April lo, 1879] 



NATURE 



545 



mical forces seem to have often a larger share in the effects ; this 

 appeared most distinctly in the remarkable absorbing power of 

 hydrated iron oxide, and soils containing most of it ; which can 

 only be attributed to chemical changes undergone on access of 

 gases, in consequence of the easy decomposition of the con- 

 stituents. The same holds good for humus materials ; whereas 

 with the other constituents the physical "moment" comes out 

 more prominently. Those gases which are easily brought into 

 the liquid state (HjO, H.^S, CH^, NH3, and CO2), and which 

 undergo changes easily (NH3, SH2), are absorbed in greater 

 measure by the constituents of soils, than gases which are not 

 readily liquefied (O). Temperature has great influence ; with 

 increase of it the power of condensing gases diminishes. It is 

 notable that at temperatures between 0° and 10° the gas absorp- 

 tion again diminishes. (A fuller account of these researches 

 will be foimd in Der Naturforscher for March 15.) 



Another new Italian journal has come to hand, Vita Nuoz'a, 

 published fortnightly. It is devoted to literature, science, and 

 art, and the scientific notes seem to us to be done with care and 

 discrimination, containing occasional information on scientific 

 work in Italy. It is published at Padua. 



The Colonies and India states that excellent accounts have 

 been received from Tasmania. Stone exceedingly rich had 

 been discovered in the Alpine reef, Fingal district, estimated to 

 yield 200 ounces of gold to the ton. Gold had also been dis- 

 covered at Castray River in the North Meredith Range on the 

 west coast. 



MM. FiGUiER AND DE Parville have issued their Annie 

 Scientifique, which is 'a summary of all the notable discoveries 

 made during the past year. 



The additions to the Zoological Society's Gardens during the 

 past week include a Black-backed Jackal (Canis mesomelas) from 

 South Africa, presented by Mr. E. J. Redman; a Red and 

 Yellow Macaw {Ara chloroptera) from South America, two 

 Yellow-fronted Amazons {Chrysotis ochrocephala) from Guiana, 

 presented by Mrs. Kelly ; two Silver Pheasants (Euphcamtis 

 nycthemerus) from China, presented by Mr. W. Soper; two 

 Bernicla Geese {Bernicla leticopsis), two Brant Geese {Bernicla 

 drenta), a Bean Goose (Anser segetum), two Common Geese 

 {Anser domesticus), two Ruddy Sheldrakes {Tadorna rutila), two 

 Common Pintails {Dafila acuta), two Gadwalls {Anas strepera), 

 four Chiloe Widgeons {Afareca chiloensis), two Common Widgeons 

 (Mareca penelope), two Garganey Teal (Quergnedula circid), two 

 Common Teal {Quen/uedula crecca), European, four Canada 

 Geese (Bernicla canadensis), a Summer Duck {Atx sponsa) from 

 North America, two Mandarin Ducks (Aix galericulata) from 

 China, three Australian Wild Ducks (Anas superciltosa) from 

 Australia, a Wild Goose {Anser ferns), three Common Ducks 

 (Anas boschas), British Isles, presented by Mr. R. J. Balston, 

 F.Z.S. ; a Tuberculated Lizard (T^wana tuberculata) from 

 Trinidad, presented by Dr. J. F. Chittenden, C.M.Z.S. ; two 

 Mississippi Alligators (Alligator mississippiensis) from the Missis- 

 sippi, presented by Lord Francis Conyngham, M.P., F.Z.S. ; 

 a Common Lobster (Astacus vulgaris), British Seas, presented 

 by Mr, R. J. Milestone ; two White-rumped Roe Dter (Capreolus 

 pygargus) from Eastern Asia, a Chinese Water Deer (Hydropotes 

 inermis) from China, received in exchange ; two Common Boas 

 (Boa constrictor) from South America, deposited ; eight Indian 

 Jerboa Rats (Gerbillus indicus) from India, purchased. 



VIRCHOW ON THE PLAGUE 



AT a recent meeting of the Medical Society of Berlin Prof. 

 ;**• Virchow gave (by previous request) his views on the sub- 

 ject of the Plague of Astrakan. The following is a brief out- 

 line of his address (which appears in the Revue Scientifique) : — 



The information received about the plague is very uncertain 

 and conflicting, necessitating reserve in giving an opinion. 

 Russia is to be reproached for failure to send competent observers 

 of the disease. 



