SCIENCE NOTES.

Evening Star, Issue 12623, 30 September 1905, Page 10

SCIENCE NOTES.

Dr George; Crfle, on American surgeon, baa been telling some interesting things connected with suspended animation. Tbe different parts of the body, he points out, have varying! periods- of suspended animation, and death falls unevenly on the several tissues and organs. He has been able to resuscitate a dog fifteen minutes after complete stoppage of respiration and circulation—that is, apparent death. A decapitated dog has been kept alive by~him for twelve hours by continuous slow infusion of a 1 in 1&.000 salt solution of adrenaline.

The Bartan-Bawson airship madeitß first public ascent from the grounds of the Alexandra Palace on Saturday, July 27. It conaistod of a sQk balloon 180 ft knag and 40ft in diameter, with a bamboo car 127 it long and 18ft high, four propellers, and two 50-horse power motors. Its total weight wag about 14,0001b, aod it earned four passengers, including Dr Barton and Mr F. L. Bawson. The ship rose well and made a complete circle in the air, but the wind was strong, and the tinge aerial vessel was carried to Romford, where it descended safely. Unfortunately, however, the ship, which bad cost over £4,000, was wrecked after the descent through tbe accidental crowding of tbe crew at one end of the car. Dr Barton professed himself fully satisfied with the behaviour of the vessel, but said that tile voyage had proved that a larger rodder waa necessary. ■ One of the grimmest and) most remarkable Bights in the world is tbe catacombs in the convent of the Capuchins, Borne. Skulls arranged in various devices grin at the beholder from every side. Thigh bones, elbows, and ankle bones are set forth in the most astonishing figures. Dried monks in all the habiliments of life sit, stand, and recline in an assortment of attitudes in grim reminders of <kath. 1 The new glove for surgeons is an imperceptible covering that does not impair touch or the pliability of the skin. It is applied by immersing the hand in a weak solution of gutta-percha, in benzine, or acetone, and it is as effective as an ordinary robber glove in closing any crevice in the skin against pas or secretions, and in ■makinfr the hand antiseptic for operations. * . A Viennese naUmafist declares that nearly all reptiles that die from natural causes efose their fives between nightfall and midnight, only a few between midnight and morning, and fewer still in daylight. Most reptiles seem aware of their approaching death, seeking out particular places, and there awaiting the end, while those whose fives are spent underground come to the surface before death. * German newspapers report that a new axuesthetio juice has been discovered in Japan, tbe product of a plant growing in that empire. This anaesthetic has been called scopolamine, and is said to be superior in its effects to all other articles of this kind. It is administered hypodennicaHy, and produces a. deep sleep, lasting from eight to nine hours. It is claimed that it does not produce the slightest SI after-effects. x What are the radiating fibres of the ciliary muscle which terminate by forming loops in front of the vitreous humor of the eye! These fibres have not been explained up to the present time, but their direction snows that they must necessarily exercise a certain traction as has been supposed, ftyty+runinfaa have also noticed, as) it seems with a certain astonishment, that the fibres of the zonula lose themselves, at least in part, in the vitreous body. ■* We ase so frequently asked for o> method of aemoving superfluous hair that we think a suggestion made by a 'British Medical Journal' correspondent w3l prove interesting. He writes:—"A lady who was at one time obliged to use a razor for the removal of superfluous hair has reported to me on- the efficacy of the daily use of a smooth, dry piece of pumice stone firmly but not heavily applied. It was recommended to her by a nurse. Tbe method Ja so -ample and has proved so successful m her case, after a three years' trial, that she m bt™* to pa-ss on the knowledge to

others." Wo would again remind our readers that die quack preparations vended for this purpose are aa dangerous, as they are useless. -

Among operations in dentistry tbe most difficult is known as implantation, which in fixing in the mouth a real tooth. It has been'performed of late with great success. A hole is l bored in the gum, the tooth being driven and kept in position until the gum hardens and fastens round the tooth. Then there js tbe inlay process. This consists in a piece of enamel being so minutely fitted into a prepared cavity that it forms a sort of dovetail wedge that is immovable. Another feat is to make a tooth travel. Say a tooth is out of place. By the application of pressure it can be igsde to move into tbe desired position. We extract the foregoing from an American contemporary.

A drug styled isopral has been ..largely used of late for patients affected with various forms of mental disease, especially for alcoholics, maniacs, and epileptics. It appears to be one of the quickest and safest of hypnotics. Sleep occurs about half »n hour after the drug has been taken, but in cases; where there is much excitement the action is retarded, and only obtained by giving larger doses. Isopral is most efficacious, it appears, in the of melanchona and the delirium of alcoholism and epilepsy Besides rapidly inducing a normal sleep; it exerts a sedative action when there is rrmeb agitation without depressing the* heart On awakening the patients So not experience nausea, vomitmg, headache, or any other unpleasant effect Its use in dauy doses does not seem to be obtedionabkv—' Science Sittings.'

The art of making diamonds has been given a step forward through a study of tbe diamond-bearing meteoric iron of Canon Diablo. In a section of this famous meteorite Professor Moissan has found numerous diamonds—-both black and transparent—together wmh graphite, and phosphorus and sulphur combined with iron. He has also made experiments to determine the effect of silicon, sulphur, and phosphorus. Iron was fused with a large mass of sugar in a crucible in an electric furnace. As soon as the molten iron had become saturated with carbon—partly from the sugar —a small proportion of/ iron sulphide was introduced, and the crucible was plunged into cold water. With rapid cooling as an essential, the .carbon crystallised out) from che centre of the mass. The iron sulphides considerably increased the yield of diamond crystals, as did also the silicon, but phosphorus had no influence.

—Why the Moon is TJrrmhnbited.— The moon being much the nearest to us ot the heavenly bodies, we can pronounce more definitely in its case than in any other. We know that neither'air nor water exists on the moon in quantities sufficient to be perceived by the most delicate tests at our command. It is certain that tbe moon's atmosphere, if any existe, is less than the thousandth part of the density of that around us. The vacuum is greater than any ordinary air pump is capable .of producing. We can hardly suppose that so small a quantity of air could be of any benefit whatever in sustaining hi e; an animal that could get along on so little could get along on none at all. But the proof of the absence of life is yet stronger when we consider the results of actual telescopic observation. An object such as an ordinary city block could be detected? on the moon. If anything like vegetation were present on its surface we should see the changes which it would undergo in the course of a month, during one portion of which it would bo exposed to the rays of the unclouded sun, and during another to the intense cold of space.—Professor Newcomb, in ' Harper's.'

An eminent man of science has recently declared that red-haired people are far Jess apt to grow bald than, those with <Sh«r colored hair. Tine average crop on the head of a. red-haired person is only 20,200 hairs. Ordinary dark hair is far finer, and over three dark hairs take up the space of one red one; 105,000 are about the average. But fair-haired people aiestfll better off; 140,000 to 160,000 are .quite a common number of hairs on the scalp of a fairhaired man or woman.