(A- 



NATURE 



[Oct. 30, 1879 



descriptions by Lindley, Hooker, De CandoUe, &c. This Index 

 we think is likely to prove useful to botanists at large, and espe- 

 cially to those who are interested in the history of cultivated 

 plants, and who may wish to know where to lay their hands on 

 figures or descriptions of them. 



The applications of science at least seem to be obtaining 

 some attention at the Antipodes ; Stilhvell and Co., of Mel- 

 bourne, send us the following announcement of a new work to 

 be published by them: "The Chemistry of Agriculture," by 

 K. W. Emerson Maclvor, A.I.C., F.C.S., &c., lately Senior 

 Demonstrator of Theoretical and Practical Chemistry, Anderson's 

 University, Glasgow, with Appendices : Victorian Geology in 

 its Relation to Agriculture, by Norman Taylor (of the late 

 Geological Survey). The Conservation of Water for Agri- 

 cultural and Pastoral Purposes, by G. Gordon, M.I.C.E. 

 Suggestions on the Maintenance, Creation, and Enrichment of 

 Forests, &c., by Baron von Mueller, K.C.M.G., F.R.S., &c. 



The Astro-physical Observatory on the Telegraphenberg, 

 near Potsdam, was completed during September last, and has 

 now been definitely handed over to its scientific directors. 



Prof. Silvanus Thompson has published a pamphlet of 

 74 pp. on apprenticeship schools in France, a subject on which 

 he read a paper at the recent meeting of the British Association. 

 The little book desen'es the attention of all interested in tech- 

 nical education. 



The West London Scientific Association issue a very satisfac- 

 tory Report for 1878-9. 



The museum of the St. Petersburg Academy of Sciences has 

 made a valuable acquisition in the head of a Rhinoceros tichorhi- 

 nus, very well preserved and covered with patches of hair. It 

 is a part of a nearly complete carcass which was discovered on 

 the banks of a tributary of the Yana, some 130 miles north of 

 Verkhoyanak. 



Messrs. Cassei.l have sent us the first two parts of a work 

 on " European Ferns," illustrated by beautifully coloured plates. 

 The text is by Mr. James Britten. 



We notice a useful publication undertaken by the Kieff 

 Society of Naturalists, being a complete index of all works on 

 mathematics, natural science, and medicine that have appeared 

 in Russia during the years 1872 to 1S77. The index for these 

 five years has already appeared. 



Another useful private undertaking is a weekly paper, 

 Rtssiyskaya Bibliografia (Russian and Slave Bibliography), ap- 

 pearing at St Petersburg ; it contains the titles of all Russian 

 and Polish publications, with short notices about some of them. 



Messrs. Griffith and Farran will shortly publish a book 

 entitled " On the Leads ; or, What the Planets Saw." The 

 object of the work is to bring the planets of cur system into 

 nearer acquaintance, making each give an account of itself to a 

 little girl who watches them through her father's telescope on 

 the leads of the house ; their mythological character being made 

 the mouthpiece of their astronomical and physical history. It is 

 written and illustrated by Mrs. A. A. Strange Butson. 



The additions to the Zoological Society's Gardens during the 

 past week include two Bonnet Monkeys {Macacus radiatus) from 

 India, presented respectively by Mr. S. E. Phillips and Mr. J. 

 E. Medley ; a Macaque Monkey (Macacus tynemolgus) from 

 India, presented by Mrs. Franklin ; a Lesser Black-backed Gull 

 (Larus fuscus), British, presented by the Rev. F. H. Addams ; 

 a Mississippi Alligator (Alligalor mississippiensis) from North 

 America, presented by Capt. J. H. Mortimer ; a Gamett's 

 Galago (Galago garnetti) from East Africa, a Banded Ichneumon 

 (Hirpestes fasciatus) from West Africa, a Soemmerring's Antelope 

 (Gazella scemmerringi) from Abyssinia, two Dufresne's Amazons 

 {Chrystiis dufresniana) from South-East Brazil, purchased. 



THE SANITARY CONGRESS 



'T'HIS Congress continued its meetings at Croydon during last 

 -'- week, when several interesting addresses were given. Mr. 

