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Show site end of this pole are two coolias, who are constantly in motion and thus form a living counter balance. One after another, they walk with great strides over this narrow pathway, path-way, passing with a mechanical yet a rhythmical and supple movement from one end of the pole to the other and hardly touching a slender bamboo bam-boo balustrade, which is within their reach and which is intended to serve as a guide. When they arrive at one end and are bowed down beneath the weight they know that at the other end the enormous vessel has been filled with water and raised to the surface of the ground. Large notches cut in the trees serve as a ladder for the barefooted Indians, Indi-ans, and render it easy for them to reach the tip of the pole at the moment, mo-ment, when, having arrived at the end of its course, it is almost vertical. While they are making this ascent with incomparable agility another man empties, the water from the enormous vessel into trenches by simply oscilat-ing oscilat-ing the vessel, after which the maneuvers ma-neuvers is repeated. The work of the ccolies is by no meRr.s so onercus as it seems, for pair.3 ; are always taken to have the pole bal-i bal-i anced correctly and of the proDer NOTES ON SCIENCE. CURRENT NOTES OF DISCOVERY AND INVENTION. The Cause and Care of Nervousness The Invention of Ttjs The Primitive Prim-itive Mode of Irrigation Practiced in India. ' NERVOl'SNKSS. What may be called a minor degree of neurasthenia is the indefinite condition con-dition called "nervousness." Sufferers from it are not incapacitated for business busi-ness or social duties, nor are they seriously ill. like the confirmed neurasthenic, neuras-thenic, yet their existence is often a pitiable one. They are restiess and unable un-able to fix the mind on any subject, sleep is disturbed, and o:'ten there is an indefinable fluttering sensation within the chest. They may have a gcod appetite and not feel il! physically. And herein lies their greatest danger, for they persuade per-suade therrselves that all they need is a nerve tonic of some sort, or a little lit-tle stimulant, and they c'.o-e tiVmeelvs with various advertised remedies, one after another, or begin to drink a little lit-tle wine or spirits. TO I I wJff I 'r-f4 Tee stimulation makes them feel better for a time, but the inevitable reaction comes, when they feel worse than before, and run again and again to the bottle of "tonic," or drink until un-til they become confirmed drug-takers or dram-drinkers and which is worse it would be hard to say. The fatal mistake which these persons per-sons make is in assuming that they are not iil physically, but only "nervous."- In almost every such case a careful examination by a physician will bring to light diorger of some organ, or-gan, and show that the patient is physically ill and should be treated accordingly. It is not nerve tonics or stimulants that he needs, but a course of medical treatment dietetic, hygienic, hy-gienic, and perhaps medicinal. In the majority of cases it will be found that "the digestion is at fault There may be no evident symptoms of dyspepsia no nausea, distress after eating, or eructations yet the food may be scarcely digested at all. The stomach does its work, perhaps, in the preliminary digestion of the food, but the intestines, where the assimilation assim-ilation of nutriment is, or should be, effected, are at fault. The food is not elaborated into such shape that It can be taken up by the lacteal vessels and carried to the nerve and other structures that need constant con-stant renewing, and so the.tissues suffer suf-fer from partial starvation. Furthermore, the imperfect intes-inal intes-inal digestion results in the manufacture manufac-ture of various poisons, which are absorbed ab-sorbed and cause a morbid condition of the nervous system. Treatment should be directed to the Intestinal trouble and not to the "nervousness," "ner-vousness," which will speedily disappear disap-pear when once the causal condition has been cured. INVENTION OF TOTS. In the accompanying picture Is represented rep-resented a new toy, the component parts of which are a parachute, a stick and a weighted figure. On the stick is a moveable link and from this APPEARANCE OF APARATUS. weight, and in this way the task is much simplified. The weight of the coolies themselves is also taken into account, and there are cogs by means of which the balancing pole can be lengthened or shortened, as may be desired. de-sired. "This method of irrigation," says Dr. H. Socard, a traveler, "is not applicable ap-plicable everywhere, since it Is essential essen-tial that the subsoil should be moist and doubtless it is inferior to the methods employed in Europe. On the other hand, it has the advantage of being entirely appropriate to the economic econ-omic and social conditions of India, for machinery there is scarce and expensive, expen-sive, the man, though toGr-ly paid, is still the most useful beast of burden." A POWERFUL LESS. Some years ago the writer paid a visit to Alvan Clark, at Cambridge-port, Cambridge-port, to witness the testing of the huge lens for the famous Lick telescope. At the end of the long, dark room the largest flint glass then in the world was set up on edge. From a distance of about fifty feet a pencil of light was Sashed into the heart of the disk and reflected back into the observer's eye. The slightest imperfections, if any, la the glass, would then be revealed by the curves of light and the lines of polarization. "Now," said Mr. Clark, "I will show link the weighted figure is suspended by means of a socket which holds It in correct position when the parachute Is projected. The movement of the link is limited, a cross pin and loop near the lower end of the stick preventing pre-venting it from descending too far. Those who know how a parachute works will readily see that much fun you the wonderful, sensitiveness o f the lens to outside influences'. Every human body gives out heat and when brought near to extremely ex-tremely sensitive substances, affects them to a greater or less extent. Now watch." He walked down 'iff held his hand under it about two feet away. Instantly a marvelous spectacle burst into view. It seemed as if the great disk had become a living volcano, spurting forth jets of flame. The display dis-play was dazzling. Waving, leaping, dancing, the countless tongues of light gleamed and vibrated. Then, fitfully, reluctantly, they died away, leaving the lens reflecting only a pure, untroubled un-troubled light "What is it? How do you account for the wonder?" were the eager questions. ques-tions. "It is only the radiation of heat alternately al-ternately expanding and contracting the glass. If I had put my hand upon the lens, the phenomenon would have been even more violent." To a person ignorant of lenses the almost supernatural sensitiveness of a A NEW TOY. can be obtained from a toy of this kind. The device, too, is so constructed that it cannot easily get out of order, and hence, if only ordinary care be taken of them, the parachute and the cunning little figure below it will do good service for a long time. REMARKABLE IRRIGATION. In India a simple yet effective method of irrigation has long been in vogue, but only recently has it attracted at-tracted the attention of foreigners. The apparatus consists of a long, clumsily fashioned balancing pole, which is fastened at the middle to the fork of a tree. At one end of this primitive prim-itive balance, which is as stout as an ordinary beam, is fixed another long pole, the lower end of which is sunk Into a well and carries a large vessel ves-sel made of baked clay. At the oppo- mass of glass weighing several hundreds hun-dreds of pounds was astonishing. But to the scientist it is an every-day matter, mat-ter, for he has instruments that will register with unfailing nicety the approach ap-proach of a person fifty or a hundred feet away. The human heart is not unlike the great lens. It is similarly sensitive, and so cannot afford to surround itself with evil. The radiations of influence are infinitely fine. Inevitably we vibrate vi-brate to "the company we keep." Before Be-fore we know it we have taken the color col-or and tone of our neighborhood. |
