GOOD EFFECTS PRODUCED BY LAUGHTER and cataloged in an article by Dr. Welsh in Medical Life are thus quoted in the “General Topics” section of American Medicine (New York). We read:

It is one of the most natural things in the world. Yet how many physicians are there who insist that their patients must laugh heartily a number of times a day, even tho they may have to laugh without very much reason. Of course if there is a good joke that tempts to laughter, then the laughter is ever so much more spontaneous, is deeper, ventilates the lungs, stimulates the heart and sets the blood coursing through the body, and makes all the organs do their work better. To allow patients, who are suffering from depression of any kind or who are oversolicitous about themselves, to go away from the physician’s office without urging them to try the effect of laughter, is to miss one of the most potent agents for good, so far as the physical being is concerned.

“Laughter, however, not only does the body good, but it does the mind good. It has been said that if you pull down the corners of your lips and keep them down, after a time you feel as glum inside as you look from the outside to those who may happen to be gazing at you. If on the other hand you turn the corners of your lips up and keep them there, it becomes impossible to feel glum inside after a while. The James-Lange theory of emotions was that the body is affected first by the emotions, and then the mind. They said we did not feel bad and then cry, but something tempted the tears to come from our tear glands, and then we felt bad. On the other hand, something titilated us to laugh with our bodies, and then we felt joyful and free-hearted interiorly.                         

“This theory has not been generally accepted by psychologists, but, undoubtedly, it has a germ of truth in it, and it is well to counsel patients to try to overcome the moodiness and introspection to which they are so prone by the deliberate cultivation of habits of laughter. There is a very old proverb which says, ‘laugh and grow fat.’ It is well known that people who laugh actually do grow fat rather readily.  The obverse of the proposition is, however, probably as true as the converse. ‘Grow fat and you will laugh.’ It is surprizing how difficult it is for thin people to laugh often. They barely crack a smile. On the other hand, stout people laugh very readily.”

Source: The Literary Digest for November 5, 1927

WATER A CHEMICAL MYSTERY

Water, our very commonest material, is one of the great mysteries of modern chemistry, according to Dean James Kendall, of New York University, as quoted in Chemicals (New York). He says:

“Because water is so universal in our own small part of the universe, we take it for granted that we know all about it, and on this more or less casual assumption we have built up a vast structure of theory when we are completely ignorant of the basis of the assumption. At the present time we still allow our oxygen environment (the atmosphere) to influence our definitions. We call a body ‘ combustible if it burns in the air, and ‘ non-combustible if it does not. That such terms have no strict scientific meaning is evident if we imagine ourselves to be translated, for the moment, to a world in which hydrogen is the active constituent of the atmosphere instead of oxygen. In such a world, everything would be topsy-turvy. Fires would be extinguished by sprinkling gasoline on them, and fireproof buildings would consist of solid paraffin! The modern science of physical chemistry has been almost wholly developed through the study of materials dissolved in water, and a scrutiny of this water environ-ment suffices to show us that our present view-point is considerably distorted and incomplete in many respects. Water itself is almost as much a mystery to the chemist of to-day as oxygen was to Priestley a hundred and fifty years ago. We call it H2O, when we are perfectly sure that that is not what it is. What the actual complexity of the water molecule is, and how this is changed by dissolving something in it, are points on which we are entirely ignorant. Instead of being a substance which can be neglected, water is perhaps the most reactive, in a chemical sense, of all substances. When we cease to neglect and abuse water and begin to recognize its proper importance, a new and sounder chemistry will be born.”

