1C4 ANNUAL RECORD OF SCIENCE AND INDUSTRY. 



RATIO OF THE SPINAL MARROW TO THE BRAIN. 



Professor Mantegazza, in the Italian Journal of Anthro- 

 pology and Ethnology , proposes a new expression of the re- 

 lation between the different races of man and animals, based 

 on the comparison of the area of the occipital foramen and 

 the total internal capacity of the skull, or the ratio of the 

 spinal marrow to the brain, which he calls the cephalo-spinal 

 index. This index he considers to be less variable than the 

 so-called cephalic index, or the relation between the longitudi- 

 nal and transverse diameters of the cranium. 13 -4,1871, 

 June 1,288. 



ORIGIN OF CIVILIZATION. 



Sir John Lubbock, in his work on " The Origin of Civiliza- 

 tion, and the Primitive Condition of Man," comes to the fol- 

 lowing conclusions from his extensive researches : First, that 

 existing savages are not the descendants of civilized ances- 

 tors ; second, " that the primitive condition of man was one 

 of utter barbarism ;" third, " that from this condition several 

 races have raised themselves." His inference, therefore, is 

 that the history of the human race has, on the whole, been 

 one of progress. He does not mean to say that every race is 

 necessarily advancing. On the contrary, most of the lower 

 ones are almost stationary, and there are no doubt cases in 

 which nations have fallen back ; but it seems an almost inva- 

 riable rule that such races are dying out, while those that are 

 stationary in condition are stationary in numbers also. On 

 the other hand, improving nations increase in numbers, so 

 that they always encroach on those less progressive. 16 A, 

 1871, October, 508. 



SUBSTITUTION OF STRONTIAN, ETC., FOR LIME IN BONE. 



According to some investigations ofM. Papillon, presented 

 to the Academy of Sciences in Paris, it has been ascertained 

 that a certain percentage of strontian, magnesia, or alumina 

 may be substituted for the lime normally present in bone, 

 without affecting essentially its condition. The experiments 

 were tried upon pigeons and other animals, by supplying 

 them with water mixed with the different salts of potash and 

 soda, and with grain incrusted by a fine paste of one or other 



