Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1910-07-19
SCIENTIFIC MISCELLANY.

Pellagrs. which has given much alarm
| In the United states, Is "A great scOurEe
In southeastern Europe, and a serious
disorder in the West Indies, Egypt ana
elsewhere. Among its first symptoms
is usually a kind of 'sunburn" of face
chest ana hands This Is followed by
skin rash, catarrh OF stomach and in
tostines. feverishness. lassltude and
weakness, and, as the trouble recurs In
spring and autumn year after year.
the weakness Increases and often leads
TO lunacy and death The disease has
been generally attributed 10 eating dam
aged Indian corn. Believing II to be
infectious, DIR. J. ]. Wolfe of Durham.
n. c.. has been lately seeking it's or
ganism In pellagrous blood. and has
obtained some spherical bacteria. with
out certain evidence that they are the
cause OF the disease, lie has found
similar organism In n culture from
damaged Indian corn. On the other
hand, DIR. L. w. Sambon, a British in
vestigator. has long doubted the ac-
copied theory, and In recent visit 20
italy with n pelagra Investigation COM
mittee. he convinced himself definitely
that Indian corn is not n cause Of pei
lagra. The evidence tended to show
that the disease Is due TO parasite
conveyed by the slmullum reptans "a
kind OF "sand-fiy" breeding on stones
along the streams OF pellagrous coun-
tries.
The yellow color Of balloons has re-
suited from necessity. not chance or
idle fancy out.-Col. Espitallier.
French aeronaut explains that the
textile fabric OF the balloon is made i'm
perineable by layer OF caoutchouc. and
that this. even when vulcanized. Is rap
idly dislntegrated by violet or ultra
violet light 30 that II must be pro-
tected by a yellow pigment 10 absorb
the harmful rays new yellow pig
ment is much wanted. however. as
neither the chromate OF lead used In
France nor the anIlin dye Of Germany
Is satisfactory.
A process for combining pure rubber
with vegetable fiber so that the latter
penetratcs the material I'm minute
threads In all directions Is claimed by
n London tire company. The producer
is remarkably tough and resistant to
pressure and tensile strain.
Bertillon's dynamometer the new an
paratus added to the equipment OF tho
French police by the famous chief Of
the anthropometric service. Is expected
to interpret the marks Of the burglars
Jimmy. and makes Il possible 10 show
whether a forcible entrance was made
by a man. woman, child or several per-
sons. a strong upright steel frame
has n horizontal sliding plate as base
with n steel plate sliding in vertical
grooves for tho top. The spring Of the
top plate ~ connected 10 q dyfiamoms.
ter capable of registering vertical effor.
up 10 one ton. and n smaller dynamom-
eter records the horizontal pressure
on the base plate. Tests arc made by
measuring tho effort necessary TO re-
produce on a suitable board or other
material the marks found on doors or
furniture. Vertical or pressure effort
Is always greater than horizontal effort,
and n lever 20 inches long gave n YER
with a horizontal traction OF
$50 pounds. On a hard walnut plank. |
n strong man can develop "A pressure |
effort Of 1900 pounds. Point impress
yinns are most serviceable in Identify |
Ing the tool used by burglar. and the
tool Indicated Is employed I'm investi-
eating the opening of n window, draw
n. desk. etc.
The new radiometer OF n. II Smith.
m English physicist Is designed To
measure the radiation falling on and
absorbed by a dun black rough surface.
An unbroken Nat surface Is formed by
coil OF more than 30 feet Of small
square copper tube extremely thin
md the radiant energy In the form OF
,eat raises the temperature OF water
lowing slowly through this tube. The
describing surface is very large--one
duare foot In area. The water Is kept
lowing by gravity at a uniform rate
Turing each test, and the quantity coll
ected Is accurately weighed every five
minutes. thermometers graduated 20
ne-tenth degree Centigrade or one-fifth
legree Fahrenheit being used 10 deter
nine the temperature. In testing open
lEes and other house-heating arrange
nents, the only use made OF the instru-
ncnt 80 far from three-eights tn three
ourths OF a pound Of water per minute
vas heated from deg. 10 10 deg. r
The accuracy Is very great practically
u OF the heat received being collected
n the water and so sensitive is the in
trument that on adding two-inch
ube OF fresh coal to "a large open nre
perceptihlc increase In the Indicated
adinticn was noted In one minute.
The hum bic groundnut Is at last at
racting attention as n promising ioon
roduct For ages II has been a greaf
efficacy TO children and pigs. and II Is
eaily an excellent food OF good flavor