Omaha daily bee., 1915-10-03
SCIENCE WRITTEN
In POPULAR TERMS
Report of Smithsonian Institution
Tells of Recent Discoveries in
Most Interesting Style.
FIELD FOR APPLIED CHEMISTRY

WASHINGTON, sept. Eh-Ihe Smlth-
sonian institution at Washington has
issued its sixty-ninth annual report, deal
ing with the various activities of the
Institution and its branches. and inelud-
ing thirty-two timely articles on recent
advances and developments in astronomy
geology mathematics, mechanics, avia-
tion, chemistry. geography, botany 70
ology and ethnology, all OF which are
prepared in a non-technical style making
them Of interest and value to the gem
ersl reader.
These articles are either written es-
pecially for the report. or are selected
from scientific journals and publications
from all over the world which are not
readily obtainable by the public. The
whole report comprises a volume of over
700 pages. with 1855 plates and many other
Illustrations, but the individual articles
are issued in separate form for distribu-
ton TO those interested in particular sub
jscts treated.
Nature of Latent Life.
One Of the most fascinating articles
in this report is written by a French
scientist, Paul Becquerel, and concerns
the nature and relations of latent life,
one Of the most remarkable phenomena
of the living kingdom. We meet latent
life everywhere that germs exist, and
sinse germs are continually emitted in
considerable quantity. even more by
plants than by animals, there is not
piece of ground on which we tread. nor
the smallest quantity OF air that we
breathe. which is free from them. The
spores Of fungi bacteria, aigae, MOSES
and OF ferns the myriads of grains of
pollen and seeds in flowers and plants.
the cysts OF certain minute protocol, the
eggs of some crlstaeeans and insects.
pass into a state, of latent life. So do
animal tissues, and even some perfectly
developed forms of life. such as certain
species of algae, MOSES. lichens rotifiers,
artisca and nematodes, called reviviscents.
To Leeuwenhoek Q70D, the founder OF
photography, we owe the first observa-
lions on reviviscent Anifnsls, the artisca
or water bears, and the rotifiers OF the
roofs and cutters. He observed with
great establishment that these little be-
ings may remain dried up for five months
amid moss and dust without showing the
slightest trace OF life, and, when moist
ened, resume their vital functions Baker
experimenting, with the nematodes, whose
life aycle Is onlyNten months, succeeded
in bringing them to life twenty-eight
years after the desication, proving that
their life had been greatly prolonged
by this procedure; Spallanzani brought
rotifiers to life by placing them IN water.
after they had been dried and preserved
for three years; another scientist expert
mented with rats tails and succeeded
in grating them successfully after they
had been dried eight days. and heated
two hours at temperature of 90 degrees
centigrade. The authors work has been
applied mostly to seeds, some Of which
he brought to life after twenty-eight to
eighty-seven years had elapsed; She en-
ployed great heat and cold, and expert.
mented with dry and wet seeds. seeds
in a vacuum and seeds submerged In
liquids, and on the whole evolved much
interesting information concerning this
subject. dealing literally with life and
death.
Industrial Chemistry.
Some aspects OF Industrial chemistry
are discussed by DR.. L. H Baekeland
who says that industrial chemistry has
been defined as the chemistry OF dol
lars and cents although IL possesses far.
reaching economic influences and itI
endless ramifications have become inter.
woven with the whole fabric of modern
civilization. Reviewing the early history
of applied chemistry, beginning a little
over q hundred years ago, the author
shows the development OF this branch OF
science and the many phases Of manufac-
ture into which it enters.
Prof. Felix V. -Luschan of the Uni.
versity OF Berlin, contributes an articl,
on the early inhabitants of western Asia
which covers divers races found In thai
part OF the world and gives much eth
biological data thereon. Standing on ths
New Bridge in Constantinople, tn,
author states that he has heard owe
twenty different languages spoken, ane
seen as many different types. He de-
scribes some OF the apparent foreign ele
ments, and then takes up the remainin,
tribes and groups encountered in Al
anthropological study of western Asia,
study pursued by the writer for thirt,
years.
Excavations I'm Egypt.
Recent excavations at the ancien
Egyptian city About" called by tn
Greeks Abydos are described by Ed
Guard Naville. Abydes was primarily
place for the worship of Osiris. the mos
human god OF the Egyptian pantheon
who was cut into pieces by his rival
Set. or Typhon. but brought back to lii
by his son. Horus. who reconstructed hi
body Here was located his tomb, al
though we do not know whether It con
tanned the gods body or just his head, a
the. Greek writer's say. It was a note
burying ground from the Neolithic age
the Roman empire. and all about ar
cemeteries filled with dead from the inter
vening epochs. Remains Of temples ar
nearby. that Of Seti l.. father OF Rarnese
H., being almost in its entirety. Betwee
doorway with enormous lintels ana IN
temple OF Seti l., the excavators uu
earthed a large edifice evidently bull
at the time OF the pyramids; that IA. be
longing to the first dynasties. II Is
unique structure built Of massive ma
terials, rectangular in shape. and enclose
by two-layer walls six meters thiel
bound together by dovetails. The are
enclosed measures thirty by twenty meter
and was separated into three parable
naVes by enormous monoiithic pillar
he 80.