SCIENCE NOTES.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 42, 13 November 1907, Page 11

SCIENCE NOTES.

BRAIN SECRETS. The science of psychology is not to this day agreed upon by two distinct minds, which loaves it as Professor James lias admitted:' "Psychology is but a string of raw facts, a little'gossip and wrangle about opinions; a little classification and generalisation on.tho more dosoriptive level, a strong prejudice that we havo states, of mindj and that our brain conditions them; but not a single law iri tho senso in which physics shows us laws. At present,, psychology is in the condition of .physics boforo Galileo and the laws of motion, or of choinistry before Lavoisier."

. DANGEROUS DUSTS. Tho risks of explosion in flour mills are discussed N in , "Knowledgo and Scientific News." Mr. S. P. Peckham calls attention to. tho occurrence of dangerous dusts in other' factories. After the torriblo explosion in'lß7B in Minneapolis, in which three flour mills were destroyed, a simple apparatus was devised by Professor Peck for testing the explosibility of tho dust, and it was demonstrated that the ignition of 2oz. of flour in a box containing two cubic feet of air would cause an explosion of sufficient force to raise two men standing on the lid of tho box: Hence a sack of flour ignited in 4,000 cubic feet of • air would be capable of throwing 2,soo'tons to a height of 100 feet. The right' proportion of air to dust is necessary ' for an explosion, just as in tho case of mix--tures of coal gas and air. With this apparatus' Mr. Peckham has shown that tho dry dust in wood-planing factories, can be made to explode as readily as flour, and that, in fact, any dust that will burn may become a source of danger. ; 'For. instance, an explosion in a confectionery works in New York was traced to the sugar powder, whilst dry 'soap dust was found to be responsible for a terrible fatality' in : a soap factory. Hence* it is of the utmost' importance that , no dust should bo allowed to accumulate in any factory where it isijiossible to prevent it doing so. ; •''■', . ;■; ■:■ , A CURIOUS TREE. ■..■'■' 'A .iSennah authority lias recently announced the discovery of a tree in tho forests of Central India .which has most curious characteristics.. Tho. leaves of. the' tree aro of a highly sensitive naturp, and so full of electricity that whoever touches one. of them • receives an electric, shock. It has a vory singular effeot upon a magnetic needle, and will . influence it -: at a distanco of even Beventy feet. Tno" electrical strength of the treo various according to tho time of day, it being strongest at midday- and weakest at midnight. In wet weather its powers disappear altogether. Birds never approach tho tree, nor.have insects ever been . seen upon it. •

A WONDERFUL CAVE Two. gold prospectors recently discovered in the Santa Susanna Mountains, about fifty miles from ' Los Angeles, California, the largest and most remarkable cave in Western America. While looking for indications of gold,!they found an oponing, which they entered./ The opening led to a great cavern, consisting •of many passages, some, of them wide, but most of them narrow and lofty. The passages lead' into great halls, some containing an acre, studded with stalagmites and stalactites,' in' some cases so thickly that it is difficult to get through. The walls of one of -these- halls aro covered with rude drawings, some 'almost obliterated, but others still clear.. The drawings represent incidents of the chase, showing Indians on foot pursuing bears, deer, and other animals. One wall-painting shows the bear pursuing the hunter. \Tho work is dono with a soft, red stone, much used by the Indians for that' purpose.—"Scientific American." .>' . INSECT PRISONERS WHO LOVED. Brunelli, an observer of the eighteenth century, is quoted in "Harper's Magazine" as having' confined in a closet a bevy of male long-horned; grasshoppers,' who proved quite philosophical prisoners; for, instead of sulking, they kept up a merry fiddling all the day, • A rapat the door-at once stopped their note'; But an imitation of their, chirruping, which the naturalist managed to make fairly well,, brought a low response from a few, which soon swelled into a chorus by the whole group. ' One of-tho males was shut up in a cage in the garden and a f cmalo captive was set at liberty near by. Soon the male put' his mandolin into play, whereat Mme. Gryllus flew to his side. "Barkis was willin'—and Peggotty, too!" Certainly,here was a case of intelligent communication between two lovers, and. that by means of soundj and not by scent alone. Aiid perhaps, for tho most part, this form of insect language is amative. So, doubtless, much of human speech was evolved around parental and other loves.

. SPIRITUALISTIC SEANCE DANGER. There is an obvious rick in indulging in spiritualistic seances, judging from tho following case recorded by the special correspondent of tho "Lancet." A lawyer, .38 years- of age, who died ■ somo two weeks ago, had enjoyed an extensive'. practice. Some six years ago he showed symptoms ,of nervous breakdown, aggravated by attacks of religious mania. He. neglected his clients and withdrew himself altogether from public activity, while at tho same time ho refused to lot any medical man see him. A conversation overhead at the funeral led the police to mako enquiries, with tho result that a band of criminals, headed by an Italian fencing-master, were found to havo been-, in intimate friendship with the deceased. --V The fencing-master's rooms wero found to bo a place in which spiritualistic meetings were hold, and a prominent member of. these meetings was the lawyer in question. It was found that ho had become an actual slave of the "angel who duly appeared at every seance," and who, as has sinco been ascertained, was the product of ventriloquism 1 . This angel summoned tho lawyer to tho seances and made him spend money and refuso tb\see any medical attendant.

