Advertiser (Adelaide, SA : 1889 - 1931), Friday 17 January 1902, page 4


GLACIAL RESEARCH.

A'c the Science Congress at Hobart on Friday last the report of the glacial research committee was brought up by the secretary. Professor David. U included notes by Mr. W. H. Twelvetrees, FGS.. the Government Geologist of Tasmania, on evidences of glacial action recently discovered in him at Mount Darwin and near the.

North Lyell railway line, together with a summary of Professor Hogg's late discovery of glacial beds, at Little Peppermint Bay, about 27 miles south of Hobart. The report also comprised a paper from Mr. Walter Howchin, "P.G.S., upon the immense area of glacial beds lately discovered by him in the Cambrian locks of the Mount Lofty and Flinders Ranges, South Australia. The President characterised this discovery as about the most important that had over been made in the history of geological science in Australia. The report also included a note by Mr. A. Gibb Maitland F.G.S., the Government Geologist of West Australia, on his recent discovery of a large area or glacial beds of permo-carbontferous age in the Irwin River district 0? West Australia. The special feature of interest about; this discovery is that the glacial beds 'extend. up to the tropics. The " report r 'co, cluded with the summary of the glacial evi-dences obtained last year at Mount Kosciusko by Messrs. Helms, Pittman, and David, which showed that the glaciers there were at one time ' fully three miles in length, with ice 300 to 400 ft. thick, and that they extended from altitudes of over 7,000 ft. to about 5000 ft. above sea level.

About 3 o'clock this morning Mr. T. G LewJB's carpenter's shop on the Port-road, Wolseley, was destroyed By fire. The building and its contents including a trap and spring-dray were burnt. The Hindmarsh Fire Brigade received a call at about 1 o'clock, and promptly turned out. The damage is estimated at £250. The Adelaide Fire Brigade was called from Stephens place and the railway-station, as it was at first thought that the fire was within the

bounds of the city.

Recently, the, Government were approached with a view to having a stipendiary magistrate in daily attendance at Port Adelaide. A reply was read at Thursday's meeting of the Port Adelaide City Council from the secretary to the Attorney-General, who stated that, by direction of the Attorney-General, he had to inform the corpora-tion "that the financial position of the State does not warrant the expense of keeping a stipendiary magistrate at Port Adelaide alone." The letter -was received. "

The secretary of the Queen's Home acknowledges the receipt of 55 15s from the Hammond Peace Demonstration Committee, per Mrs. Rix.

The Registrar of the School of Mines requests us to state that the institution will reopen after the vacation on February

17. The

report

of the committee on education of defective children, presented to the Science Congress at Hobart, states-The committee appointed to consider the/ need of the separate State education of defective children in Australasia, begs to report that, after full consideration, it has brought the need of special training of such children under the notice of the Minister of Education in Victoria. As a result of the representations made a circular calling attention to the subject was sent by the Education Department to every head State schoolmaster in Victoria; and in a Bill recently introduced power is given to the Minister to institute separate schools for this class of children. The Psychological Society of Melbourne has taken a warm inforest in the question, and the matter may safely be left with that society, so far as the State of Victoria is concerned. The committee has sought to some extent, to interest experts in other States in this subject, but is not in a position to report any

definite result."

1 The "Sydney Morning Herald", of January 14 states Mr. George Jeffrey, instructor and lecturer of wool to the South Australian

School, of Mines and industries, has been staying in Sydney for several days on an official visit to the, various wool show-rooms-,' the council, of the institáfcíomhaying arranged for Mr. Jeffrey to acquire all the information possible which will assist him in carrying out his duties at the institution in Adelaide. The South Australian School of Mines and Industries is practically conducted on the same lines as the Technical College' at Ultimo. The president, Sir Langdon Bonython, takes much interest in the work of the students. The tuition on sheep and wool is under the sole control of Mr. George Jeffrey, who at present has 13, students attending his lectures and course of instruction. This large number is distributed in a towns and country. During shearing time a certain number are taken to different stations, and there receive practical instruction. At intervals after shearing Mr. Jeffrey goes to different towns and delivers lectures on sheep and wool, and where convenient forms classes for practical instruction. This method has already proved successful, the attendance of sheepowners of all degrees and their sonhaving been gratifying in almost every instance.

