Theophile Gautier

   Theophile Gautier (1811-1872), was a French poet, and one of the most influential prose writers of the middle of the 19th century, was born in Tarbes. As a man of letters he had a fine sense of rhythm, together with a fervent and romantic fancy. Gautier threw himself eagerly into the war of the romanticists against the classicists, and was conspicuous on the nights of the celebrated "Battle of Hernani" in 1830. Gautier made his debut with a volume of verse in this same year (1830). Three years later followed another volume, Albertus, which is bolder and more original, although it never rises to the height of fine poetry. His first novel, Mademoiselle de Maupin (1835), was an extravagant romance about an adventuress who disguised herself as a man. The book was designed to outrage the public taste but succeeded beyond Gautier's expectations and became the basis of a legend that all his work was lurid and erotic. Balzac admired Mademoiselle de Maupin, and engaged Gautier on Le chronique de Paris, which he was editing. In 1838 Gautier wrote his Comedie de la mart, which marks a break with his first romantic epoch. Soon after this he began his series of travel-pictures, which extend from 1845 to 1866, and describe various parts of France, Italy, Spain, Russia, and Turkey (Constantinople). During the same period Gautier was writing a series of archaeological works, of which Le Roman de la momie is the best known. His Une larme du diable (1839) has a certain resemblance in spirit to Albertus. Le capitaine Fracasse (1863) is a sort of aftermath of the romantic spirit, tending more toward irony and toward the fantastic than the earlier books. Emaux et camees (1852-72), the best of his poetry, anticipates the passivity of the Parnassians and illustrates his "art for art's sake" theories. He died at Neuilly, near Paris. The following is a partial list of his principal productions: Poems—La com'edie de, la mart (1838); Les intirieurs et Us passages (1845); Emaux et Camees (1852). Novels, stories, etc.— Une nuit de Cleopatre (1836); Le roi Candaules (1847); Militona (1848); Les roues innocents (1849); Jean et Jeannette (1850); Partie carree (1851); Arria Marcella (1852); Jettatura (1857); Avatar (1857); La Belle Jenny (1864); La peau de tigre (1852); Spirite (1865); Les jeunes France (1867). To these must be added the half-autobiographical Paradis des chats (embodying Gautier's special affection for cats) and Menagerie intime (1869). Finally, an immense quantity of criticism of literature and art, and of the history of art: L'histoire despeintres, in collab. (1847); L'art moderne (1852); Les beaux-arts en Europe (1852); Les dieux et les demi-dieux de la peinture, in collab. (1856); Histoire de I'art dramatique (1860); Histoire du romantisme (1874).

What is a Gas?

   GAS is a substance which in physical properties is similar to AIR. Gases show little or no cohesive force and may be thus differentiated from liquids and solids. Heating any substance reduces the cohesive force, and theoretically, it is possible to change any substance to a gas by bringing it to a sufficiently high temperature. In general usage the term, gas, is limited to those substances which have the gaseous form under usual conditions of temperature and pressure. The prime physical characteristic of a gas is that it uniformly fills any vessel in which it is placed regardless of the vessel's shape or size. Liquids conform to the shape of the vessel only so far as they can fill it, and are bounded at the top by a liquid surface. The shape of solids is independent of that of the container.

What is mimicry?

   Mimicry is the resemblance of an animal to another animal or plant or to its surroundings. This resemblance, which often helps to protect the animal, is usually based on a similarity of color or structure.
   Many examples of mimicry may be found among insects. The dead leaf butterfly of India, when resting, has the color and shape of a dead leaf and is therefore not disturbed by its enemies. People are often afraid of the harmless hover fly because it looks like a stinging wasp. The viceroy butterfly is rarely eaten by birds because it resembles the bad-tasting monarch butterfly. The walking stick looks just like a small twig. Spider mites that live among moss look just like part of the moss plant.
   Many other animals also have protective coloring or structure. Young deer and some baby birds blend with their environment. The stripes of the tiger blend with the tall grass. Many nocturnal spiders are black and therefore difficult to see at night. Tree frogs are green. Arctic animals are often white. Protective coloring not only protects these animals from their enemies, but it also makes it possible for them to prey on other animals more easily. For example, the white fur of the polar bear, who has few enemies, enables it to approach its prey, the seal, unseen.
   Animals do not plan a color or shape for themselves. Their protective coloring and structure is the result of selective evolution. Through the ages the animals with the most effective protective coloring and structure have survived the longest and therefore have been able to reproduce more of their kind.
   After many generations of breeding, more and more members of their species were born with the coloring and structure necessary for their survival.

