Progress of Chemistry.—Forty New Substances.—“During the decade ending with 1886 over forty discoveries of new elementary substances were announced, while the entire number previously known was less than seventy. No less than nine were detected by Crookes last year. The list is likely to be lengthened quite as materially in the current twelvemonth, as A. Pringle already claims to have found six new elements in some silurian rocks in Scotland. Five of these are said to be metals, and the other is a substance resembling selenium, which the discoverer calls hesperisium. One metal is like iron, but does not give some of its reactions; another resembles lead, is quite fusible and volatile, and forms yellow and green salts; another, named erebodium, is black; the fourth is a light-gray powder, and the last is dark in color.”
Astronomy.—“The absolute dimensions of a globular star cluster have been studied by Mr. J. E. Gore of the Liverpool Astronomical Society. These clusters consist of thousands of minute stars, possibly moving about a common center of gravity. One of the most remarkable of these objects is 13 Messier, which Proctor thinks is about equal to a first magnitude star. Yet Herschel estimated that it is made up of fourteen thousand stars. The average diameter of each of these components must be forty-five thousand two hundred and ninety-eight miles, and each star in this wonderful group may be separated from the next by a distance of nine thousand million miles.”
“According to the computations of M. Hermite, a French astronomer, the total number of stars visible to the naked eye of an observer of average visual power does not exceed 6000. The northern hemisphere contains 2478, and the southern hemisphere contains 3307 stars. In order to see this number of stars, the night must be moonless, the sky cloudless, and the atmosphere pure. The power of the naked eye is here stayed. By the aid of an opera glass 20,000 can be seen, and with a small telescope 150,000, while the most powerful telescopes will reveal more than 100,000,000 stars.”
“M. Ligner, an Austrian meteorologist, claims to have ascertained after careful investigation that the moon has an influence on a magnetized needle, varying with its phases and its declination. The phenomenon is said to be more prominently noticeable when the moon is near the earth, and to be very marked when she is passing from the full to her first or second quarter. The disturbances are found to be in their maximum when the moon is in the plane of the equator, and greater during the southern than it is during the northern declination.”
Geology Illustrated.—I have often thought that when coal mines are exhausted and land is too valuable to be devoted to raising timber, it may become necessary to draw on the subterranean heat of the earth. This idea is already verified in Hungary.
Late advices say: “The earth’s internal heat is now being used in a practical way at Pesth, where the deepest artesian well in the world is being sunk to supply hot water for public baths and other purposes. A depth of 3120 feet has already been reached, and the well supplies daily 176,000 gallons of water, heated to °150 Fahr.”
A Mathematical Prodigy.—Reub Fields, living a few miles south of Higginsville, Mo., though he has no education whatever, and does not know a single figure or a letter of the alphabet, is a mathematical wonder. Though he never carries a watch, he can tell the time to a minute. When asked on what day of the week the 23d of November, 1861 came, he answered, “Saturday.” When asked, “From here to Louisiana, Mo. it is 159 miles; how many revolutions does the driving wheel of an engine fifteen feet in circumference make in a run from this place to Louisiana?” he replied, “55938 revolutions.” Reub was born in Kentucky, and claims that this power was given to him from heaven when he was eight years old, and that the Lord made but one Samson, one Solomon, and one Reub Fields, for strength, wisdom, and mathematics.
Astrology in England.—Mrs. L. C. Moulton, correspondent of the Boston Herald, writes: “In old times a court astrologer used to be kept, as well as a court jester; but I confess I was not aware, until last night, that the astrologer of to-day might be as important to one’s movements as one’s doctor or one’s lawyer. One of the cleverest and busiest literary men in all London said to me last night that he thought the neglect of astrological counsel a great mistake. ‘I have looked into the subject rather deeply,’ he said, ‘and the more I search, the more convincing proof I find of the influence of the stars upon our lives; and now I never begin a new book, or take a journey, or, in short, do anything of any importance without consulting my astrologer.’ And then he went on to tell me the year in which the cholera devastated Naples he had thought of going there. Happily, he consulted his astrologer and was warned against it. In accordance with the astrologer’s advice, he gave up the journey; and just about the time he would otherwise have gone, news came of the cholera visitation. Last year he was warned against a certain journey—told that if he took it he would be ill. For once he defied the stars, and, in consequence, he was taken seriously ill with the very symptoms the astrologer had predicted. But, alas, his astrologer is fat and old—and what shipwreck may not my friend make of his life when the stars have reclaimed their prophet, and the poor fellow has to struggle on uncounselled!”
Primogeniture Abolished.—“By a majority of eleven the House of Lords has abolished primogeniture in cases of intestacy. Thus, unless it is formally specified by will, property will henceforth be divided equally among heirs, as in this country. No longer will the eldest son, by the mere fact of the death of his father, come into possession of the estate to the exclusion of his brothers and sisters. Of course, entailed estates will not be affected, and property can be transmitted by will at the testator’s pleasure, but the notable point is that primogeniture cannot henceforth be looked upon as an institution so characteristic and time-honored that departure from it would be a really questionable proceeding.”
Medical Intolerance and Cunning.—The proscriptive medical law of Iowa does not seem to be very effective, as it is believed to be unconstitutional, and its friends have been challenged to make test cases, but have not yet begun to enforce it. In Illinois they have a law that is imperative enough against practitioners without diplomas; but as this did not reach those who used no medicines, they have succeeded in procuring a law to reach them also by a new definition of “practicing medicine,” which the new statute says shall include all “who shall treat, operate on, or prescribe for any physical ailment of another.” This would seem sufficient to protect the M. D.’s against all competition, but there is some doubt whether such legislation can be enforced, as it is certainly a corrupt and selfish measure that was never desired by the people. The Religio Philosophical Journal speaks out manfully, and “advises all reputable healers of whatever school, to possess their souls in peace, and go steadily forward in their vocation, fearing neither Dr. Rauch nor the unconstitutional provisions of the statutes, under which he and his confederates seek to abridge and restrict the rights of the people. If any reputable practitioner of the healing art, who treats without drugs, is molested in his or her practice, let them invite prosecution, and communicate with the Religio Philosophical Journal for further advice and assistance.” I regret to say there is a strong probability that the friends of medical freedom in Massachusetts will be again called upon to resist attempts to procure medical legislation.