214 THE AMERICAN MONTHLY [November, 



The Tuberculosis Congress. — This convention held in August in Paris 

 has established certain facts regarding the disease. To a Frenchman, Dr. 

 Villemin, is awarded the credit of having discovered that the disease is caused 

 by a living organism. His position was strengthened by the researches of 

 Koch upon the organism. The disease, it is now believed, first attacks ani- 

 mals whose flesh we eat or milk we drink. The disease was shown to be 

 common among the cows of France where they are not well protected against 

 inclement winter weather. It was asserted by some that danger from infected 

 meat was averted by boiling. But this was not proven in general. The work 

 of the congress seemed to be to prove some undoubted facts with reference to 

 the nature of the disease, but not to contribute especially to the knowledge 

 of its cure. 



It is to be observed, however, that the meeting is to be regarded as by no 

 means a failure because the cure was not discovered. The mere fact that the 

 single disease was thoroughly discussed is highly encouraging to the cause 

 of medicine. As the history of science teaches, and it is one of its best les- 

 sons so well pointed out by Professor Langley in his address before the 

 American Association, the path to ultimate discovery is never one of con- 

 tinued steps in advance without errors, but rather that a great mass of errors 

 and false steps have to be taken before the truth is really entered upon. 



Yellow fever germs. — Prof. Sternberg, who is as well informed as any 

 one in this country, recently read a paper upon the yellow fever. He denies 

 that any of the claimants have yet discovered that germ, after having experi- 

 mented very carefully with it in the manner described by them. He has 

 proved that the blood of yellow fever patients contains no specific disease 

 germ. In Havana he had abundant opportunity for experiment, and there 

 turned his attention to the alimentary canal. Here he found several micro- 

 organisms not before recognized, any one of which might prove to be the 

 germ of yellow fever. At present his researches have gone no further than 

 this point, but he will continue them. Biological science will yet find the 

 cause of this and other such diseases and the means of cure or prevention. 



The Hatch bill appropriation. — It is entirely natural to expect that, as 

 a result of the expenditure by the United States Government of $15,000 per 

 year in the agricultural schools of each State, some valuable and interesting 

 scientific results should have been forthcoming. There are at least two of the 

 States which seem likely to fulfil this expectation. In Connecticut Prbf. W. 

 O. Atwater will make experiments with a view to determining, if possible, 

 whether the plant body can use free nitrogen in the manufacture of albumi- 

 nous molecules. This question has long been considered, though it has been 

 suspected that plants do have the power in some degree of using free nitrogen. 

 In- New York Prof. Comstock is preparing to experiment upon insect growth. 

 He has a laboratory building with space for experiments ; besides this, two 

 conservatories or 'vivaries' for rearing living insects. One is to be kept at 

 the temperature of the outer air, and the other at any desired temperature. 

 He is also having an apparatus made for observing insects that live on i-oots 

 of plants, and other ingenious apparatus for insect study. In all the States 

 the money given by this bill should be used in economic research. 



Biology economically applied. — There was a very good investment 

 made in Minnesota during last August. Prof. Otto Lugger, State entomo- 