Electron microscope

   The electron microscope is an instrument which permits scientists to see and photograph objects too small to be seen with an optical MICROSCOPE. The electron microscope uses beams of electrons in place of beams of light. Its magnifying power is about 200 times that of the very best optical microscope.
   The human eye is a very fine OPTICAL INSTRUMENT. However, the eye cannot distinguish objects smaller than about four one-thousandths of an inch.
   The power of an instrument to enlarge and form a distinct image of small details is its resolving power. The limit of resolution of an optical instrument is the smallest distance between two objects for which the instrument can form two distinct images of these objects.
   The magnifying power of an optical microscope is thus limited by the fact that objects cannot be distinguished unless they are somewhat larger than the waves of light reflected from them.
   In 1932 Ruska, a German, constructed an electron microscope. He allowed a beam of electrons to be reflected from an object. (Since electrons are charged they can be controlled by electric and magnetic fields.) The reflected electrons were directed through a magnetic field and then focused on a screen (as electrons are focused on a television screen to make a visible image) or on a photographic plate so that the image would be recorded.
   The superiority of the electron microscope over the optical microscope depends on the fact that fast-moving electrons have a wave length a thousand times smaller than the wave length of visible light.
   In most cases an electron microscope must be used with objects which are very thin. Thus, stray electrons will pass through them rather easily. Only recently has it been possible to investigate living matter with an electron microscope.
   The electron microscope can be used to investigate a wide variety of materials. Many applications have been made in chemistry, biology, metallurgy and other fields. Many new structures have been discovered in insects. Details which occur in chemical changes have been seen.

Peony flowers

   The peony is one of the showiest of modern garden flowers. The kind most popular is a hybrid of the common peony of southern Europe and the Chinese peony.
   Peonies belong to the crowfoot, or butter-cup, family. There are over 300 varieties of the bush peony. It is a herbaceous PERENNIAL that reaches a height of about three feet. The flowers usually appear during June. They have single or double blooms ranging in color from white to red to purple. The petals are waxy. The large leaves possess deep grooves or divisions. The roots are fleshy and store food material for new growth each year. The stem has a red to green color. When peony bushes are separated and transplanted to a new location, flowers will not appear for a year or two while the plant rests.
   Some peonies have woody stems and are called tree peonies. They grow about five feet tall with many branches and a great number of blossoms. The woody tree peonies are native to Pacific coastal areas of Asia and North America.

Parsley herb

   Parsley In modern cooking, parsley is mainly a flavoring and decorative herb. Sprigs of its leaves give a delicate taste and a lacy, green garnish to soups, salads, and meat or cheese dishes. This leafy sweet herb is grown in several varieties. Many have been grown since ancient times in Mediterranean countries.
   Besides plain parsley, two other popular varieties are paramount and moss curled. Hamburg variety has an enlarged root looking like a parsnip but tasting like celery.
   Agricultural department food bulletins state that parsley is a good source of vitamins A and C and a fair source of niacin.
   It is rich in iron, but one is not likely to eat large enough amounts to supply much of that element for the body.

Penicillin antibiotic

   Penicillin was the first ANTIBIOTIC to be used successfully in the treatment of bacterial infections. Antibiotics are substances which are formed by living organisms. They are produced by MOLDS, soil organisms, and BACTERIA. Antibiotics interfere seriously with the organisms which produce disease. Penicillin has been used to treat many diseases that once were a great threat to life.
   In 1928, SIR ALEXANDER FLEMING made a very great discovery. He found that a simple mold could destroy disease-producing bacteria. He noticed that a large colony of staphylococcus bacteria became transparent and hence dead, when they grew near a contaminating mold. This observation was the key to the discovery.
   Fleming cultivated the mold in liquid broth, and noticed that during growth a substance was formed which inhibited the growth of some organisms. He called this penicillin, for the mold was Penicillium notatum.
   Fleming then showed by experimentation that the extract containing penicillin was not poisonous to animals.
   Since penicillin is a product of a mold, other species of molds were investigated for the presence of substances with similar properties. Thus a large number of antibiotic agents were discovered.
At present, several different forms of penicillin are known, and have been synthesized in the laboratory.