August 9, 19 17] 



NATURE 



469 



measurements are carried out with instruments 

 designed by Dr. Camus, these measurements 

 having reference to (i) the anatomical condition, and 

 (2) the physiological function of the injured part. The 

 special instruments include those for measuring the 

 movements of the joints, a special dynamo-ergograph 

 for studying small movements, a device for recording 

 vaso-motor disturbances, and an apparatus for record- 

 ing trembling. The methods of this laboratory permit 

 of replacing the long descriptions of specialists by 

 documents of a more complete and scientific nature, 

 i.e. photographs, numerical tables, cur\'es, etc., which 

 can only be interpreted in one sense. The insurance 

 companies are interesting themselves in this new 

 method of determining bodily efficiency, and hope to 

 employ it in all cases of disputes arising out of com- 

 pensation awards for accidents. The writer of the 

 article in ha Nature for July 28 (from which this note 

 is derived) hopes that this system of evaluation will 

 prevent exaggerated claims and make for equity of 

 treatment as regards the pension to be paid to the 

 partially disabled. 



It is stated in the Scientific American that Dr. G. 

 Miiller has been appointed director of the astrophysical 

 observatory at Potsdam, in succession to the late Prof. 

 K. Schwarzschild. 



The Baly medal of the Royal College of Physicians 

 of London has been awarded to Prof. W. M. Bayliss, 

 and the Bisset-Hawkins memorial medal to Sir A. 

 Newsholme. 



The Edward Longstreth medals of the Franklin 

 Institute have been awarded to Prof. A. E. Kennelly 

 and Messrs. F. H. Achard and A. S. Dana, for their 

 joint paper on " Experimental Researches on the Skin 

 Effect in Steel Rails." 



According to a telegram from Wellington, New 

 Zealand, a violent earthquake has occurred in the 

 southern portion of North Island, causing great 

 damage. The Wairarapa district suffered most. The 

 earthquake is described as the worst since the up- 

 heaval in the 'fifties. 



We learn from Physis that Dr. G. R. Wieland, of 

 Yale University, U.S.A., has spent the last season in 

 collecting fossii plants in the Argentine Republic. He 

 has paid special attention to the Rhaetic formations of 

 Mendoza and the Lias of Neuquen. 



The Rockefeller Foundation, with the co-operation 

 of the Philippine Government, is sending a hospital 

 ship to the ^Ioros and allied tribes of the Sulu Archi- 

 pelago. It is intended that the ship shall cruise for 

 five years among the many islands in the southern 

 Philippine group, the Rockefeller Foundation having 

 learned that many of the Moros are suffering from 

 skin diseases, malaria, hookworm, dysentery, and 

 other diseases. 



A special series of preparations has just been placed 

 on exhibition at the Homiman Museum, Forest Hill, 

 S.E., to illustrate the stages in the life-histories of 

 numerous insects which damage the food plants grown 

 in gardens and allotments. Specimens and models 

 showing the damage done are also exhibited, and 

 means of combating the pests indicated. Visitors 

 to the museum may obtain there copies of the leaflets 

 of the Board of Agriculture dealing with the insects 

 shown. 



Exceptionally heavy rains occurred over the east 



and south-east of England during the closing days of 



July and on the opening days of August. For the' four 



days from July 30 to August 2 inclusive the rains were 



NO. 2493, VOL. 99] 



heavier in many parts of London than for any simil.ir 

 peiiod for the last twenty-five years. At South Ken- 

 sington, the recording station of the Meteorologicil 

 Office, the measurement for the four days was 328 in., 

 which is 70 per cent, of the average London fall for 

 July and August combined. According to the weather 

 reports from the health resorts the rainfall at Southend 

 was 344 in., which is 89 per cent, of the average fall for 

 July and August, and at Margate 3-48 in., being 84 per 

 cent, of the average for the two months. At Hastings 

 the rainfall measured 3-16 in., at Eastbourne 260 in., 

 and at Bournemouth 200 in. In the northern and 

 western parts of England the rainfall was slight, an«J 

 in the midlands it was by no means heavy. The subse- 

 quent rains in the south-east of England have been 

 frequent, but not heavy. During the period of the 

 hea\y rains the temperature was ven»" low for the 

 time of year, and on several days the midday tempera- 

 ture remained below 60°. The disturbances which 

 occasioned the rains in England also caused very wet 

 weather in Flanders and other parts of north-western 

 Europe. 



Ix Science Progress for July Prof. Flinders Petrie 

 contributes a valuable paper on " History in Tools." 

 He points out that while there are many books on 

 offence and defence, arms and armour, there is none 

 that traces the history of our mechanical aids. 

 Thousands of writers have described the sculptures of 

 the Parthenon, but not one has described the means 

 used in performing that work. It is a myster}- to us how 

 fluted columns with an entasis could be produced, true 

 to a hundredth of an inch, in the diameters between 

 the deep groovings. He goes on to describe the 

 evolution of tools from the age of Stone to that of 

 Iron, and he sums up the discussion in the following 

 words: — "Thus the spread of forms throughout the 

 ancient world illustrates the movements of tr.ade and 

 of warfare, while the isolation of various t>pes at the 

 same time shows how efficient and self-supporting the 

 ancient civilisations were in most requirements. The 

 history of tools has yet to be studied by a far more 

 complete collection of material, above all of specimens 

 exactly dated from scientific excavations. It will cer- 

 tainly be, in the future, an important aid in tracing 

 the growth and decay of civilisations, the natural his- 

 tory of man." 



The report of the Somerset Archaeological Society is, 

 in spite of difficulties caused by the war, which have 

 impeded the excavations at Glastonbury, a record of 

 steady progress. The great work of the year is the 

 completion of the report of excavation of the Lake 

 Village at Glastonbur\% on which Dr. A. Bulleid and 

 Mr. St. George Gray are to be congratulated. The 

 society has wisely organised an advisory committee on 

 church restorations in the county, which will, it may 

 be hoped, secure the protection of ancient ecclesiastical 

 buildings, and prevent any proposed lestorations which 

 threaten to destroy their archaeological value. 



In the July Quarterly Review there is a clearly 

 written and shrewd article on the problem of de- 

 generacy by Dr. A. F. Tredgold. He defines de- 

 generacy as " a retrograde condition of the individual 

 resulting from a pathological variation of the germ- 

 cell," and suggests that the word '•decadence*" might 

 be used to denote the somatic modification arising 

 from a defective environment. Any usage which will 

 keep two distinct conditions from being confused with 

 one another will be a gain in thought and action. 

 To prevent hereditary ' retrogressive variations being 

 continued and diffused is the problem of restrictive or 

 negative eugenics, but can we not discover how they 

 arise? (i) Some investigators— e.^. Dr. C. B. Daven- 

 port — believe that feeble-mindedness means a perpetua- 



