763 



THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY 



NOTES. 



The Mont Cenis Tunnel labors under a 

 Tery serious defect that of insufficient ven- 

 tilation. Under ordinary circumstances the 

 difference of temperature at the opposite 

 sides of the Alps is such as to keep up a 

 steady current of air through the tunnel. 

 But it may happen that the temperature at 

 both ends shall be the same, and then the 

 air within will be stationary. A freight- 

 train recently came to a stand-still, all 

 hands on board having become half as- 

 phyxiated by foul air. Another train came 

 to the rescue in time to save their lives. 

 The tunnel, therefore, cannot be relied upon 

 at all times to ventilate itself, and some ar- 

 tificial mode of ventilation must be applied 

 without delay. 



A comparison made between smokers 

 and non-smokers belonging to the Polytech- 

 nic School of Paris shows that the non- 

 smokers take the highest rank in every 

 grade. Further, it is found that the smok- 

 ers lost grade constantly. In 1861 the Min- 

 ister of Public Instruction accordingly is- 

 sued a circular forbidding the use of tobacco 

 by pupils in public schools. 



The Food-Journal quotes from the Swiss 

 Times the statement that the sale of horse- 

 meat has been authorized by the authori- 

 ties in Geneva, the price per pound for the 

 choice morsel being regulated by law. 



A searcher of ancient records has ex- 

 humed the following weather statistics for 

 Germany: In 1241 the trees bloomed in 

 March, and in May cherries were ripe. In 

 1289 there was no winter, and young girls 

 wore wreaths of violets at Christmas. In 

 December, 1538, the gardens were green, 

 and in full bloom the following month. The 

 years 1572, 1588, 1607, 1609, and 1617, 

 were similarly abnormal. There was nei- 

 ther snow nor frost in 1659. The trees 

 bloomed in February, 1722. The year 1807 

 was extremely mild, as also 1834 and 1846. 



One of the newest uses of paper is to 

 employ it as skins for sausages. This is of 

 course a German notion, and Wiirtemburg 

 is its birthplace. Unlike the skins com- 

 monly used, the paper envelop is not sub- 

 ject to fermentation, and is cleanliness it- 

 self. 



In spite of the heavy fines imposed upon 

 milk adulterations in the cities of Ireland 

 and England, the fraudulent practice still 

 goes on ; the fines being paid by societies 

 organized in the interest of the fraud. To 

 meet this difficulty, milk-consumers are urg- 

 ing the authorities to add, to the imposition 

 of fines, the punishment of imprisonment, 

 as the only effective deterrent that can be 

 brought against this class of swindlers. 



A report on the average life of acade- 

 micians, addressed to the French Academy 

 of Science, by M. Potiquet, shows that the 

 mean age of members of the French Insti- 

 tute, from its foundation in 1795 down to 

 November, 1869, is 51 years and 10 months 

 at the time of their election, and 71 years 

 and 5 months at the time of their decease. 

 The latter figure shows an uncommonly 

 high average of life, and will doubtless 

 cause some surprise ; and yet, as the author 

 has bestowed great pains on his tables, and 

 taken every precaution to avoid error, his 

 results may be confidently accepted as en- 

 tirely trustworthy. 



A writer in the Medical Record com- 

 mends the use of borax, as a remedy for 

 the hoarseness or loss of voice common 

 among public speakers and singers. A few 

 minutes before any continuous exercise of 

 the vocal organs, a small lump, three or 

 four grains, of borax is to be slowly dis- 

 solved in the mouth and gradually swal- 

 lowed. The solution acts upon the orifice 

 of the glottis and the vocal cords precisely 

 as " wetting " acts upon the notes of the 

 flute. It is also stated that five grains of 

 nitre taken in a glass of water, the body 

 being wrapped in extra clothing, will excite 

 a gentle perspiration for an entire night ; 

 and this treatment will break up a cold if 

 employed at its first onset. Detroit Review 

 of Medicine. 



A careful estimate gives the popula- 

 tion of the globe as follows : Europe, 301,- 

 600,000; Asia, 794,000,000; Australia 

 and Polynesia, 4,365,000 ; Africa, 192,520,- 

 000; America, 84,524,000; total, 1,377,- 

 000,000. London has 3,251,000, ranking 

 first among cities in point of population. 

 Next comes Su-choo, China, with 2,000,- 

 000. Five cities in China have an aggre- 

 gate population of 6,884,000 inhabitants. 



A man in Brussels, while under the in- 

 fluence of intoxicating liquor, fell into the 

 Canal Charleroi. After some trouble and 

 considerable loss of time his body was re- 

 covered and taken in charge by Dr. Joux, 

 police-surgeon. After trying all the usual 

 remedies for three hours, Dr. Joux applied 

 iron, at a white heat, to the upper part of 

 the body, near the vital organs. In half an 

 hour the man awoke to life. 



To obviate the slipperiness of asphalt 

 pavements, it is proposed to mould the as- 

 phalt into blocks about the size of the ordi- 

 nary granite blocks, and in the centre of 

 each to fix a piece of stone or of wood. 



Owing to the prevailing floods, salmon 

 were to be found throughout the whole 

 winter in all the rivers of Ireland. In the 

 streets of Bandon, seven salmon were killed 

 in one day, some of them in the very houses. 



