POPULAR MISCELLANY. 



283 



after reviewing the progress of the science 

 in Great Britain, France, Belgium, Holland, 

 Scandinavia, Austria, and Hungary, men- 

 tions the organization of the Society of Medi- 

 cal Jurisprudence in Philadelphia, and re- 

 fers to the progress of the work of the Mas- 

 sachusetts Medico-Legal Society. Mr. Bell 

 is succeeded in the presidency of the soci- 

 ety by Professor R. 0. Doremus. 



Cardinal Pitri on Scientific Studies. 



Cardinal Pitri, a prelate enjoying high dig- 

 nities at the papal court, has appeared as 

 a contributor to the Roman scientific jour- 

 nal " Cosmos " of an article, advising the 

 clergy to cultivate science. "It is a good 

 thing," he says, "for those who have in 

 theology the key to all the sciences, not to 

 neglect any of them. We, too, ought to 

 have our specialists who understand and 

 help us to understand the views of men of 

 learning, and are prepared to meet them on 

 their own ground. While they cherish the 

 science of the sanctuary, the clergy should 

 also be familiar with secular knowledge." 

 Not only this, but " ecclesiastics and mem- 

 bers of religious orders, especially those 

 addicted to tradition, should be found 

 among the men of bold speculation and re- 

 search ; for tradition is no less necessary 

 for science than for faith." The cardinal 

 recommends those studies, although they at 

 first sight look dry, as sure to afford "a 

 pure and healthy delight, which grows into 

 enthusiasm in proportion as they are per- 

 severingly cultivated." It must be remem- 

 bered, he adds, that such studies only tend 

 further to establish " those fundamental 

 verities whence flows more or less directly 

 the explanation of whatever can be ex- 

 plained." For the material universe is " a 

 sealed book " to those who acknowledge no 

 Divine Crea:or and Upholder of the wonder- 

 ful forces which surround us on every side. 

 But it behooves the young clergy to be care- 

 ful against coming to too hasty conclusions 

 in their endeavors to harmonize theology 

 and science. " It is neither prudent nor 

 safe to adopt scientific hypotheses too quick- 

 ly into the domain of theology and her- 

 mencutics." The observation is enforced 

 by incidents in his own experience, that wo 

 have had " modern theologians retreating 

 from explanation to explanation, embar- 



rassed between the periods of the anterior 

 creation " : and, while the texts that have 

 given occasion to controversy are " equally 

 inspired with the rest of Scripture," it is 

 " dangerous to apply them unreservedly to 

 each passing system " ; and is much more 

 prudent " not to be in a hurry to make a 

 theological thesis of a learned hypothesis 

 and commit one's self to it, when no such 

 obligation is imposed on us by the constant 

 teaching or defined dogmas of the Church." 



The Soil-Ferment. It was determined 

 by experiment, a few years ago, that the 

 capacity of earth to purify sewage from 

 organic matters by oxidation could be sus- 

 pended by treating the earth with chloro- 

 form, but that in time the soil would regain 

 its oxidizing quality. The conclusion was 

 reached from this observation, that the 

 oxidation of organic matters ia sewage de- 

 pends, in part at least, on the presence of 

 small living organisms whose activity could 

 be suspended by dosing them with chloro- 

 form. This conclusion has been confirmed 

 by subsequent observations, and it is be- 

 lieved now that the oxidizing property of 

 the soil is promoted by the presence of 

 a micrococcus, which acts most efficiently 

 at a temperature about that of the blood, 

 but more feebly at higher or lower temper- 

 atures, while its efficiency ceases entirely 

 at near the freezing-point and above 130 

 Fahr. It appears to bo, in dry soils, most 

 abundant in the upper six inches, and to 

 cease to act at depths below eighteen inches. 

 It has been further determined by these ex- 

 periments that nitrogenous solutions to be 

 acted upon by the ferment must be alkaline, 

 while acid solutions are not affected. Ordi- 

 nary house sewage is slightly alkaline and 

 readily acted upon, but this susceptibility is 

 destroyed when acid-manufacturers' wastes 

 are admitted to be mixed with it, or with 

 the soil. 



Evolution of Warlike and of Peaceful 



Races. The "Pall Mall Gazette" finds in 

 the doctrines of hereditability and modifi- 

 ability reasons for supposing that the pres- 

 ent Continental organizations of military 

 life may ultimately result, by the weeding 

 out of the warlike, in the development of a 

 more peaceful and industrious race of men. 