Source: The Literary Digest for November 5, 1927

THE GIANT OF THE PLANETS

THE LATEST ASTRONOMICAL DISCOVERIES and opinions regarding the great planet Jupiter are briefly gathered in a leaflet issued by the Astronomical Society of the Pacific (San Francisco). In it, E. C. Slipher, of the Lowell Observatory, Flagstaff, Arizona, tells us that Jupiter’s claim on our interest is not so much because of his bodily form or great size, or because he forms the chief ornament of our night sky, but rather by reason of the conspicuous part he has played in the historical development of astronomy and the interesting example he presents in planetary evolution—a chaotic something between sun and world. Mr. Slipher writes:

“Long ago it was learned that he was the giant of the planets, standing fifth in order of distance from the sun; that his size is greater than that of all the other planets combined; that his diameter is so great that even at his tremendous distance he shows the largest disk of any of the planets, and shines with a brilliancy equaling that of any of the other planets except Venus; that his great circumference of 271,750 miles combined with his rapid rotation once every 9 hours and 50 minutes, causes particles on his equator to travel at the speed of 26,000 miles per hour, almost equaling his orbital speed of 28,800 miles per hour; that his density is only one-quarter that of the earth, but that his mass is such that objects on his surface weigh two and five-eighths times as much as they would on the earth.

“His satellite system of nine members has played a unique part in astronomical discovery. First, because the four largest ones were the first objects revealed by Galileo’s crude telescope in 1610; second, because it was from the variability in the time of occurrence of their eclipses that Roemer discovered, in 1675, the finite velocity of light; third, because it was from a study of their motions that an early determination of the mass of Jupiter was deduced.

“It was not until 1892 that his tiny fifth satellite was discovered by Barnard at the Lick Observatory, while the still fainter sixth, seventh, eighth and ninth satellites were more recently detected only by the means of photography, three at the Lick Observatory, one at Greenwich.

Planet Jupiter knowledge continued here…

Source: The Literary Digest for November 5, 1927

FALSE WATERSPOUTS—A true waterspout—in other words, a tornado over a body of water—is a vortex in the atmosphere that in all cases forms at the cloud-level and works downward, says Charles Fitzhugh Talman, in his Science Service feature, “Why the Weather?” (Washington). As soon as the vortex reaches the water, the latter becomes violently agitated, sending up a rotating mound of spray, often before the spout as a whole becomes visible through the condensation of moisture from the air where a partial vacuum is formed by the centrifugal action of the vortex. He proceeds:

“Occasionally small whirlwinds start from the surface of lakes and other bodies of water in calm weather. Tho observers are likely to describe them as ‘waterspouts’ they are of quite a different nature from the phenomenon above described. They may build up a column of spray and vapor to a considerable height, but rarely extend to the clouds, and are sometimes seen when the sky is cloudless. These formations are similar in their mechanism to the little dust whirls that form over dry roads and the larger columns of dust and sand formed in deserts. On land such whirls are due to the overheating of the ground and the formation of a layer of stagnant warm air at the surface, which suddenly breaks through a colder layer above it.  A water surface does not heat up to any such degree as does a land surface, but it may remain warm while the air a few feet above it is rapidly cooled, giving the same unstable condition— warm-light air next to the water, and cold, heavy air at a higher level. In the moist air lying over water these surface whirls may form cloud columns by the condensation of water vapor, while similar whirls on land are made visible merely by the dust, dry leaves, etc- they carry.”

Source: The Literary Digest for October 29, 1927

CHEMICALLY RIPENED FRUIT

TO DYE GREEN FRUIT is illegal, but it may be “chemically ripened,” it would appear, by the use of certain gases, as reported editorially in The Journal of the American Medical Association (Chicago). We read:

“The rapid ripening of fruits by gases of incomplete combustion has been known for ages; long ago the Chinese used incense fumes to ripen pears. To-day, the problem of ripening the fruit after it has been removed from the plant in a yet immature state is of greater commercial importance than ever in the history of the world.   Oranges, tomatoes, pineapples, green beans, peas and celery can now be obtained on the market practically the year round. To avoid decay, it is the practise to pick the fruits and vegetables while still green. Even then, it is not uncommon for half a carload of tomatoes to be spoiled by heat treatment. Furthermore, the fruits and vegetables suffer loss in sweetness, juiciness and flavor. Of particular moment from the marketing standpoint is the appearance of the product. One needs only to consult the Notices of Judgment of the Food and Drugs Act to be reminded how often the offense has been committed of artificially dyeing oranges. Now, it seems, this method of deception is to go into the discard. Ethylene, with its unusual history, is the reason.           

