274 



NATURE 



[July 22, 1897 



their case the vibrations were probably more complicated 

 than in the chimneys, through their being attached to 

 the body of the church in each case, and also owing to 

 their conical shape. 



Falls of isolated objects, unconnected with any build- 

 ing, from which the direction of the shock might be 

 ascertained, are exceedingly rare. Only two of the 

 monuments in the old cemetery were aflfected, but both 

 of these give the same direction, viz. approximately 

 N. 30° E., S. 30° W., the fall being in each case towards 

 the S.W. One of these monuments is an obelisk over 

 the tomb of Sir William Jones, the founder of the Asiatic 

 Society of Bengal. The building of this Society has 

 suffered severely, being cracked in every direction. 



It is too soon as yet to speak with certainty of the 

 extent of the earthquake, or of the causes which led to 

 it. So far as present reports go, the province of Assam 

 has suffered most damage, and it is possible that the 

 cause of the earthquake will be found in some movement 



PAUL SCHUTZENBERGER. 

 pAUL SCH DTZEN BERGER was born at Strassburg, 

 ^ and died at Paris on June 28, 1897, at the age of 

 sixty-seven. He first studied medicine at the University 

 of Strassburg, graduating in 1855 with a thesis entitled 

 " Du Syst^me Osseux." Subsequently, however, he 

 devoted himself to chemistry, occupying successively 

 the posts of Pr^parateur in the chemical laboratory 

 of the Conservatoire des Arts et Metiers at Strass- 

 burg, Professor at the Miilhausen High School, 

 Assistant-Director of the chemical laboratory of the 

 Sorbonne, and Head of the chemical department of 

 the College de France, where, since 1876, he has 

 occupied the chair of Chemistry. In 1884 he was 

 elected a member of the Academy of Medicine, and 

 in 1888 he was elected to fill the place rendered 

 vacant by the death of Debray in the Paris Academy 

 of Sciences. 



Fig. I.— Calcutta Earthquake, June 12. Messrs. Traill and Co.'s Office, British Indian Street. A Verandah, with portico beneath it 

 supported on pillars in front of the building, has been entirely destroyed. 



either along the line of dislocation which separates the 

 Himalayas from the Assam valley, or that which runs 

 along the south flank of the Assam range, at the northern 

 ■edge of the plains of Sylhet and Cachur. 



It is unfortunate that Calcutta does not possess a 

 single seismograph of modern construction. Without 

 one of these it is hopeless to expect to obtain perfectly 

 accurate details, as to time, duration, force, &c., so 

 necessary for a full discussion of the subject. 



I enclose two photographs [one is reproduced in Fig. i] 

 taken immediately after the earthquake, which show the 

 kind of damage that has been caused by it. The vibra- 

 tion of the walls loosened the ends of the beams carrying 

 the massive roofs, which then crushed down, carrying the 

 lower floors with them, the outer walls being usually left 

 standing, but badly fissured. T. D. La Touche. 



NO. 1447, VOL, 56] 



Much of his work exhibits the influence of his earlier 

 medical training : for example, his " Chimie Appliquee ^ 

 la physiologie animale et au diagnostic medical," pub- 

 Hshed in 1864, his work on fermentation (1875), ^"^ his 

 well-known researches on the chemical nature of the 

 albuminoids and of the vegetable alkaloids. He also 

 devoted much attention to the chemistry of colouring 

 matters and of their applications, in which branch of 

 science he was one of the first authorities. His book 

 entitled " Des Matiferes Colorantes," first published in 

 1866, is, perhaps, his best-known work. He did not 

 confine himself, however, exclusively to organic chern- 

 istry, his name being honourably known in inorganic 

 chemistry in connection with the discovery of hypo- 

 sulphurous acid. 



T. E. 