The Board of Examiners in Adelaide

hold annual examinations of the students'

work. These examinations are invariably held on sheep stations, so as to keep in touch with the methods of instruc-tion. Mr. Jeffrey has already been to Melbourne, and he goes to Brisbane from here. His opinion on what he has already seen is that the facilities for the display of wool, and the general arrangements of the show-rooms, in both Melbourne and Sydney, are superior to those in Adelaide. Mr. Jeffrey is a native of Scotland, and from his youth has been in the woollen mills of Scotland and the south of England. He has, had large experience in the carding and comb-ing of wool.

Mr. Horace G. Hutchinson's" classifica-tion of the more frequent dreams, in - his recently published volume on ''Dreams and Their Meanings," is fairly complete. He says there are seven common kinds(1) the falling dream you are falling over a precipice or down the stairs; ((2) the flying dream-the dream that you can fly; (3) the dream of more or less inadequate clothing-that you are not properly clothed; (4) the dream of not, being able

to get away from some beast, or injurious person or thing, that is pursuing you; '-(5) the dream of being drawn irresistibly to some dangerous place, such as a. cure; (6) the dream that some darling wish has been gratified; and (7) the dream of being about to go a journey, and being unable to get your things into your trunks, &c. But, as he adds, no doubt there are a great many

more."

Some dogs steal without receiving any lesson in such occupation, but recently the police discovered a dog that had been taught to steal not.on his own behalf, but for the good of his dishonest owners. This dog's speciality was chicken stealing. The dog was seen to go across a lawn, enter a chicken run, pick up a bird in his jaws, and carry it to his owners, who put the bird in a sack. The spectators of this little performance were so surprised that they forgot to give the alarm until the dog had been across the- second time to the fowlhouse and had taken another chicken. It is believed that this dog once stole eighty pullets from one yard in one night. The dog, which had been beautifully trained, did his work silently but he is unlikely to have any more opportunities of displaying his abilities.

Miss Emma H. King, of New York, has just been inoculated with consumption germs, in order to test the theory of Professor Koch's that bovine consumption cannot be transmitted to Human beings. Dr. Barney, who inoculated Miss King, is of opinion, says a London paper, that bovine consumption and human consumption are one and the same thing, and that a person who eats tuberculous meat or drinks tuberculous milk will contract the disease. Miss King is described as a young woman, active, handsome, healthy, and cheerful. She has allowed herself to be inoculated purely in the interests of science. She has a i^imfortablc income, and the only satisfaction she will derive from the experiment will be the, knowledge that she has been the means of solving a difficult question, as to the-answer of which doctors are not agreed.

There was but one way of showing the world that Professor Koch was wrong, but every physician hesitated to assume the responsibility of making that test. It meant nothing less than"infectirig*a healthy person with the germs of cattle tuberculosis. Doctors, both abroad and at home, have often been accused of conducting dangerous experiments, but, as a matter of fact, such tests are always made upon animals. Officially, the profession does not invite anyone to risk his, or her, life for the sake of science, and it is, moreover, difficult to find physicians willing to assume the grave responsibility of risking a human life to establish a theory, or brave enough to accept the onus of blame and denunciation which would assuredly be theirs if death resulted from the experiment. So, for more than three months, there has raged all over the world a war of words concerning the accuracy of Professor Koch's statement. He had said, in very plain words, that it was not necessary to take precautions against consumptive cows, their milk, or their meat. He said that no human being could take consumption from a cow, and that there was no particular danger in drinking tuberculous milk. He-added that human consumption and bovine consumption, were two entirely different diseases. Nothing but the personal responsibility would have prevented the physicians of all lands from trying the necessary human experiment. Probably hundreds have thought of it, but it has remained for Dr. George D. Barney to dare to try the dangerous experiment. Dr. Barney is of opinion, of course, that Miss King will contract a bad case of consumption, but he also believes that he can cure her if his expectations are fulfilled. Dr. Barney has made a life-long study of the disease, and, Miss King Will be under his

care., - - J.

