reasons for expecting astonishing results
from the treatment of certain eye diseases at
elevated stations have been found by DIR. Robert
Doluoy. of Paris. From balloon at height of
8.OOO feet a falling bottle was watched until it
reached a lake, and was then seen as it sank, and
examination at greater altitude showed much
distension of the pupils as an effect of the rare
fed atmosphere. with increased sensitiveness of
the optic nerve. This remarkable sensitiveness
should greatly aid the usual remedies. Two
common eye troubles are glaucoma and CHOIR
oiditis. or the releasing and loosening of the
retina, and these are among the diseases that
should receive especial benefit.
sss
COrticite. the new Portuguese heat insulating
material. has eranulated cork for its princi
pal component, and it is claimed to be perfect
insulator. resisting the greatest extremes of
climate and the attacks of insects. even of
white ants. It can be sawed and bored like
wood. 1t is not infammable, and is Of value for
many purposes. A covering oft for steam-pipes
and boilers is claimed to effect great saving of
Of the boiler room.
The Oldest stone axe known is claimed by M.
B. Cotesworth, Yorkshire man. The semi
circular blade is about eight inches across, an
inch and bali thick, and ground down to fine
edge, with stiff stout haft, possibly cut to fit
into wooden cleft handle. Strited scratches
prove its pre- glacial origin. and establish the
existence of man in the North of England in
pre- glacial times.
Carefully suspended thermometers have
shown German chemist very material differ
ences In the temperature of an ordinary air
oven, whether heated by gas or electricity,
with metallic or porcelain walls, with air VEN
tilator open or shut. The temperature in two
Of the corners is usually much higher-often as
much as l7o C.-than it is in the other two cor
ners or center.
Life under high pressure-that is, in COM
pressed air-has been investigated by Leonard
Hill and NJ. Greenwood, British biologists.
Records show great risk to workers in caissons
at pressures Of four atmospheres, and by divers
at depths of 100 to $50 feet, and the Admiralty
has fixed the limit for divers at 100 feet. The
most daring pearl and sponge fishers reach las
feet, accidents being frequent. LAMBERT who
brought 100000 from a depth of lG0 feet, re-
NAMED below 20 minutes each trip, taking an
equal time in ascending, but at last be was per-
manently injured by too long astay below. The
deepest dive on record vas 204 feet, but the
diver died from too rapid ascent. The investi-
gators used steel cylinder of a capacity of ~
feet, with pump raising the pressure to seven
atmospheres In 40 minutes. In this cylinder
they stood a pressure up to the full seven at
mOspheres, without harm when decomposition
was gradual and circulation was aided by move
ments Of the body. The conclusion is verified
that fatal effects from diving are due to the
rapid decomposition.
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The autopsies of two years at the London
Geological Gardens have shown medical writer
a relation between the size of the heart and
tendency to consumption. The smaller the
ratio Of the heart to the body in weight the
greater is the liability to disease. The deer,
whose heart weight reaches 1-90 is practically
immune. while its antelope cousin. with heart
weight Of 1-20O. is a favorite victim. The COW,
with a heart weight of 115O. is the most sus-
ceptibIe of all animals. The horse, ass and
zebra. with heart weights of 100 to 1-IOO, are
almost immune. The same rule proves good in
human subjects. the consumptives being those
with noorlv dava1onad haarfe