The first question is. What is the true determinant of the 

 malady ? No one would hesitate to say ihat the buboes, or 

 swellings of the lymphatic glands, take the first place. But it is 

 still doubtfi'l whether or not certain acute forms occur without 

 glandular tu'^our, (It is not merely the exterior glands that are 

 referred to,) Typhoid fever, the most nearly related disease, is, 

 of course, always (except in children) marked by a peculiar 

 affection of the glands. 



The pestilential bubo, like the alterations characterising many 

 of our indigenous infectious diseases, consists in a cellular hyper- 

 trophy, with more or less hypersemia and hjemorrhage. We 

 come again to an obsciu-e point in asking, how does a bubo of 

 this kind ulcerate ? The ulcerations in typhoid fever show sup- 

 puration, within the glandular tissue, rovmd a dry mortified 

 centre. Accounts by some of the best observers of pestilential 

 bubo affirm suppuration round the gland. But the chief point is, 

 what is the prime cause of the suppuration? And here I cannot 

 affirm that the abscess of the gland ari>es from mortification of 

 the gland. Some observers speak only of a softening of the 

 substance. If partial mortification induced the ulcerations dis- 

 tinguishing plague, as they do those of typhoid fever, the analogy 

 between the two diseases would be more marked. 



Though we do not really know whether glandular affections 

 are, from the outset, an essential character of the disease, they 

 yet present the essential criteria for diagnosis of the plague, 



[Prof, Virchow proceeds to object to Hirsch's view regarding 

 the Indian Plague of Pali, in 1838, which showed peculiar 

 symptoms, as a particular species of plague. * Either it was the 

 plague or it was not the plague. If the malady of Astrakan 

 were a peculiar Indian plague we should not be warranted in 

 identifying it with the well-known plague of the Levant, for this 

 alone is the true plague. Haemorrhage of the lu-inary organs (as 

 in the plague of Pah) is very common even in the Oriental 

 plague ; but he would not therefore create a special hsematuric 

 species of the plague, but say that hasmaturia is often a symptom 

 of the plague. He does not now refer either to this plague of 

 Pali nor to a known endemic plague, restricted to two districts 

 of the Himalayas.] 



Another special character of Oriental plague is carbimcle ; it 

 occurs in nearly a fifth of the cases ; the symptoms are like those 

 of ordinary contagious carbuncle. There is no suiBcient evidence 

 of carbuncle in internal organs. Then there are the petechiae, 

 or spots, and interior haemorrhages. Tumour of the spleen 

 seems very constant, and of great importance, and we find also 

 tumefaction of the liver and kidneys. The sweUings of the 

 glands, the carbuncles, and the petechiae are the most important 

 symptoms. 



At the beginning of most pestilential epidemics a Committee 

 of doctors has generally declared that it was not the plague. 

 They pronounced it petechial typhus. This was the case imme- 

 diately before the outbreak of the plague at Rescht, when the 

 disease had been long confined in Kurdistan and Mesopotamia. 

 M. Tholozan was the first to say it was plague, and that the 

 case was that, not of a great epidemic, but of a latent disease, 

 spreading slowly and attacking only a few. It is indubitable 

 that we have there a true centre, whence the disease gradually 

 spread, and I do not see why we should go to India, where the 

 disease has not prevailed for many years past. Proceeding logi- 

 cally, we shall accept this course : From Kurdistan and Meso- 

 potamia to Persia and on to beyond the Caspian. Even if the 

 present cases on the other side of the Caspian were accompanied 

 by pneumorrhagia, I would not hesitate to say they belonged to 

 the plague proper, and that the disease is the same as that in 

 Mesopotamia. The symptoms are very different from those of 

 petechial typhns, the disea-e which the Turkish doctors affirmed. 

 If near Salonichi (Xanthi) there be really petechial typhus ac- 

 companied by Metastasis bubonica, I fear it is the plague. It 

 remains to keep our eyes open and see what happens after the 

 return of the Russian army from the infected country (an occur- 

 rence which may well rou>e grave apprehensions). 



What has been done for our protection is little apt to tran- 

 quillise us, A blockade comprising all the frontier as well as 

 the coast, from the Baltic to the Black Sea, seems to me illxisory. 

 One example of severe quarantine has occurred in this century 

 in the case of the plague at Noja, in Bari (Kingdom of Naples), 

 in 1815. Trenches were dug, and three cordons of sentLuels were 



