The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1908-04-18
Correspondence Baltimore County Union.
SCIENTIFIC MISCELLANY.

C0TeepD10tnce dQftahA0T6 C0gff3tH UntOD.
SCIENTIFIC MISCELLANY.
The Penny-in the Slot Milkman-Degen- |
Grafton in Small Families-Lunar Frost
An Effective Life Observation-Disclosures
and Trees-A Worm With Ruby Head
light-Keen.E Eyed Somnambulism-Co Com
bination Lignt-Roundabout Poisoning.
One of the most novel and really useful Of the
automatic delivery machines is that which is
rapidly becoming popular in poorer districts in
England as source of milk supply. Each reser-
vor holds twenty quarts, and it is provided with
a spout, under which the customer places his
pitcher, lever handle by which measure Of
the fluid is drawn through the discharge orifice,
and a slot controlling simple mechanism by
which the coin releases the fluid measured out
One penny 1.-TWO cents delivers half pint of
milk. An automatic stirrer distributes the cream
uniformly, the machine is cooled by ice in sum-
mer. and pure milk is ensured at the price Of
that bought over the counter-there being no
chance for contamination from air or other
cause. The machines, which are strong and
simple in construction, can be quickly taken
apart for thorough cleaning and sterilization.
-
new race peril is brought to notice by Prof.
Karl Pearson from his Investigations in Eng
ands that the first one or two children born are
more likely than others to be tuberculous and
to inherit defects of the parents and the mod
ern tendency to limit families to one or two chill
dren therefore not only makesho allowance for
the inevitable waste of child life but also must
increase the proportion of weak and diseased
individuals in the community.
-
Changes on the moons surface, especially near
the crater Linnaeus, are now recognized by
Pickering. Barnard and others. 1t is concluded
that the diminution of white patch must be a
melting of boar frost at sunrise, and that the
deposition and melting of frost must be taking
place in other parts of the moon.
sss
The improved lifebelt of Jack Focketyr, of
Antwerp, which has been satisfactorily tested
In Belgium and France, comprises two buoyant
cushions one of which rests on the chest and
the other on the upper part of the back, the two
being connected by straps across the shoulders
and held in place by a waist-strap. The belt,
weighing 6K to 7pounds. can be applied in three
seconds. The wearer's mouth and nose must be
kept always above water, even If he should be-
come exhausted and lose consciousness, and his
arms and legs are left absolutely free for swim
ming or otherwise aiding himself. special
helmet resembling Russian cap is designed to
accompany the belt. 1t protects the head and
neck, and carries small electric lamp that gives
light easily seen 400 or 500 yards. and is Of great
service in night rescue. A small battery feeds
the lamp for four or five hours.
So
A widespread belief is that during thunder
storm safety may be found under beech tree
and that the danger from lightning Is fifteen
times as great under resinous tree and fifty
times as great under an oak. DIR. A. W. Borth-
wick, the British naturalist, finds this view to be
entirely without foundation. The beech is not
avoided by lightning which selects one species
as readily as another, but the taller trees in
neighborhood appear to be the ones liable to be
struck. The effects of lightning also are COM
monty misunderstood. The cells of tree are
not ruptured or torn by the formation of steam,
as so often stated, but they collapse or shrink up
without tearing. The roots seem to escape
damage.
A remarkable phosphorescent larva seemingly
that of some beetle, exists in British Guiana,
where it is known as the "macadoub" Exhibit
ing dead specimen at a recent meeting of the
Linnean Society of London. C. W. Anderson
stated that the live animal has ruby light in its
head, with double row of phosphorescent spots
along the body, two on each segment. The
lights, instead of being intermittent shine con-
tinuously.
An extraordinary acuteness of vision in the
sleep walking state has attracted the notice of
DR.. James W. Russell in girl of q observed last
August at the Birmingham England hospital.
The patient, teacher, typewriter and music
student, was reserved and more or less hysteri-
cal, and in three years she had had four seasons
of sleep walking, with almost nightly rising in
sleep for several weeks at each period. She
usually left her bed between and in the morn
ing. She was not easily aroused, appearing wide
awake but recognizing nobody, and in this con-
dition she attempted various tasks. playing the
found that this work was always done IN almost
absolute darkness. A letter was written to q
relative, but on being asked to copy the address
in the same light when awake she was unable to
see, and wrote confused tumble of lines one
over another. She crocheted well and wrote a
very accurate musical essay. The eyes seemed
normal. Another curious feature of her case
was that, contrary to usual experience she could
recall events of her sleep. seeming to have very
clear recollection of them.
~
In the carbo-mercury incandescent lamp, de-
signed to overcome the disagreeable greenish
nue. OF the ordinary mercury vapor light, q car
bon f1lament is brought to incandescence in an
envelope of mercury vapor. The f1lament being
enclosed in a U-tube containing a little mercury,
the latter becomes heated and vaporized. AS
the vapor fills the tube it carries part of the cur
rent and the carbon is reduced in temperature
and glows with red-heat, supplying the needed
color-correction.
-.
A vicarious snake-bite is the curious case re-
ported from Shepperton, Victoria, by DR.. WEIGH
man. A small dog was bitten by snake, and in
turn bit his master who was dressing his wound.
The dog died. The man soon afterward became
drowsy, on being taken to hospital developed
alarming symptoms of snake poisoning, and only
energetic treatment saved his life.
CASTORIA
Il. p e l..