NOTES ON SCIENCE, MECHANICAL INVENTIONS, ETC.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXIV, Issue 8062, 1 October 1887, Page 4 (Supplement)

NOTES ON SCIENCE, MECHANICAL INVENTIONS, ETC.

THE RKD SPOT ON JUPITKB.

Since the year 1878 an oval red spot on Jupiter has been attracting the attention of astronomers. It lies about thirty deg, south of the equator, and is about 6000 geographical miles long, and 1300 miles in width. During the first three years it could be seen very plainly, but in ISB2 it became faint without, however, changing its shape ; in 1885 it was partly covered by a whitish oloud, which threatened to veil it entirely, but whioh has now withdrawn, and left the spot as visible as in 1882 and 18S3. It is remarkable that its rotation-time from 1879 until now has steadily increased from 9 hours 55 minutes 35 seconds to 9 hours 55 miuutes 40 seconds, also that whilst with Jupiter generally, as with the sun, the augular velocity inorouses towards the equator, the angular velocity of the spot is leas than that, of the prominent points in higher and lower latitudes. THE FLORA OF HXNI.OSTAN. A scheme for a systematic botanical survey of India has been adopted by the Government. The whole country will be divided into four division", under the charge respectively of Surgeon-Major George King, F. K.S., Mr. J. F. Duthie, and the Madras and Bombay botanists. The survey, which ought to yield results of Importance to pharmacology as well as to botany, has been promoted by the authorities of the Koyal Gardens at Kew. A POPULAR ERROR CORRECTED. An English experimenter finds that, contrary to general opinion, the growth of ivy over a house renders the interior entirely free from moisture the ivy extracts every possible particle of moisture from wood, briok, or stone for its own sustenance, by nieaus of the tiny roots, which work thenway into even the hardest stone. THE ARMY OF PHYSICIANS. In a recent directory of the physioiann of the United States the total number is given as 85,671, of whom 83,239 are males and 2432 teinalea. This makes the ratio of pnysicians to population about one in 650, allowing for the increase in population siuce the last United states census. Maryland i" the most crowded state, having but 329 people for each physician. Other crowded states are Colorado, 341; Indiana, 396; Oregon, 353. All the remaining states are above 400. New Mexico has relatively fewer physicians than any other state or territory, with 1494 people to each medical man. The other states and territories coming above 1000 are Utah, 1035; North Carolina, 1029; South Carolina, 1084. Ohio has 502, and Keutucky 551. There are relatively more physicians in Ohio than in either Maiue, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New York, New Jersey, or Pennsylvania, and more on the Pacific coast than on the Atlantic. A KKW UNIT OF TIMK. M. Lippmano, the well-known savant, has recently proposed to the French Academy of Sciences the substitution of a new unit of time for the ordinary second, which he regards as an arbitrary and variable unit. The unit proposed would be an electrical resistance, which can be shown to represent; an interval of time—the resistance, say, of a cube of mercury. M. Lippinann gives a method of practically determining the unit by means of an artificial resistance and condenser apparatus, which he considers likely to be more constant than the standard dock. THE RADIOPHONE. The new French radiophone, lately brought to notice, has at least the merit of simplicity —being, in fact, a miorophone with the supports of the carbons fixed to a thin diaphragm or plate of varnished pine, and the microphone is connected to a magnet's receiver, with or without induction coil and in circuit with a battery. In exposing the diaphragm to the action of intense radiation, rendered intermittent by a revolving wheel i or screen pierced with holes, the telephone gives out a note corresponding to the oscillations of the radiant energy. Further, a telephone transmitter, with its iron diaphragm to the radiation, gives out a corresponding note in the receiver. The effects are increased by smoking the diaphragm, or using a powerful light. • ACID FROM WOOD. According to experiments made by M. Senff, the yield of crude pyroigneoua acid, tar, charcoal, and gas is almost the same with' the mast different woods. But though this is the case, the richness of the aoid waters in acetic acid, and consequently the yield of dehydrated acid, vary to a marked extent. In this respect the wood of coniferous trees is found to be the least valuable of them all. The wood of the trunk furnishes a larger amount of acid than that of the branches ; the wood yields more acid than the bark, and sound wood more than dead wood. These experiments also show that rapid calcination yields more gas, at the expense of, the condensed products and of the charcoal; it yields also the weakest acid water, and the charcoal is more hygroscopic. MISCELLANEOUS. Mr. Ladewig has devised a process for manufacturing from asbestos fibre a pulp and a paper that resists the action of lire and water, that absorb no moisture, and the former of which (the pulp) may be used as a stuffing and for the joints of engines. The people of Boston are saooked at the work of an electric company which, while digging a trench for its wires along Bolysitonstreet, unearthed parts of human skeletons and sooffingly threw them aside or hung them upon the fences ; some of the workmen even selling the skulls to whoever wished them.

When you have to repair your boiler furnace, says the Stationary Engineer, and can't get any fireclay, take common earth raised with water in which you have dissolved a little rock or other salt; use name as fireclay—the furnace will last fully as long. The formation of briquettes by combining molasses with small coal is rapidly gaining favour in France, Germany, and Belgium. Molasses are very abundant and cheap in these countries, and the addition to the ash of the fuel is not more than per cent., owing to the comparative absence of any mineral subntaace in the molasses. The total proportion of ash is about 11J per cent.

Deliverance from the perils of the morphine habit is promised in the new narcotic, called antipyrine, recently discovered in Paris. It is injected hypodermic-ally like morphine, but does not produce an unhealthy somnolence nor a dangerous exaltation of the nervous system, and it is curative as well as sedative.

Dr. Samuel Sexton states in Science that ho has noted in his own practice fifty-one oases in which children had suffered more or less serious injury (in one case death) to their ears by being " boxed" on tho side of the head by their parents or others. This form of chastisement he shows to be a highly dangerous one. Printed matter may be copied on any paper of an 'absorbent nature by dampening the surface with a weak solution of acetate of iron aud pressing iu an ordinary copyingpress. Old writing may also be copied on unsized paper if wet with a weak solution of sulphate of iron mixed with a simple solution of sugar syrup. A good proscription for diarrlicej. is given ax follows : — Dilute sulphuric acid, two drachms; tincture of opium, one drachm; spirits of chloroform, one and a-half drachms ; water, to make up eight ounces. Mix. To be labelled, " Two tablenpuont'uis every four hours."—Health.

A simple plan of stopping bleeding of the nose has lately been advised. Grasp firmly the nose With the finger and thumb for ten or fifteen minutes; by thus completely stopping the movements of air through tho nose (which displaces freshly-formed clots) you will favour the clotting of the blood and will frequently stop hemorrhage, A patent has been taken out for a combined envelope, letter sheet, and telegraph fold. A sheet of paper stamped out by a, die is shaped, cut, and fouled to form a perfectly secure note or packet, and a message contained therein is safely concealed from view.

According to a French contemporary, a mixture of oil and graphite will effectually prevent screws from becoming fixed, and, moreover, protect them for years against rust. The mixture facilitates tightening up, is au excellent lubricant, and reduces the friction of the screw in its socket.

Julian F. Deniaon, of New Haven, Con., has made au important invention in electric lighting. Hi# device consists of an apparatus whereby burnt-out carbons are automatically replaced as fast as need be. By this design an electric light will burn steadily for ninety hours or more without the need of any attention. Mr. Deniaon is hardly more than a boy in years, and his clever invention has created aatouiahuisut among theso who have examined it.