Amador ledger., 1909-04-09

The general belief that when one or
more senses are lacking the Others
become moIe acute has been shown to
be an error by M. Kung, director of
the Institution for the Blind at
Mulhause, Germany. Comparison of
the blind with pupils of the same age
in the public schools gave quite sur
prising results. There was no differ
ence between the seeing and the blind
in perceIving the direction of sound,
no material difference in the distance
at which sounds could be heard, but
the seeing had greater acuteness of
smell, and finer perception of touch
as tested by the minimum distance at
which two points could be distin-
guished as separate. The average
blind, therefore. not only lack
sense, but. have other senses less
acute than the seeing. The necessi-
ties of the blind compel them to heed
sensations that are usually neglected
by others, and this may account-in
part, at least, for the mysterious
way in which they avoid obstacles.
Localities in Wyoming abound IN
teeth and bones of fossil fish, GRO
coolies, lizards, ETC., and paleontolo-
gists of the Geological Survey have
lately discovered that these small
fossils bones-not easily found when
scattered in the soil-are quite
numerous among the small stones
that "A certain species of ant has
collected in great quantities in it's
nest-building, On Sitting these
stones the fossil hunter separates out
a good supply of fish-scales, jaws,
trouble. An enterprlsIng collector
even transplanted some of the ants to
an antless region some miles away.
and the next year be was rewarded by
inding that they had built hills. in
each of which they had gathered 30 or
40 teeth, etc. x
Two kinds of action on plants and
animals have been shown by X-rays.
The concentrated rays have a de-
structive or paralyzing effects, but in
small and oft-repeated doses they
stimulate the tissues to abn normal
activity and increased growth. The
large doses have given rise to IL cases
of cancer in X ray workers in Eng
land.
A pneumatic milk can is novel
device to ensure that milk reaches the
consumer in the condition that it
leaves the dairy. The can is filled,
compressed air previously sterilized
is pumped into it, and the cover is
locked. On opening a valve the milk
is forced out as desired by the pres
sure of the confined air. Dust and
insects cannot enter, and it is i'm
possible to change or adulterate the
contents of the can without breaking
the lock and removing the cover.
Tightening is huge electric spark
following cracks in the atmosphere,
in the interesting theory OF Prof. A.
w. Porter. an English physicist.
1t does not take the well-defned
zigzag course in which it has been so
often pictured, and its actual
irregular path suggests that the air
must be cracked by blow of sutti-
cient sharpness, like that from the
powerful electrical discharge. Though |
cobblers wax, like the air, is an un-
likely thing to crack, it splits easily
under a sudden blow,
boiler scale Is prevented, in the
process of T.. A. IIart, an English ex-
perimenter, by simply passing through |
the working boiler the moderate cur
rent Of any ordinary dry or wet
electro chemical primary battery.
The current hastens the deposition of
solids in mechanical suspension and
the precipitation OF those in chemical
solution. and the resulting mud CON
tains only loose particles of the lime,
magnesia or other impurities from
the water. Tests are suggested to
determine the working value of this
pr ocess.
The mercury telescope used last
summer by Prof, X. W. Wood OF
Baltimore is a 20-inch hasin of mer-
curry that on being rotated by motor
becomes a oonoave mirror of variable
focus. A disadvantage is that the
mirror must be kept horizontal. When
the irregularities of running have