SCIENCE NOTES.

Evening Star, Issue 12865, 14 July 1906, Page 9

SCIENCE NOTES.

iho sunflower crop is one of tlio most profitable harvested in Russia. A good crop is worth, as it stands in the fields £5 an acre. The seeds are sold by the farmer for from 4s to 6s a lb : then the merchants salt them, and retail thein for 12s a lb. At every street crossing in Russian provincial cities are stands and pedlars with baskets, selling to the passers-by the salted product of the sunflower, which forms a favorite foodMetal does not rust in Lake Titacaca. South America. A chain, an anchor, or any article of iron, if thrown in this lake and allowed to remain for weeks or months, is as bright when taken up as when it came fresh from the foundry. Twenty years ago 50 per cent, of cases of amputation terminated fatally, but under the modern system of antiseptic surgery the danger of this operation has been so far reduced that the rnte of mortality does not now exceed from 5 to 12 per cent, of the number of case 3. A wonderful instrument is the eidophone, which is used to " photograph " sounds. By its aid has been demonstrated the fact that every note of music has its visible form. Certain highly-pitched voices, when recorded by this instrument, produced fignres exactly like trees, while others gnve impressions resembling flowers and foliage. Other notes still produced grotcsq"e shapes suggestive of natural objects. Very curious was the picture produced by recording three notes of music through the apparatus. It was precisely like a tree growing beside a sheet of w'ater. Some highly scientific results have been achieved by the Kladen Trust expedition to the Indian Ocean for the exploration of those waters. Huge stems of black coral j extending to 7ft in length were secured, though white coral was found to be the principal constituent of the reefs. Numerous quantities of deep-sea fish were also secured—many absolutely new. Some were possessed of enormous eyes, others rudimentary ones, while many were quite blind. Abundance of life existing at 1,2'0 fathoms comprised the food of whales and other deep-sea fish. A hirge number of huge prawns, some of which were 6in in lewrlh, 'rere obtained. Curiously enough, while some were quite blind, others had eyes of large size. This deficiency in the former was compensated for by long delicate antennas, which in some eases extended to twice the length of the body Nearly all. however, possessed phosphor (scent organs, due to the great depth at which they lived.

Mr Neuman Tobias, of Kingston, Jamaica, has invented a most remarkable lock. The combination consists of four sets of twenty-four letters of the alphabet, which can be set to a sentence in most modern languages. When one letter is used in one alphabet and another in the second set, and so on, it becomes a very complicated matter indeed. Then there is the initial problem of what language it has been keyed in to be solved by the man who attempts to open the safe. Furthermore, instead of letters, Mr Tobias has employed four sets of numerals. Assuming that the lock is set to a figure in the number c. f 3,030,303,030.303,030, it would take anvone who undertook the job of unlocking' the safe 96,090,278 years 269 days 30 minutes and 50 seconds, working at the rate of sixty numbers a minute to arrive at the proper “combination.” During this time he would have ho time for eating, drinking, or sleeping. Platinum sponge becomes incandescent on contact with gas, and causes its ignition. This phenomenon has given rise to various arrangements for producing the flame direct. MM. Bouxcville and Michaud have patented m France a process in which the addition of any foreign apparatus to the mantle is avoided. They have recourse simply to a mixture in which platinum sponge is the essential ingredient, composed of refractory and adhering substances. Impregnated with this mixture in its upper texture, the mantle has the power of igniting the gas, and of thus becoming incandescent. The stem may also be covered with the composition, and the same result secured. Professor Alexander Graham Bell’s tetrahedral (four-sided) kite was'put to use’on March 27 last in some remarkable experiments with wireless telegraphy. These experiments are the initial movement to utilise the tetrahedral kite for wireless purposes, as the Marconi and De Forest companies have experienced much difficulty in despatching messages across the ocean and over mountains for the want of towers' bn the ocean and height of towers in mountainous country. The idea of sending op kites of the tetrahedral pattern from midocean station steamers would solve the problem. Dr Bell lent one of his largest kites, having 250 cells, which was operated by Mr W. F. Dedwin. The kite was sent up 2,000 ft, and from antennae 400 ft long messages wore caught and transmitted oyer a steel wire. The experiments are of great importance to the advancement of wireless telegraphy. Dr Francis T. Bond, in the current issue of the ‘ Lancet,’ recommends rum and milk as a cure for indigestion. “The indigestion must be a very hopeless one,” he says, “ which will not yield to a diet of a small cup of warm milk to which a teaspoonful of rum has been added, followed by a plain biscuit or two and some very mild cheese, paradoxical as this combination may seem." Fearing that the name might be considered vulgar by some people, Dr Bond suggests that the one should lie christened “ lait au rhum," and the other “ fromage dispeptique, ”

Interesting experiments extending, over two years have just been concluded at Portsmouth Dockyard with a view to ascertaining the relative values of Welsh steam coal that has been submerged below the sea for any length of time and that stored in the open air. It. has been asserted that the action of the sea water upon coal added greatly to the calorific properties in generating steam, and the experiments have' undoubtedly proved the correctness of this assertion.* Two years ago half a dozen large square crates, each holding about 2 tons of coal, were lowered into one of the basins at Portsmouth Dockyard, and a quantity of coal of the same description was placed at one end of the coaling point. At various times parcels of each pf the coal have been burnt in the dockyard furnaces before experts, with the result mentioned. Though the experiments have brought to light au interesting fact.

there is very little l&elibopd that the Admiralty will make any extensive use of the discovery. Perhaps the most serious objection is the large area of hmd that would be required for drying the coal before placing it in the bonkers of a warship.