In view of the recent disasters to the torpedo-boat destroyers Viper and Cobra, some information regarding such vessels should prove of interest. A recently published return states that some of the builders experienced great difficulty in getting the contract speed, and of the 30 knot destroyers six had to be finally accepted at 29 to 20 knots. The Otter underwent 22 pre-Jimuiary"' trials and eight official trials before she was accepted, while the Express, which was to steam 23 knots, had, up to the time the return was issued, made 27 preliminary and 10 official trials without success. It would appear that on the average about ten trials have to be made with the vessels before they are finally accepted. Difficulty was also experienced with the earlier boats of, less than 30 knots speed. In one instance the trials began on August r 23/1895, and the vessel was not accepted till May 14, 1900, and in another the trials com-menced- on March 13, 1896, and the vessel was accepted on January 30, 1901.' /

A Wellington merchant, who has been much exercised about the ruinous prices obtaining for crossbred wools,' has a novel yet not impracticable suggestion to make (says the "New Zealand Times"). He proposes that Mr. R. J. Seddon should enter into communication with Mr. Chamberlain with a view to influencing the latter to prevail upon his Majesty the King and his consort' to set the fashion of wearing the coarser tweeds. He points out that by this means a reversion to favor of crossbred wools would take place, and immense relief * be afforded to a large section of patriotic

colonists to whom the present dress vogue dispelling ruin.

- A new theory of, longevity has made ' its appearance. "A man has a , definite

number of waking hours. allotted to him," says the originator of the idea, and the fewer he uses up the longer will his life last, 'if, therefore", he is content to sleep for most of his days, there is no reason why he should not live for 200 years. He adduces the case of the negroes as an illustration. The, chances are that the only truth in this theory is the well-recognised fact that less than eight hours' sleep is not

sufficient for most mortals, and that those who habitually take less shorten their lives by so doing.

That the permits now being issued to intending emigrants from Australia; to South Africa will carry the holders of them no further than the port of debarkation was (remarks the Melbourne "Age") the experience of Mr. Donald Munro, of Malvern, who went out to the Cape last year. He was equipped with a passport and letters of" introduction from influential men in Australia to leading men in various parts of South Africa, and the idea oz an insurmountable, barrier to his presence in Johannesburg and Pretoria was scarcely dreamt of. But with all the influence which his in-troductions could commands Mr. Munro was unable to get outside of Durban without enlisting for a period of six months. Then, of course, he had to go where he was sent, which was not exactly what he went to South Africa to do. By a piece of strategy he managed, while still a soldier, to enjoy a fair amount of' liberty but the field of his investigations was so, restricted J that he seized the first opportunity of re-turning- to Australia. A friend who enlisted with him as the only method of getting out of Durban is still in the service, and the last mail brought a letter from him, in which he states that he still sees no opportunity of settling anywhere. in the country. Another of Mr. Munro's correspondents, who has been all over South Africa, writing early last month, said that matters were still in a very unsettled state, and his advice to his friend was not to think of returning to South Africa for a considerable period yet. Mr. Munro points out that the first persons who will be allowed to settle will be those who were compelled by the Boers to leave their homes at an. early stage in the war. Then many of those now fighting will elect to remain in the new colonies, and consideration will be given to their claims before others are allowed to spy out the land. But even this liberty will not be enjoyed until the war has ended, and he would be a wise man who could predict when that much to "S* desired consummation will be attained. In the opinion of Mr. Munro, only those who are affected with some form of insanity would dream of going to South Africa just now. Of course, there will be isolated instances of men who will do remarkably well, but for the majority of those who are now rushing away there will come before very long that bitter re-pentance which comes of leisured reflec-tion. The

last issue, of Quiz," the well-known society, satirical, and sporting papers contained the announcement that in future it would be issued each Saturday at Id. The first issue of "Quiz" in its new form will be published, on Saturday, January 25, and the same evening, a second issue of the paper will appear, containing a supplement with full results of latest shortings .- .-....- . ...

We are" informed that following the resignation of the late secretary to the Cremation Society of South Australia, the executive committee, appointed Mr. A. Sidney Clark to that position, and also arranged that he should act as collector. Mr. R. Barr Smith having recently donated to-the society £1,000, the committee have ordered from England a suitable furnace of the newest and best make, and are, arranging for an early commencement of the necessary buildings. The funds in hand will not," however, be sufficient to complete the work.

Military men are notified that entries, for section fours and wrestling on horse-back at the A.N.A. Sports close to-night. Cyclists and pedestrians are also informed that acceptances for the sports to be held on the Jubilee Exhibition on Mon-day, January 27, close to-morrow night.