The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1908-01-25
Correspondence Baltimore County linton.
SCIENTIFIC MISCELLANY.

COfTetl0Uu6tCo 00tblAtOTe COu1tu CAt0Ue
SCIENTIFIC MISCELLANY.
An Earthquake-P Predicting Plant-A New
Lighthouse Idea-Eyeglasses for Stom-
acn Troubles-Curabillty of Cancer
Electric Rope Teeting-Druglees Doc
tors-Safety Gasoline Cans--The Captive
Balloon Sanitarium-Canal Tunnels.
The abrus plant, which grows wild in Cuba
and parts Of India has reputation in the tropics
for constituencies to weather changes This at
tracted the attention of Baron Nowack, an
Austrian naturalist, many years ago, and he has
continued since then to study the curious prop
critics of the plant. He now contends that its be-
havior not only forecasts storms and shows fire
damp in mines, but also gives reliable warnings
of the approach of earthquakes. In his London
garden, change of color by the plant seems
to come before a great earthquake, but the
change also seems to follow the appearance
of large spots on the sun. If the abrus begins
to change color as the spot comes upon the sun,
the inference is believed to be justified that
assure in the earth is about to result. This sug-
gested theory recognizes connection between
sunspots and earthquakes, and, in addition to
the new problem, again raises a question that
has been much disputed.
sss
The new coast lighting service proposed to the
Kiel Nautical Society by Corvette Captain Aren-
hold, retired German officer, is designed to
make unnecessary the present expensive light
houses. Naval searchlight signals, projected at
an angle of As degrees, are visible at distance
of 30 nautical miles, and he believes that cone
of light reflected perpendicularly upward could
be seen at least 80 nautical miles-much farther
than the more powerful horizontal pencil of
light from tower IS to 100 feet high. The diff
ferent beacons could be made recognizable by
different colors and different forms for the
light-sheaf.
Nervous dyspepsia and chronic gastritis, with
nausea and vomiting, are troubles now traced
to eyestrain, snd durable by proper eyeglasses.
Cancer is durable without resort to surgery,
in the view Of DIR. Robert Bell. who has been
senior physician to the Glasgow Hospital for
Women. The theory that cancer is due to a
parasite has been abandoned, but surgeons are
incorrect in regarding the origin as unknown,
the disease being really a: local manifestation
of general unhealthy conditions, which are
brought to q focus at point where vitality has
been reduced by previous injury. Of the TWEEN
ty-fve billion cells of the human body, those at
the affected part are aroused to morbid activity
and individuality. In fifteen years Of surgical
practice DR.. Bell has had not single success
with cancer, but he claims to have found the
disease amenable to therapeutic and dietetic
measures, and to have actually brought about
complete recovery by such treatment in many
cases. He considers it abundantly proven that
the diseased cells can be reclaimed and made to
resume their normal functions by promoting
health in the blood-stream.
-
To determine when wire hosting ropes have
deprecated beyond the limits of safety has been
a difficulty of mining engineers. and to avoid
risk-in the absence of exact tests-many ropes
have been doubtless discarded while still in
fairly good condition. The strength of the ropes
Is now gagged by novel use of electric induc-
tion. The ropes are passed through coil of
copper wire traversed by an alternating electric
current, and the variations of induced current
which exactly correspond to changes in the
thickness of the rope-are recorded on suitable
instrument. Dangerous wear or broken strands
cause the indicator to give warning
-
The Society for Physical Therapy is a new
Vienna organization, which includes medical
men who have discarded drugs for modern
treatment by strictly physical means, such as
hydrotherapy, electricity, autobiography, or
thopaedic contrivances and gymnastic exercises.
-.
A new plan for storing gasoline or petrol de-
ponds upon the fre-stopping property of wire
gauze that gives safety to the Davy mining
lamp. A gauze tube is inserted in the opening
of the can or tank, extending to the bottom, and
the orifce is then sealed by plug held in place
by fusible solder. If fire occurs near or around
the tank, the solder melts and the plug is blown
out. when the vapor escaping through the
gauze tube burns quietly without explosion.
In test of the method, twelve out of seventeen
ordinary cans filled with volatile oil exploded
on contact with fire. throwing the burning liquid
in every direction. but twelve cans fitted with
the safety device failed to explode and the
liauid burned a1i~tlsr and hnEm1esuay. nyen
open receptacles are made much safer by
covering of wire gauze, which prevents explosive
combustion in case the oil is ignited.
~
The balloon cure for tuberculosis has been
recommended by Christian Beck to the Paris
Academy of Medicine. The patient would make
daily ascents, and would secure the health-giv-
ing advantages of the altitude of mountain re-
sorts, with perfect freedom of the air from
bacteria and all mineral and vegetable
particles. The patient could be lifted above
the depressing fogs so common in the summer
mountain resorts of Switzerland. The height of
ascent can be adjusted to individual needs, and
it is believed that the constant change of air in
"aerotheraphy'' must have very favorable effect.
The great canal projected from the Danube at
Vienna to the Adriatic at Triest-at cost esti-
mated up to 500, 600 OO0-would have % tunnels
of combined length of six miles. Large canal
tunnels are not uncommon in Europe, however.
A single tunnel on the Marne-Saone canal is
nearly three miles long and over 700 square feet
-. 49, - ~ =
about 1000 feet long and over HOO square feet In