“The shipping of carnations by express had an unfavorable influence, the flowers ‘going to sleep’ and buds not opening; the cause was found to be the escape of the illuminant Pintsch gas, which consists largely of ethylene. Some years later these observations were the means of suggesting to Luckhardt the use of ethylene as an anesthetic. About four years ago Chase and Denny, working in the XL S. Bureau of Chemistry, reported that the color of oranges and lemons could be made ‘natural’ by exposing the immature fruits to ethylene. The coloring of oranges by this ‘legal’ method has since become a current practise. Three years ago, R. B. Harvey of the University of Minnesota Experiment Station found that larger applications of ethylene, or of propylene or acetylene, speeded up ripening in fruits and vegetables. In The Chemical Bulletin recently, Harvey states that in the treatment of celery with ethylene the sugar content increased from 20 to 30 per cent. Similar changes occur in bananas, tomatoes, and other fruits ripened with ethylene.”

Ethylene may also be used to remove the excess acidity of fruits or vegetables, to remove the green coloring matter from celery or similar plants, to increase the sugar content, or to remove tannins and other objectionable substances. Further:

“Tomatoes ripened after removal from the vine in winter are liable to be excessively acid, but if treated with ethylene they are reported to have a fine flavor, free from excess acidity. Very immature tomatoes down to an inch in diameter may be ripened in from six to eight days; more mature fruits require only from twenty-four to sixty hours, depending on the variety and degree of maturity. According to Harvey, a single dose of ethylene, about two or three cubic feet, costing less than forty cents to the carload of fruit, is sufficient to produce a remarkable change in the time necessary to ripen bananas and to change their color, flavor and texture.

“The mechanism of the reaction does not seem to be well worked out. The ethylene is reported ‘to cause a sudden jump in the respiratory rate after its application.’ The concentration of the fruit acids and tannins becomes less.

“While all this is of vast commercial importance, the health phases have not yet been thoroughly considered. Certain fruits and vegetables are recommended by physicians largely because of their vitamin content; whether or not this is altered by ethylene has not been determined. Possibly, also, the fruits and vegetables may be picked earlier than is the practise to-day, thus shortening the period of irradiation by the sun. Physicians may well watch the development of this form of food enterprise; perhaps the time may come when certain every-day foodstuffs will be purchased on the basis of vitamin units. In the meanwhile the use of vitamin-containing products in as near a ‘naturally ripened’ condition as possible should be encouraged.”

Source: The Literary Digest for October 29, 1927

THE BIGGEST HYDROELECTRIC TUNNEL

COLOSSAL UNIT WILL SOON BE ADDED to the water-power system of California through the completion of a conduit fifteen feet in diameter, bored through the solid granite of one of the loftiest mountain ranges in the High Sierras. The final blast, connecting the ends of the tunnel, has been fired; excavation of the thirteen-mile tunnel being completed a year earlier than estimated—a tremendous amount of time being saved by the establishment of an alinement whereby two “adits” were established and level shafts driven into the mountain to points where excavation should be started in two directions; enabling six crews of men all told, each crew in three shifts, to work continuously. A writer in General Contracting (Chicago), who gives data as to sundry technical details of value to engineers, gives also facts and figures of more general interest, some of which we quote:

“The Florence Lake tunnel, which has the greatest diameter of any tunnel of its length in the world, was constructed through solid gray granite. It follows the north contour of the Kaiser Range, which lies in the mountains 100 miles to the northeast of the City of Fresno, California, at an altitude of about 7,200 ft. The upper waters of the San Joaquin River, representing a drainage area of 175 square miles, will be impounded behind a 120-foot concrete dam, thereby creating a storage basin with a capacity of 60,000 acre feet. Water from this reservoir will be diverted under the mountains by way of the Florence Lake tunnel, down into Huntington Lake, and through the several power-houses which stretch for 20 miles down the Grand Canyon of the San Joaquin River.

