CURRENT TOPICS.

Lyttelton Times, Volume LXXX, Issue 10111, 9 August 1893, Page 5

CURRENT TOPICS.

ee J saw/- Bays a writer In €he Democrat, “ a curious method used, thoj other day in Illinois, to take foul ait out oft a well. The well was to be cleaned, buff the man that took the job was afraid to goi down until he had ascertained the qualify of the air at the bottom. He let down lighted candle, and when it descended toi about six feet from the bottom it went q&k as suddenly as though extinguished by A whiff of air. That was all he wanted to know. He was then sure that the well had poisonous gas in it, and took d small umbrella, tied a string to the handle and lowered it open into the well. Having let it go nearly to the bottom, he drew it njj, • carried it a few feet from the well and, upset it./ He repeated this operating twenty or thirty times, with all the by«j slanders laughing at him, then again lowered the light, which burned clear and bright even at thh bottom. Ho then descended to explain that the gas in the well was carbonic acid gas, which i| heavier than air, and therefore could ba brought up in an umbrella just aa thougljj it were so much water; It was Q trick, yet perfectly effective.” An interesting contribution to Ota science of microbes has been recently made by Messrs d’Arsonval and Chatrlfl!, whose results have been brought before the Academio des Sciences in Paris, d’Arson val has constructed a in' the coils of which an alternating current of enormously rapid frequency (800,00$ oscillations per pacond) is --caused to flow# In the hollow M the solenoid a " oultiva4 tion” of pyocyanogen bacteria Was placed, with a view of seeing what effect, if any,' the induced secondary currents would have upon tho organism. Like most kiodd of vegetable life, the bacteria throve and| flourished abundantly under the elected influence; but a marked change was pro* duoed on their chromogenio powers* Bacteria of a brilliant blue-green coloui gradually became pale inside the coils, until tho colour almost entirely died outs It is thought that there may be for important research here, as the virtu lence of many germs is bound up with their colour, and times of great electrical disturbance, such as thunderstorms, migh< be expected in consequence to have el marked effect on the course of certain diseases. The curdling of milk and similar phenomena are possibly not unconnected with this discovery.

Already 901 petitions, bearing 59,808 signatures, have been presented in Imperial Parliament this session in favour of the suppression of the opium trade, anq a great number bf petitions are still in course of signature throughout the United Kingdom. Mr A. Webb proposes that th<j House should re-affirm the opinion ez( pressed in the last Parliament on Apri| 10, 1891, that the system by which the Indian opium revenue is raised is morally indefensible, and that the Indian Governs ment should bo urged without furthei delay to cease to grant licenses for thd cultivation of the poppy and sale of opiniq in British India except to supply the legitimate demand for medical purposes] Measures are also demanded for arresting the transit of Malwa opium through British territory.

During the passage of the barqug Examiner, which arrived at Sydney oq July 27 from Kaipsra, a small bird made its appearance on deck with a piece of linen tied around its neck, upon which wad written the following“ Vapour (steamer)! Piado, July 21, 1893, lat. 29deg, long< 154 deg 18min, east, C. Bpuret, Noumea, via Australia.” The Piado arrived Newcastle from Noumea, and left again fov New Caledonia. The bird flew on to thg Examiner’s deck on July 22, in lat. 34degj Bmin south, long. 159 deg 21min east, and must therefore have travelled several hundred miles in the twenty-four hours, The bird was not detained on board the barque, being set free soon after the meai sage, which Captain Johnson of the barquq has in his possession, had been taken front it. , . ‘ •