The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1907-04-13
Correspondence Baltimore County Union.
SCIENTIFIC MISCELLANY.


SCIENTIFIC MISCELLANY.
Electricity for Bottling-Science and In
duetry-The Music Typewriter
IA New Optical IIlusion-Light- Cure in
Russia-Air-Tempered Steel--Speed Re-
cordinR.
A flash Of lightning one klometer long and
lasting e-thousandth Of a second represents
energy calculated by Otto Nairz to be worth
500 at the price for electric lighting in Berlin.
This energy corresponds TO the industrial pro-
duction OF electricity in all Germany during 40
seconds, or to that Of Berlin during TX minutes
and it would operate the Berlin elevated and
subway an hour and half its busiest time, or
run an express car at 125 miles an hour for the
three hours trip from Berlin to Frankfort, or
light 81 candlepower lamp for eight years.
Yet this Is only an average flash, Of which as
many as 1000 have been counted in single
thunderstorm.
The industrial prospects of a nation are re-
garded by Prof Sippmann, late President Of the
French Association for the Advancement of
Science. as largely dependent upon its scientific
research and the employment of the mathema-
tician, the chemist and the physicist. Germany
is setting the worlds pace, while the United
States is closely following, and Austria and
Switzerland are adopting the same methods.
France, on the other hand, is tagging behind.
Tho German way is exemplifed by the Zeiss
works at jena, which employ II Doctors of
Science; and one large German aniline factory
has AS scientific chemists and 175 technologists.
As these companies pay dividends of 20 to 30 per
t.<.f~.
expensive madness.
The kromarograph of L. Kromar. of Vienna,
Is attachable to any keyed musical instrument,
and system Of 81 electromagnetic prints In
easily read musical characters the notes played
on the keys.
In cochineal farming, Peru boasts Of a curious
but rapidly passing survival of prehistoric in
dustry. The cochineal, first recognized as an
insect By the microscope of Lsuwenholk in 1908,
thrives In tropical America. where it seems to
have been cultivated for centuries before Cortes
conquered Mexico. Since attracting the atten-
ton of King Ferdinand in 151Sit has been famed
as one of the finest dyes. 1t is still unequalled
for brilliant and permanent coloring. but it is
being displaced by coaltar products, and the
demand has been dwindling in recent years.
though the Peruvian yield yet amounts to
several million dollars annually. The insect is
exceedingly minute, the living female-twice
as large as the male-weighing only one-tenth
of a grain, while 10000 OF the dried bodies are
required to make pound. The females out
number the males 200 to ], the latter being quite
useless for coloring. The insects appear rather
mysteriously after the rainy portion of the year,
and soon cover the nopal plant. kind of cactus.
living only few days at most and possibly only
q few hours, but multiplying SO rapidly that
three crops are gathered in the dry season of
seven months.
s*s
The chemical synthesis of our foods must re-
main a dream for the present, we are told by
Prof. T.. Bokorny German chemist. With the
aid of sunlight, plants from carbohydrates from
carbonic acid or formaldehyd or methyl alcohol,
and in like manner sugars Of carbohydrates
have been produced in the laboratory by agita-
ting formaldehyde with excess of hydrate of
lime. The artificial process, however, cannot
yield cane sugar to retail at five or six cents a
pound, while Emil Fischer's albumenoids cost
many times as much as the natural product.
~
A curious kinematograph Illusion is the turn
ing backward of carriage wheels. An explana-
tion is that between the instantaneous views
making up the moving picture the wheels moved
not quite the space between the spokes, so that
other spokes-all being alike-are seen just be-
hind the places first occupied.
s*s
Electric light treatment of disease is reported
by Russian physicians to be effecting many
cures where ordinary remedies fail. DR.. Mani
low uses lights of fifty. thirty-two and twenty
five candle-power, testing both blue and white
bulbs. and gives exposures at distances of eigh-
teen inches and less for fifteen to forty-fve
minutes at time. The patient is sometimes
treated daily, sometimes every third day. The
electric light alone often cures, but supple
mentary aid is called upon a. times-in Skin
disease, for example. fiuorescent paint of {
five per cent. solution of rosin or fuchsin beins
applied. Success seems to have been especially
marked in hysteria, neuralgia, rheumatism and
skin affections One physical mentions that
the light invariably proves magnificent tonic
invaluable in insomnia and general debility, and
it has had effect in checking hemorrhage from
wounds and even in tubercuIous disease.
-
Travellers have noted that Damascus blades
are made only when the wind is from the north
The experiments of NJ. Anozoff we're suggested
by this hint, and have consisted in hardening
steel instruments by cooling them in a power
full current of compressed air instead of quench-
ing in water The trials indicate that for very
sharp tools this method is superior to any other
The effect varies with the thickness of the mass
to be hardened, and increases with the GOODNESS
Of the air and the rapidity of the stream.
A*s
A new speed indicator for trains is a German
suggestion. A dynamo driven by the axle Of
the locomotive would show increase in volt
age corresponding to the number of resolutions
and voltmeter with two dals could be made to
indicate both the potential of the dynamo and
the corresponding rate per hour Of the locomo-
tive. An attachment could be added to give a
continuous record of the speed.