Science Notes

The Freneh Government U ubout to dispatoh two more expeditious to África for the purpose of geographical research, but with tho ulterior obfect of extending ïts commerco with the interior of "tho dark ooatinent." One oxpedition, undcr M. Revoil, will visit Sonial Land, the other, lod by MM. Aubroy and Hamon, the Galla countrios to the south of Shoa. A Frenoh sciontlst sUpposes that comets are formed through tho medium of enormous explosions n the sun, whioh drivü far out from tho body of tüo grcat luminary the mattor of protuberancos, and thus enablo largè 'ïho teoritles noar tho onter border of the corona to oolloot coronal matter about thcm and forra oomets ïhis is perhaps aa good a guoss as any. The Lonilon Lancet says, with not too serious emphasis: "lt is high timo that atteution vvere direetcd to tlie subject of narcotica generalij-, and tho uso of chloral and bromide of polassium in particular. Incalculable lujury is being done, and public opinión is boiug griovously misled by the toleranoo givcn to the U8Q of filrtnm'nr rlronnrhta f7L'rtlT so-cnllcd, In regard to tliis matter and that of tho reokless use of hypodermio injections of morphia, the professiou should sook to form a delibérate Juéfoment, and gravcly deliver ltself At tho present moment we aro under a heavy responsibility, which it Is idle to deny and rain to disoivn." A noto from Boston infonns us that the inventor of the srnoke-consuming apparatus to which referonoe was made not long ago is Robert L. Walker, of taat city. Oux oorresnondent ndds tho interesting item that the apparatua bas been employed in a soap stock factory in Cambridgo to suppress the intolei-üble odors eiiiittcd in boiling bones and offal, and the experiment haa proved a complete suecess, no oflensive smell being porceived near the building. Another important point with regard to this invention is that whilo the saving in fuel is very great - nmountingby actual axperiment for sevoral weeks tb 60 per 3ent- the prevention oí íires in foresta frora passing engines, will bo a far grcatcr saving to tho cominunity at largo. Tho honor of flrst nycnling tho ineandescent eleciric lamp is claimed for Mr. Starr, nn American, who in 1845 exhibited a light far more brilliant than that obtained from tho incandescent lamp of tho present day. According to a letter to Nature, "a short stick of gasretort carbon was used, and tho vacuum obtained by connecting oue end of this with a wlre sealed through thu top of a barometer tube blown out at the upper part, and the other end with a wire dipping into tho morcury. The tube was about 36 inches long, and thus tho enlargcd and upper portion becamo a torreeellian vacuüm when tho tube was fillod and in verted." This carbon was much moro durable than (he "ilimsy threads" now employod. Tho reaspn for abandoning tho Starr lamp, the writor says, was sololy on acooutit of the cost of the power. Wc cnnnot all bo Washüjgton's, but we can all be patriota and behavQ ourselvos in a human and Cliristian mannor. AVhen we see a brother going down hill to min, let us not givo Jiim a push, but let us scizo right hold of his coat-tails and draw foim back to inorality. 'There is nothinglikescttling down," said the retired merchant ooniidentiaüv to his neighbor. "Wüon Igavo up business I sottlod down, and found I had quite a comfortable fortuno. If I liad settled up T should not have had a cent."'