“The operating portion of the tunnel is 67,640 feet long, more than twice as long as the Rogers Pass tunnel on the Canadian Pacific Railway, and about 2,000 feet longer than the Simplon tunnel through the Alps in Switzerland, which up to this time was the longest tunnel of its size in the world. Remarkable records were made on the Florence Lake tunnel by the use of modern equipment, high explosives and highly developed organization. An average of 22 feet per day was made for one month at one heading, and during one week a progress of 174 feet was made, which averages 24.9 feet per day, or over 1 foot per hour, through solid gray granite.

“During the period of construction on the tunnel an average of 2,500 men was constantly employed, and the average pay-roll amounted to over $375,000 per month. The total cost of the tunnel will amount to $17,000,000. It is worthy of note that fatalities here have been away below the average of one man per $1,000,000, which statistics show is the average under most favorable circumstances.”

Source: The Literary Digest for July 25, 1925

A DRUG WITH X-RAY QUALITIES

IN AN ARTICLE CONTRIBUTED to Le Matin (Paris), Dr. Pierre Louis Rehm tells of a communication made to the Academy of Science in which two French collaborators, one of them director of the Bureau of Hygiene at Reims, announce the discovery that a familiar antiseptic, hypochlorite of sodium, may exercise its germ-destroying action without being brought into actual contact with the germs. A quartz tube containing the antiseptic diluted with water from the tap is placed in a receptacle containing a contaminated fluid, and left there for twenty-four hours, when, according to the report, about one-fourth of the microbes have been destroyed.

Under these paradoxical conditions, the germicidal action of the drug is reported to be more active in the dark than in the light—a matter of significance, since sunlight is known to be germicidal. Says Dr. Rehm:

“The explanation? There is only the hypothesis of M. Philippe Bunau-Varilla, of the experimenters, to the effect that the molecule of sodium hypochlorite, in attacking organic matter, must emit rays analogous to ultraviolet rays in their germicidal action. That is the reason why quartz tubes, which transmit ultra-violet light are used, instead of glass, which is opaque to this light.

“It is possible that this unpredictable discovery may have important applications in the fields of medicine and hygiene. Galvini’s experiment with frogs was a small affair, yet it contained the germ of the modern development of electricity. Yesterday, for the first time, it became known that an antiseptic may act without contact—as it were, by induction.”

All of which may be said to be important if true. Doubtless experiments so startling in their seeming implications will not long await verification or refutation at the hands of other workers.

Source: The Literary Digest for July 25, 1925

TO REVEAL EIGHTY MILLION MORE STARS

THE LARGEST TELESCOPE IN THE WORLD is soon to be in operation at Seattle, Washington, according to a news item in the New York Herald Tribune. It will be a reflector, with a mirror 120 inches in diameter. The telescope itself and the great observatory now being erected to house it will be the gift of Charles H. Fyre. “The mammoth speculum, the largest ever cast in the world, is being completed by T. S. M. Shearman, Canadian astronomer and telescope builder, in specially constructed shops in Vancouver, B. C.,” the delicate work of grinding the mirror to the right curvature being done by hand. The Herald Tribune account continues:

“The largest existing telescope to-day is the instrument at the Mount Wilson Observatory, mounting a 100-inch speculum. The next in size, seventy-three inches across, is at Little Saanich, B.C., Canada.

“The Fyre Observatory is remarkable for several features. It is the first erected primarily for public education. The mirror is the first large optical lens ever cast on the North American continent.

“The observatory itself will contain a collection of astronomical photographs gathered from every part of the world.

“There are about 5,000 stars visible on a clear night to the naked eye. A sixty-inch reflector makes 219,000,000 stars visible.

“The Mount Wilson speculum brings into view 320,000,000, while the big Fyre telescope will, according to conservative estimates, make visible at least 400,000,000 stars of the twentieth magnitude.

“A huge dome 100 feet in diameter and 150 feet in height will house the heavy machinery used to manipulate the ponderous reflector and refractors of the big telescope.”

Source: The Literary Digest for July 25, 1925