EGG-LAYING EXTRAORDINARY.

American 'scientists of the poultry yard are variable peoplo (says "Science Sittings.") Some time, ago we were able to. report the wonders they were effecting in causing hens to lay by means of artificial light. Now we are told they employ "artificial night to make two days out of one, and thus increase the daily output of eggs 100 per cent." Some months ago a storm that hung over Arlington. and the Gasconade (U.S.A.) country generally caused it to become nearly as dark. as. night for about threo hours.i The chickens went to roost, and about three hours later the sun shone again and they came from their porches. Soveral of the hens cackled and laid a second egg. It gave a Mr. Ward the idea of fooling his chickens. He constructed a hon-houso with heavy dark curtains outsido tho windows and ventilated by pipes so that when apparently closed tight the': air is fresh and it is as dark as night. -In tho long days of June ho has been letting his hens out at daybreak, keeping thorn out until 11 or 12 o'clock, noon, and then turning them into the house halfdarkened and then darkening it completely. After.four hours ho turns them out again into the sunlight. They scratch around and there is tho usual awakening of tho barnyard as though day had just broken. Refreshed by their sleep, tho hens, Mr. Ward says, in many instances lay again. His average i 3 about thirty eggs a day from twenty hons. •■ ■•• :■ ; A MONKEY STORY. The-most pathetic of all monkey stories is one which Grant-Duff has somowhoro recorded. The Dublin Zoo had a famous ape, whoso delight was tho friendship of the principal of the establishment. Ha never passed the cage without a handshako and a friendly chat —until once a member of tho Royal Family went visiting. That day the principal, too ongrosßod with the duties of showing tho august guest round tho'placo, overlooked hia poor relation. Tho ape grioved and sulked, and when he wont again to its cago turned savagely upon him. The human friend was sent absolutely to Covontry by his humble admirer. Aud straightway tho health of tho

sulking sorrowing animal began to decline It fell a victim to consumption. When tho end was obviously at hand, the principal wont to look. The ape seemed to brighten up at his approach. It crept feebly to the front of its cage, thrust out its hand for a grasp of reconciliation and forgiveness, then lay down and died.

TALKING FISH. A natural curiosity, captured on the coast of Africa,, on May 5, 1854, by Signor Cavana, and oxhibitod in all tho great cities of Europe during tho years 1800, 1860, 1861, and 1862, where it was advertised as the "talking fish," was in reality a species of tho African seal, well-known to naturalists on account of its powers of mimicry. This particular animal was about 12ft. in length, and weighed something over 8001bs. It had a fine, dog-like head, and large, beautiful, black oyos, which seemed to sparklo with intelligence whenever the creature was spoken to by anyone. It was very docile, and when told to danco would roll over and over in its bath tub, with first tail arid-then head above tho water, all tho timo chattering, as though onjoying the sport as much as the spectators did. It soon learned many odd tricks, and, it is claimed, learned to articulate at least three words very plainly, viz., "mamma," "papa," and "John," tho last being the keeper's name. AVhcn told to pray it would clasp its flippers in tho attitude of supplication and put on a sanctimonious look.

NEW ELIXIR OF LIFE. Liquefied radium is a new "elixir of life" which has been-invented by a druggist. He assorts that his'drug will cure cancer and divers other diseases. ,"My radio-active fluid," says the inventor, "is the first instance known in which radium has been liquefied. How it has been obtained is my secret. •_ The solution isapplied The fluid can also bo taken internally as a medicine." Tho inventor says he has cured a man of cancer after five months' treatment, and another man of severe scalds in a singlo night. He also claims that it is useful for securing perpetual youth.

. CORED BY EARTHQUAKE. A Chili correspondent of-- "Science .. Sittings" sends an interesting account of tho healing effect, the Valparaiso earthquake of last year had on several people who were suffering from various acute diseases., In one case a man suffering from rheumatic fever is said to have jumped from his .bed. and rushed into the.street when tho walls of his house began to sway. After being exposed, to the rainy weather for some time ho was finally put back to bed, when it was found that the pain and fevor had completely disappeared. Capes'of typhoid, pneumonia, epilepsy, and other serious diseases aro also reported in tho '.'British Journal of Nursing" to ; havo beon cured, presumably by the shock and excitement of the earthquake.

THE CURE-LIAR MACHINE. Dr. Munsterberg; an eminent American pro-. fessoiVof psychology,'has. invented a machine to cnablo all the emotions of a poison to be recorded and all the secrets of his heart revealed; The contrivance, we aro told, consists of three 'separate machines —an automantograph, a pneumograph, and a sphymograph. Tho first i 3 attached to the arm and makes a record with pencil on paper. These involuntary writings aro expressions of the omotions conveyed through the arm. Tho pneumograph; takos a record of the breathing.. Every variation from normal breathing, due to emotional suggestion, is marked by tho machine. Each expiration ,in a word, writes its own history. The sphymograph is fixed to tho wrist to observe the pulse beats. It takes another record of the emotions of the heart. A scientist who lias seen the machines calls them "Cure-Liars," because they can record all mental reservations and prevarications.