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Circular
Cycling
“A velocipede adapted to the use
of all, old or young, large or small
of either sex, skilled or unskilled,
in which the pleasure of the exer-
cise is enhanced by association, is
shown in our en graving. The action
and details of this invention are
well delineated by our artist. This
ma chine is designed for use in pri-
vate and public pleasure grounds,
or to be let by the hour at large
fairs. It does one’s heart good, says
our enthusiastic informant, to hear
children fairly shriek with glee as
the maximum speed is attained.”Magnetic Storm
“On the evening of the 15th of April
a magnetic storm of unusual force
prevailed over the entire northern
section of the country, which so
seriously affected the operation
of the wires that, on some circuits,
they could only be worked by tak-
ing off the batteries and employing
the auroral current instead. The
effect of this great disturbance of
the earth’s magnetism was mani-
fested with particular power upon
the wires between New York and
Boston, and for several hours the
lines upon this route depended
entirely upon this abnormal power
for their working current.”Paper for the Nose
“The Japanese dignitaries, says the
Boston Journal of Chemistry, who
recently visited this country under
the direction of Mr. Burlingame,
were observed to use pocket paper
instead of pocket handkerchiefs,
whenever they had occasion to
re move perspiration from the fore-
head, or ‘blow the nose.’ The same
piece is never used twice, but is
thrown away after it is first taken
in hand. We should suppose in
time of general catarrh, the whole
em pire of Japan would be covered
with bits of paper blowing about.
The paper is quite peculiar, being
soft, thin, and very tough.”ing at least 8,000 fetal deaths and
afflicting 15,000 to 20,000 infants
with deafness, heart disease, cata-
racts, glaucoma, psychomotor
re tardation and blood disorders.”1919
Transatlantic
Flight at Last!
“Search through the history of all
the arts and sciences, and you will
find none that has furnished so
much of the sensational and the
heroic as the latest of them all:
the art of flying—that amazing
child of the Twentieth Century.
A land bird, scorning its native ele-
ment, had swept across the Atlan-
tic from Newfoundland to the Irish
Coast in one wild flight of sixteen
hours and a half. The Vickers-Vimy
bomber, which carried Captain
Alcock on his amazing dash, was
built to bomb Berlin. The landing
was made within a few miles of the
place selected by Navigator Brown.
So these gallant lads, who had
lunched in America, had their
breakfast, next day, in Europe.”Glacial Progress
“Another of the leading scientific
societies of Great Britain, the
Geological Society, has decided
to admit women as fellows. This
step has been considered by the
society on three previous occa-
sions, with negative results.”1969
Heart-Healthy
Wa t e r
“Several studies in the past decade
have suggested that the death rate
from coronary disease is inversely
correlated with the hardness of the
local water supply: the harder the
water, the lower the coronary rate.
A study recently published in The
New England Journal of Medicine
reports evidence that the excess
coronary deaths in soft-water areas
are almost entirely sudden deaths
outside the hospital. Researchers
at the University of Toronto School
of Hygiene re viewed the death cer-
tificates of 55,000 people who died
in the province of Ontario in 1967
and classified the deceased indi-
viduals according to the hardness
of their local water supply.”
the reason for the link is still under
de bate; latest theories suggest more
magnesium and calcium are beneficial.Rubella Vaccine
“Vaccines that have produced immu-
nity against rubella (‘German mea-
sles’) in more than 95 percent of
the test subjects who have re ceived
them will probably be licensed in
the U.S. within a matter of weeks.
Widespread immunization with
these vaccines could prevent anoth-
er wave of in fection, anticipated for
the early 1970s, like the one that
swept across the U.S. in 1964, caus-1869: Forerunner
of the spin class
(sidesaddle
for the ladies).196919191869SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN,
VOL. XX, NO. 23; JUNE 12, 1869