BIOLOGY. 303 



pigs, which are kept hungry and then excited by savory food ; 

 while the influence of it is strong upon thorn, and the secretions 

 are jDouring out in expectation of the meal, ihe animals are 

 pithed. 



Pepsin, like diastase, is rendered inert by a temperature of 

 from 120 to 130° F. ; and, therefore, very hot drinks are hurtful. 

 — Chemical Neics. 



Crime \s. Cranial Capacity. — Dr. Wilson, at the last meeting 

 of the British Association, read a paper " On the Moral Imbecility 

 of Habitual Criminals, Exemplitied by Cranial Measurements." 

 His theory was that habitual criminals did not possess such an 

 amount of intellect as to enable them to discriminate between 

 right and wrong, and that the majority of them were devoid of 

 moral sense. The habitual criminal was of a low tyjDC of intel- 

 lectual development, and some of them were unable to surmount 

 the rudimentary difficulties of education. The measurements 

 submitted by Dr. Wilson were from 46-1 separate measurements, 

 and all showed a cranial deficiency, especially in the anterior lobes 

 of the brain. He recommended the adoption of a system of treat- 

 ment of criminals similar to that in practice in Ireland, — a system 

 of jDunishment more reformatory than punitive. 



Pulsations of Man rendered Audible and Visible. — At the 1869 

 meeting of the "American Association for the Advancement of 

 Science," Dr. J. B. Upham, after explaining the improvements in 

 the diagnosis of aneurisms wiiich the case of malformation in Dr. 

 Groux had suggested, proceeded, with the aid of the telegraph 

 and magnesium light, to render audible and visible at Salem the 

 pulsations of patients in the City Hospital in Boston, — Mr. Farmer 

 having charge of the telegraph instruments in the lecture-room, 

 Mr. Stearns at the City Hospital, and the internes of the hospital 

 taking the medical direction. The Franklin Telegraph Company 

 placed their entire line between Salem and New York at the disposal 

 of the Association, and every pulse-click of the magnet was heard 

 simultaneously at every station on the entire line. A full report 

 of these interesting and novel experiments will be published in 

 the "Proceedings" of the Association. 



The Natives of Vancouver''s Island. — The natives are called 

 Flat Heads, of which there are 4 varieties ; the elongated head 

 from before backward, the conical head, the square head, and the 

 elongated head from side to side. These artificial heads are \ivo- 

 duced by pressure on the forehead, and bandaging on the sides 

 (the elongated head from side to side excepted), until the child is 

 a year old. It does not affect the intellect. It is mere displace- 

 ment of brain. 



The native population of Vancouver's Island is estimated by 

 Dr. King at 18,000, but, as in all cases of estimates of the uncivil- 

 ized races, wanderino; as thev do, this estimate cannot be relied 

 upon. By iar the most numerous and powerful tribes live on the 

 west coast or on the outward seaboard of the island, and the white 

 man is respected l)y them. The natives generally are in a very 

 degraded state ; occasionally industrious, trustworthy individuals 

 are to be met with, but, as a body, continuous labor cannot be 



