Amador ledger., 1910-05-06

Vaccination as preventive of typhoid
fever has been tried on hundreds of
thousands of persons in the last few
years, and the results seem to have been
favorable, although the records have
been very incomplete. In the Boer War,
there were 100000 iloculations among
British soldiers, apparently reducing the
cases of typhoid to about ten per cent
of the proportion among the unnocu
lated. Antitpyhoid vaccination was be-
gun in the United States Army in Febru
ary, 1909, and OF about 1875 cases of ty-
phoid fever in 5000 men only one was
in a man who had been vsccinated.
British experience seems to show that
the period of protection is about three
years. A so-called negative phase"
soon after incubation, With increased
liability of the disease at that time, has
been an argument against the practice,
but Major!F. F. Russell, OF the u. S.
Army Medical Corps, finds that the vac
cination does not predispose to the dis
ease in an epidemic and that there is no
evidence of negative phase If the
inoculation is given during the incuba-
ton period, the severity of the disease
is leSSened.
A new source of sulphuric acid has
been sought in European countries,
where phrites and similar sulphides are
scarce. H. Trey has experimental
with pure gyspum that i very abund
ant in the basin of the Duna, Russia,
and has mixed this with a calculated
proDorton of pure silica, or quartz sand,
and heated to redness for 80 or 40
minutes in platinum crucible. The
presence of iron as impurity consider
ably quickened the process. The sui
phuric acid was so hot that it was de-
composed into sulphurous anhydride and
oxygen on being given off in water, but
the two gases were readily recombined
The final product is sulphuric acid free
from arsenic and of exceptional purity
Like manganese boron has been found
by French experimenter to have a
catalytic effect in increasing crops.
With maize, rape and turnips, 3 grams
of boric acid per square yard raised the
yield 81, Fl and % per cent respective
ly. If the proper proportion is used,
there in increase OF ash or confined
boron in the products.
We have arrived at the age of preci-
sion, when everything is accurately
tested and weighed and assigned its
proper valuation, and to make the
human inventory complete it has be-
come necessary to gauge even so alb
stract possession as intelligence. How
to make this test satisfactorily is still
an unsolved problem, admits Prof. R.
S. Woodworth, an American Association
psychologist II is now quite easy to
measure the senses, and bodily move
ment, and the simpler kinds of judg-
ment, but even these do not give an
adequate idea OF mental efficiency, and
it is concluded that no single test can do
justice to so complex trait as intelli-
gence. Quickness in grasping a novel
situation and directnesS in meeting it
without useless effort are two important
features of intelligent action. The So
called form test, applying to these
qualities, uses number of differently
shaped blocks, with board having holes
to match, and the person under test is
required to fit the blocks into the holes
in the shortest possible time. This
crude method simply separates out a
low order of capacity. 1t seemed to
show that whites, Indians, Eskimos,
Anus, Tilippinos and Cinghalese have
about the same average faculties, but
that the Igorot and Negrito of the Pill
ippines and the Pygmy of the Congo
take lower rank. An exact estimate of
racial or individual intelligence is as
far off as ever.
Heal SloEdSe, lHSlSdu VI S1SSulS Sul
rent, is the plan of G. G. Bell, Lon
don engineer, for keeping electric light
ing station employed in the day time
An iron block l8 inches high and II in
diameter is covered with magnesia to
prevent the escape of heat, and in the
hollow center is enclosed a removable
electric heating unit in several Sec
tions. AS the heating unit is raised to
high temperature, the iron block be-
comes hot, remaining so indefinitely.
Unlimited heat for cooking is provided,