The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1909-02-27
Correspondence Baltimore County Union
SCIENTIFIC MISCELLANY.

SCIENTIFIC MISCELLANY.
The Airs Mystery Layer-A Shock-Safe
MISUNDERSTANDING Pelee-Gravita
ton Due to Matters Eternal Vibration
The New Blue Light Cure-Peats New
Product--Wire Ropes with Crossed
6trands-A Hygrometer from the Bake
ry-A New View Leprosy.
One Of the most remarkable discoveries made
by balloon soundings'' is the existence around
the earth of the stratum of air now known as the
Inversion layer" The automatically -recordiDg
instruments sent up by NJ. Tesserenc de Bort
and others have shown that the temperature of
the air steadily diminishes up to height of
about eight miles, but that beyond is layer about
q mile thick that shows a constant or rising tenn
perature with increasing height. AS this stra-
tum must vary the atmospheric density and re-
fraction, It gives a basis for some interesting
speculations. NJ. Durand Greville thinks thatit
must be family luminous, and suggests that 1t
may produce the "gegenschein" or midnight
glow opposite the sun, that it may give the sec
ond lighting up of high peaks in the Alps after
the first twilight glow has faded. that it may
hold the fine dust that gives the brilliant skies
after volcanic eruptions, and may explain other
puzzling phenomena.
The earthquake-proof building OF Prof. Boer-
mel rests in massive bowl, and has rocking
foundation with a curved bottom surface of
somewhat less radius than that of the bowl.
half-spherical pivot fits into cup-bearing at the
centre. At eight points near the outside OF the
bowl are spring buffers, which keep the house
or other building from being canted too freely,
and lessen the force of any shocks transmitted.
The structure on this foundation is to have
light steel framework, and is expected to resist
the severest earthquakes.
Srs
The vegetation on the area laid waste by the
Mt. Pelee eruption of 1902 is gradually reappear-
ing, and the indigo plant. castor oil plant, sens
tive plant. guinea ferns, silver ferns and other
plants are spreading over the ground. Roots
not killed by the hot ashes falling above them
have readily penetrated the thin crust. In other
places, the trampling of animals and water ac-
ton have been breaking up the lava, giving
slowly-forming new soil or bringing the old soil
to the surface.
The assumption that both gravitation and re-
pulsion are results of the vibration of elastic
bodies in an inelastic medium has been the start
ing point Of the curious experiments of Prof.
Arthur Korn. In the simple apparatus con-
window, is united by tubes with a cylinder, one
end of which is closed by membrane that can
be set into rapid pulsation by the alternate push
and pull of an electromotor. The metal globe
contains two unequal airflled rubber balls, one
fixed to the inner side of the globe, the smaller
being free. The apparatus is filled with water,
the motor started. and the pulsations of the
membrane alternately contract and expand the
rubber balls, at aspeed that may be made incon-
ceivably great, the motions becoming quite in
visible to the eye. At certain speed of vibra-
ton, mysterious thing is seen, the smaller ball
beginning slowly to move through the water to-
ward the larger, gradually increasing its speed.
Measurements showed that the attraction in
creased on approach exactly as did that which
pulled down Newton's apple, and Prof. Korn
considers his theory proven, gravitation depend
ing entirely on the fact that all heavenly bodies
are surrounded by an ether that is inelastic.
There are over-vibrations in matter, moreover,
just as there are over-tones in the sound of q
violin-string. When the attracted bodies come
too near, these over-vibrations come into play,
and their effect in the inelastic water is immedi
ately repulsive, explaining the cases of repul-
sion seen in the heavens.
.rs
The therapeutic value of the electric light
having been recognized in the Finsen treatment
of certain skin diseases, the lamp emitting the
most effective rays is now being sought. DR.. o..
Vogel, German, points out that the ultra violet
rays were formerly credited with special heal
ing powers, but it is now known that their effect
is chiefly an etching, with no deep penetration.
Blue and violet, now claimed to be the curative
rays, kill all bacteria in five minutes, and pene-
trate deeply into the tissues. 1t is believed that
special lamp concentrating the blue rays will
shorten the time of application In the light
treatment.
Alcohol is obtained from peat by treating the
fiber with sulphuric acid and fermenting with a
special yeast. A ton of dry peat yields 40 gal
Ions of pure spirit at one-fourth of the cost of
potato alcohol
Ars
new rope, brought out year or two ago,has
two layers of strands wound over core in OPP
posite directions. the purpose being to prevent
the familiar twisting or, rather, untwisting-on
lifting loads. A recent test showed that, while
such ropes do not have in themselves any ten
dency to rotate, they may have other faults. A
rope tested had breaking strength of 10 tons 2
cwt., but on being revolved five turns by hand,
the outer layer was UNFINISHED and relaxed,
throwing the entire load on the inner strands,
which had about one third of the strength of the
entire rope. A load striking an obstacle is liable
to be given a number of rotations, while even
two turns were sufficient to untwist and relax
the outer strands when kink confined the effect
to a small section of the rope. Another quality
of these ropes for which allowance must be
made was found to be increased wear where the
strands cross, and in rope that had been used
in hosting for considerable time 1t was found
that the outer strand had cut into and materially
weakened the layer crossed.
-.
Gingerbread is very susceptible to changes in
the moisture of the atmosphere, and scientific
Frenchman has taken advantage of this fact to
provide himself with novel and curious barom-
eter. This is a warlike figure, made of ginger
bread and suspended in suitable place in the
house. When anybody goes out, the general
is consulted, and if he feels fiably and sticky it
is understood that an umbrella may be needed
soon, but if the guide is hard and tough to the
touch, it is known to be safe to venture forth
with no preparation for bad weather. So far the
general has been an infallible adviser.
-.
That leprosy is much like scurvy, its symp-
toms all being the same, is the conclusion of DIR.
John Atcherley. of the London Royal College of
Surgeons, who has practiced Is years in Hawaii,
He has not found the disease contagious. He
attributes it to a defective diet, in which some
necessary element is lacking, and which also in
jects an excessive amount of poisonous sub
stances into the Observation-Disclosures, ptomaines
and toxin.
CAS- ORIA
For Infants and Children.
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