Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-01-03

They are necessarily intensely hot. That
there are ores of value to mankind In
these underneath rocks is now generally
admitted.
The Salton Sea. says F. H. Newell. d.
rector of the reclamation service. and Its
apparent miraculous growth has given
rise to almost innumerable popular dis
cussions, many founded upon misappre-
hension of facts. The sea is not sea
at all, but an accumulation of waste
water in the bottom of a depression 2OC
or more feet below sea level.
Relatively to a real sea 1t is mere
puddle or duck pond in a vast extent or
arid desert, which at one time was the
floor for large body of fresh water.
1t is not new thing, but revival in
historic times of what has probably &C.
CURED frequently in geologic history.
The widely advertised effect upon the
climate of the expanded Salton sea is
practically negligible. The wonderful re-
suits attributed to the sea In increasing
rainfall in the southwestern states and
territories is a case of placing the cart
before the horse: that Is to say, the ap-
parent increase in rainfall throughout the
west is more likely to have been the
indirect cause of the increase in area OF
the Salton sea than the reverse.
Mr.. Newell describes vividly the break
in the dixie of the Colorado river, the
knfe-like cutting of the new channel, the
organized attack on the water and the
final successful closing of the break dur
ing the year. The sea may now evaporate
at from five to seven or more feet an
nually. but for many years 1t will prob
ably be a mark of interest to the traveller.
and the inhabitants of the Imperial valley
must live. s do the people of Holland.
with an eye to protection against this
enemy of their homes.
Inland Waterways.
In an article on finland Waterways
George c. Chishold enumerates inland
routes of marine commerce in Germany,
the United States and England and dis
cusses the possibilities of their use In
TRANSPORTATION Of coal. grain and other
bulky, non-perishable articles.
That the great value of the inland
waterway lies In low cost of transporta-
ton along it's route is illustrated by the
fact that a ton of coal few years ago
was carried the thousand miles from Bur
falo to Duluth for about the cost of SHOW
cling it from the sidewalk into the cellar.
DR. Theodore Gill pictures the develop
ment of the systematic study of zoology
from the time of the Swede Linnaeus, the
father Of modern naturallSts, to the pres
ent day.
Prof. Theobald Fischer Of the University
of Marburg. in discussing the Italians,
Berbers, Arabs. Greeks. Turks and other
peoples of the Mediterranean region. calls
attention to the fact that two thirds. OF
all the inhabitants of these coast coun-
tries live within fifty miles OF the sea.
There is room for many millions more
people than are now living In these re-
gionS.
When we consider the fact that in the
Mohammedan countries which are under
European administration the population
is now increasing. as is shown by Egypt
and Algeria, 1t becomes evident that the
Mediterranean Is destined to have a great
future. and it's political Importance will
become greater
time goes on.
Forty men and four women per thou
sand are either wholly unable to per-
ceive certain colors or can recognize them
only with difficulty. This defect may he
hereditary and cause so little trouble as
to pass undetected for seventy years.
All attempts to overcome color blindness
by educating the color sense have failed.
There are three theories of color vision.
all of which. based the workings or
the sensitive fibrils of the inner eye, are
discussed by John NJ. Dane under the
heading 1.-The Problem Of Color Vision
Immunity From Consumption.
Immunity in Tuberculosis'' is the pres
ent live topic treated by DR.. Simon
Flexner of the Rockefeller Institute for
Medical Research, New York.
From the first great steps in the dis
covery of the tubercle bacillus by Robert
Koch, in 1882, experimentation has devel-
oped until at present three distinct kinds
are recognized-that found in man, in cat
tie and in birds. Besides this there is the
so-called tubercle bacillus Of cod-blooded
animals. which. however, is only danger
Gus to animals of that class, such as
fishes.
The three main sorts of bacilli are
transferable in more or less degree, 1t is
generally believed. from bird to beast and
from beast to man. Against the probable
ity Of infection between man and beast
stands DR.. Koch.
Experiments in inoculating cattle and
rabbits SO as to render them immune
have been conducted for several years
and have met with some degree of sue
cess. Whether these NAV lead finally to
the practical incubation of man SO that.
without too much danger in the process,
he may himself be made immune, remains
for the future to disclose.
Another article relating to mans health
embraces a study, as typical example.
Of the air of the New York subway prior
to 1906, by George A. Soper, who conduct
ed the investigation at the request of the
board of rapid transit railroad commits
sioners for the city Of New York. Several
thousand analyses were made upon which
to found conclusions.
According to usual sanitary standards,
based on both chemical and meteorological
analyses, II was found the general air of
the subway was always and everywhere
satisfactory, the air of cars in the winter
not included. 1t was completely renewed
at least every half hour.
Only about half as many bacteria were
found in the subway outside 1t was
cluded no more harmful bacteria than the
air outside