 Douglas Gallon, in his address last Thursday, spoke of that large 

 class of conditions which are the direct result of the circum- 

 stances to which man is exposed in consequence of living in 

 communities. All living beings are in a continual condition of 

 change, which results in their throwing off from the body matters 

 which poison earth, air, and water, unless space, time, and 

 opportunity are afforded for the counteraction of these deleterious 

 effects. He showed how thus resulted both epidemic and zymotic 

 diseases, the presence or absence of which in any locality, and the 

 degree of their virulence depend on the sanitary surround- 

 ings. Cholera and dysentery are principally connected with 

 the condition of the water supply ; while an epidemic prevails 

 the question whether a given population shall suffer or escape 

 may almost be predicted from a chemical analysis of the drinking 

 water. It is to the physiologist and the chemist that we must 

 look for the causes from which these baneful effects arise, and 

 what are the conditions which should be altered to prevent or 

 remove them. The engineer steps in after these causes have 

 been pointed out, and it is for him to design the methods of pre- 

 vention or removal. 



In places where many dwellings are congregated together the 

 requirements for health may be classed as — first, those that are 

 common to the community, such as the supply of good water, the 

 removal of foul water, and the removal of refuse matter ; and 

 secondly, those which immediately concern the individual house- 

 holder, such as the condition of his house and the circumstances 

 of its occupation. It is the interest of every person in a com- 

 munity that every other member of the community should live 

 under conditions favourable to health. Each year, as the po])u- 

 lation increases and as dwellings multiply, so does the importance 

 of promoting these conditions increase ; and so long as pre- 

 ventible diseases exist throughout the country, we must not 

 delude ourselves with the idea that we have done more than 

 touch the borders of sanitary improvement. There are few sub- 

 jects in which so many professions of progress have been made 

 in the last few years as in the theoretical knowledge of how to 

 provide a healthy dwelling and a healthy town. Books innumer- 

 able have been written upon the question. Physiologists have 

 invented every conceivable theory ; patentees have invented every 

 conceivable description of apparatus ; engineers, architects, aad 

 builders overwhelm you with professions of their knowledge ot 

 sanitary principles, and millions of money have been spent in fttr- 

 thering the schemes they have devised ; and yet, in spite of all these 

 efforts, there are few houses and very few towns where youwovld 

 not easily detect some grievous sanitary blunders. Mr. Gait an 

 believes this to be due, in the first place, to the fact that the 

 majority of men prefer anything to thinking for themselves. 

 They like to obtain their knowledge as they do their hats — from 

 a shop, ready made. In the second place, the sanitary education 

 of the country has not been brought into a system. In the 

 third place, it has always seemed to Mr. Galton that the system 

 under which the Government advances money for sanitary works, 

 whilst of great primd facie advantage in one point of view, yet 

 has its disadvantageous aspect. Mr. Galton then entered into 

 some detail as to the best system to be adopted for encouraging; 

 and carrying out sanitary works. 



He thinks that we should have reached a higher level of 

 sanitary improvement in this country than now jTevails, if the 

 Government had limited itself to its more legitimate functions, 

 viz. , first, the enactment of laws requiring sanitary defects to ba 

 removed ; and second, the promotion of measures for diffusing a 

 sound education in sanitary knowledge ; instead of pursuing the 

 course of endeavouring to dictate the exact measures to l)e fol- 

 lowed in each case. But it may be asked, What is sanitary 

 knowledge ? It is frequently assumed that drainage and water- 

 supply are the principal subjects which are embraced in the 

 term ; but these only make up a small part of the subject At 

 the present time there does not exist any treatise which brings to 

 a focus the various problems of mechanical and physical science, 

 upon which the knowledge is based. 



Mr. Galton then gives several instances in connection with the 

 construction of houses to illustrate the variety of the problems to be 

 solved. A sanitarian tells us that health depends on pure air and 

 pure water. If a site is to be selected, it requires a consideration of 

 its position with respect to its surroundings. It requires a know- 

 ledge of the temperature of the air and of the soil ; what are the 



