2 70 



NATURE 



[July 21, 1892 



stage of organic being." He also declares (p. 425) the belief that 

 " the evolution of organic nature is at the basis of human history 

 is the unsiuerving belief of the present writer. " 



My present object is not to object to any of these statements, 

 but simply to call attention to the complete accord which exists 

 between the Professor's language and that of realism, or any of 

 the materialists whose sayings he sometimes deprecates, and to 

 note the practical outcome of such teaching as that of his meta- 

 physical "Grammar." 



Its Idealism is an Idealism of parade, to be brought out 

 occasionally, above all to confound some rash or inexperienced 

 advocate of Intellectualism and Common-sense, But ordinarily 

 and habitually it most certainly is, as " C. G. K." affirms 

 (Nature, July 7, p. 222), "distinctly materialistic." This 

 teaching is an excellent example of that " intellectual thimble- 

 rigging " — I use the illustration as an apt one, but in no in- 

 vidious sense — to which I have elsewhere (see On Truth, p. 135) 

 called attention in greater detail. 



In conclusion I would ask how Prof. Pearson's metaphysical 

 system can be necessary or even useful for the progress of 

 science ? 



What does it matter for science, provided we are all agreed 

 about those things whereof the senses can take cognizance, 

 whether or not we are convinced that something extended exists 

 objectively? The Professor affirms (p. 215) that the man of science 

 ' ' refuses to project his conceptions, atom and ether, into the real 

 world of perceptions until he has perceived them there." We 

 are then so far agreed. We both welcome ether units, prime 

 atoms, chemical atoms, molecules, molecular motion, ether 

 rings, ether squirts, &c., as admirably useful working hypotheses, 

 but not as things to be yet regarded as objective realities. If I am 

 right, the utility for science of much of the Grammar is not easily 

 to be recognized. But it has a very distinct metaphysical utility 

 for the opponents of the system Prof. Pearson favours, and will 

 no doubt meet with grateful recognition at the .hands of some of 

 them. St. George Mivart. 



Hurstcote, July i6. 



A "Viper" Bite. 



As cases of poisoning from the bite of venomous reptiles are 

 happily rare in this country, it may prove interesting to some 

 of your readers if I relate my experience on this matter. 



About a month ago I caught two snakes at Bickleigh, near 

 Plymouth, and whilst examining one it " bit " or rather struck me 

 on the lower part of the right thumb. I imme I lately sucked the 

 puncture (it could not be called a wound) which bled a little, and 

 tried to make light of the matter. A livid patch soon formed 

 round the point, and the hand and arm commenced to swell. 

 In a quarter of an hour I was unable to hold anything, and 

 almost in a fainting condition. The first symptom (apart from 

 the swelling) was a peculiar taste and a sensation of swelling in 

 the teeth, then the tongue commenced to swell and became so 

 large that I could hardly move it, my eyes seemed ready to start 

 from their sockets. 



In half an hour a terrible vomiting commenced, preceded by 

 excruciating pains in the stomach and heart, and continued with 

 the pains aUogether for nine hours, every drop of liquid being 

 ejected almost as soon as swallowed; there was also violent 

 purging and complete suppression of urine. 



There was practically no pain in the arm; altogether the pain- 

 ful symptoms lasted for about nine hours. 



I did not lose consciousness at anytime. The arm continued 

 to swell for two days, and then it was nearly as large as my leg. 

 After this the swelling subsided, but the arm did not return to 

 its normal size until twelve days after the accident. After the 

 swelling had gone I suffered very much from rheumatical pains, 

 and in fact do so now, and the digestion was also very much im- 

 paired. The viper is a male, a little more than two feet long, 

 and about one inch in diameter at the largest part. Colour, a 

 dull yellowish brown on ttie upper side, with a zigzag black line 

 running down the whole length. On the under side it is nearly 

 black except at head, where it is pale yellow. I have kept the 

 reptile now for nearly five weeks, and although well supplied 

 with small frogs, &c., it has not eaten anything, and seems as 

 lively as ever. 