From time to tirrie we hear (says 'Science Siftings') of experiments made upon the effects which certain colors seem to have upon human beings. Professor Re-, dard, of Geneva, has been mailing researches with a view of using the effects of colored ,light in surgery. He describes a new anaesthetic effect which is based upon the influence of the. blue rays upon the nervous centres. A number of experiments showed him that he could obtain a deaden-' ing of the nerves which was sufficient tq' allow of making some local operations pf short duration. According to Professor Rccjard, each of the primary colors has a special and well-defined action on the human body. Red light is an exciting and an irritating agent. We are aware of Us aetion in modifying the virulence of certain eruptions. Yellow light seems to" have a depressing'action, while with bine light we obtain a sensation of calm and ease. A simple method of finding.out the age i of an egg is by means of the air space, : which is situated towards the broad end of the shell. U the egg is hi Id up between the hands before a in a dark room, the air space can foe easily discerned, and by ilts size the age con be determined. In a p-rfedly fresh egg the air space is very small, but as age increases it extends, until when the egg is dhree weeks old the air space occupies about a sixth of the entire contents. With practice the age can be told to within twenty-four hours,— ' Agricultural Economist.' Dr Guida Pieracdini, of Cobnurona, in the Italian Marches, having for 6eyen iiioiiiths vainly tiled the knile and <the most powerful caustics in a case of cancer of tho aural pinna, at length retorted to hot fomentations of fresh violet leaves, with j the result that the pai.ient is repoited to be practically cured after ten days of tiuis j treatment I The lateab departure in airships ia an aerial skiffi, which owes its invention to Alva L. Reyuolds, of Los Angeles, California (U.S.). The' Royal Magazine' states that the airship consists of a gasbag, whose centre of gravity is much nearer the front of the bag than is usually the case, and a light framework, whioh supports the occupant ot tlte vessel. The whole contrivance ia raised, and lowered, and pulled backwards and forwards by means of a pair of wiug-like oars. The gasbag can, by employing weights, be made to raise just half a pound lesa than the weight of the aerouaut. Gravity is then overcome by the use of tlie oars, anyone who can scull being able to handle the aerial skiff with ease. At present several hundreds of people have tried their 'prentice hands at rowing the aih-Mliip up and down t3ie park where I it is being tustod, although no experienced aeronaut has yet expeiimented with it. The bag is 37ft long and 15ft in diameter at the centre of gravity. To raise the car and a passjnger weighing 150iib, 2,500 cubic feet of gas are sufficient.. An interesting fact about this new sky-craift is that the entire co:.t of building a car and bag large enough to carry one person js little more than £2O. From four to six miles an hour can be covered by a good oarsmain, but there is always the drawback, as in the case of an ordinary rowing boat, that it is difficult to row against a current. In the case of an airship the current is, of course, an unfavorable breeze.

Some interesting experiments have been made to ascertain which wood 'lasts the longest. It was found that birch and a&pend decayed in three years, willow and chestnut in faux years, maple and red beech in five vial's, and ebu and ash in seven years. Oak, Scottish fir, and Weyinoirih pine decayed to the depth of an inch in seven yours; larch and juniper were uninjured at the end ot seven years. In situations so free from moisture that tin y may be practically called dry, the durability of limber is unlimited.

—A Dust Cure.—

wmu tti v-, Great interest has been evinced in the dust prevention experiments which have been carried out in the Nort-hwich urban distinct by means ot a waste product from the Winningl/m Chemical Works, and described as calcium chloride -liquor. The Council surveyor of the Northwich district has accordingly prepared an official report, in which Le ck-scribes the properties and the economy of the nsw method. Tiie survuyor (Mr Brooke) says the experiment was first triid lor fourteen days over three lengths of main road. The first length was 900 square yards by eight yards, theeeoond 1,666 by nine yards, and the thfixd 1,556 by eight yards. The liquor was obtained from a ihmdjdpe specially fixed, and was drawn into an ordinary watering-cart. Threepence per cart load of about 300 gallons was charged. In one case it was necessary to cart one and three-quarter males, and in another over two miles. The first length of raid for fourteen days’ treatment cost IBs 3d, as against £2 with water; the second £1 16s 7d, as against £4 5s 7d; and the third £1 16s 4d, agaiqst £8 6s Bd. The effect of the liquor seems to be to change the gravity of the dust particles, preventing them being blown about either by wind or motor cars. The roadway seems ho be bound, and in dry weather has a good* surface. The liquor has a characteristic of absorbing moisture, and each night regains an amount. <xf moisture which prolongs the effect of tiie treatment. This reviving influence wvis apparent for fully three weeks after the expiration of the fortnight’s treatment. During wet weather there is a tendency for the surface to work off in layers, but it quickly dries, and sets remarkably hard. As a dust preventive, the calcium liquor its undoubtedly a success. and meets Mr Brooke’s ideal of a substance allowing of frequent application at a low cost.

—Remarkable Coma Case.—

All Amenta, baa bo&n interested lately in the efforts to arouse William Schnable, a patient in Philadelphia Hospital, who for forty-seven days has been in a state of coma- On May 19 the physicians applied electric needles to his spine, and continued the application for nearly an hour without producing the slightest result, except the mystification of the operators. As a last resource it was suggested that nerve-rack-ing plunges from hot to cold tubs might possibly arouse the patient. Accordingly, two large tubs were brought into the operating room, one filled with very cold water, and into the other was poured water of a temperature lilt'e brioav scalding point. Between the tubs the doctors rigged up a see-saw. They raised one end, and the unconscious man was roiled into the oold water. After a thorough immersion they reversed the movement, and .the patient was rolled into the steaming tulb. This was repeated a dozen times without avail. The physicians are now convinced that all efforts to arouse Schnable are practically us dess, and that his death cannot long bo postponed, , ,