Cases of this kind, where the sufferer is able to record the 

 symptoms, being rather unusual, is my excuse for occupying the 

 space of Nature. 



Plymouth. W. A. Rudge. 



THE EDINBURGH MEETING OF THE 

 BRITISH ASSOCIA TION. 



THE Association has already met three times in Edin- 

 burgh, in 1834, in 1850, and in 1871. With the 

 success of the 1871 meeting fresh in the memories of 

 many citizens, the Town Council and other public bodies 

 have entered cordially into the local arrangements for the 

 meeting. The local committee formed some twelve 

 months ago and its sub-committees have been actively 

 at work, and everything is now practically ready for the 

 reception of the Association. 



The number of members of the Association who have 

 indicated their intention o/being present, and of new mem- 

 bers who have already joined, are such as to show that the 

 meeting will be an exceptionally large one. More than 

 fifty distinguished foreigners have accepted the invitation 

 of the local committee to attend the meeting. 



Reception and Section Rooms. — The reception rooms 

 are in Parliament-square, adjacent to St. Giles' Cathedral 

 and the City Chambers. The Parliament Hall, the various 

 court rooms, the rooms of the Society of Advocates, and 

 the new library and hall of the Solicitors before the 

 Supreme Courts have been placed at the disposal of the 

 committee, and have been so appropriated as to constitute 

 an ideal suite of reception rooms, including secretaries'and 

 treasurer's offices, post,telegraph,and telephone office, ticket 

 office, enquiry office, reading room, writing room, ladies' 

 boudoir, smoke rootn, and refreshment buffet. Many of the 

 rooms lend themselves to decoration, and the arrangements 

 are as excellent in taste as inconvenience. The Section 

 Rooms are all in the University buildings ; Sections 

 A, E, F and G in the old buildings, and B, C, D and H 

 in the new buildings. These buildings are about two 

 minutes' walk from one another, and about four from the 

 reception rooms. The section rooms are all well 

 adapted for the purposes of the meetings, and in con- 

 nection with each there is ample accommodation for 

 committee meetings, while provision has been made for 

 the occasional subdivision of some of the sections. In 

 the new University buildings a room has been set apart 

 for a temporary museum, in which objects of interest, 

 which are brought under the notice of any of the sections, 

 may be afterwards placed so as to be more easily inspected 

 than is possible during the meeting of the section. It is 

 expected that this will prove a valued addition to the con- 

 venience of the meeting. 



While light refreshments may be had at the buffet in 

 the reception rooms, the principal luncheon room will be 

 found in the Students' Union Club, situated between the 

 new and old University buildings. In the club there will 

 also be a ladies' room, smoking-room, billiard-room, &c. 



Lectures and Etitertainmeftts. — The programme for the 

 evenings will follow the usual lines: — On Wednesday 

 Sir Archibald Geikie will assume the presidency and 

 deliver an address ; on Thursday, the Lord Provost, 

 Magistrates and Town Council invite members and 

 Associates to a conversazione in the Museum of Science 

 and Art ; the Lord Provost will receive and welcome 

 guests to the City. On Friday, Prof. Milnes Marshall will 

 lecture on " Pedigrees " ; on Saturday, Prof. Vernon 

 Boys will lecture to artizans on " The Photography of 

 Flying Bullets"; on Monday, Prof. E wing will lecture 

 on " Magnetic Induction," and on Tuesday there will be 

 a conversazione in the Music Hall on the invitation of the 

 local committee. 



Military bands will play in the Princes Street Gardens 

 every afternoon during the meeting, and there will be 

 organ recitals in the " Reid " music class-room. After- 

 noon entertainments will be given by the Royal Scottish 

 Geographical Society, the Rector and Masters of the 

 Edinburgh Academy, and by others. 



Arrangements have also been made to form parties to 

 visit Edinburgh Castle, Holyrood Palace, and Arthur's 

 Seat : these visits will be in the afternoon. 



NO. I 186, VOL. 46] 



