)40 



NA TURE 



[Aic.usT 8, 1S95 



is really to test the accuracy of fonnute, mostly arrived 

 at by theoretical considerations : the work is therefore 

 purely deductive, and not inductive. Vet it is difficult to 

 see how to make the work covered by these notes 

 anything but deductive ; certainly no better system of 

 teaching practically the elements of electrical engineering 

 has so far been developed. 



By means of Dr. Fleming's notes and a little oral 

 assistance now and then, the student «iU be able to 

 perform instructive experiments, and will be taught to 

 obser\e closely, and to record his results neatly. The 

 method followed facilitates the work of the demonstrator 

 and the student, and enables a large amount of practical 

 work to be carried out in a comparatively short time. 



Microbes and Disease Demons. By Dr. Berdoe. Pp. 93. 



(Swan Sonnenschein and Co., 1895.) 

 Uniier the above sensational title the writer discusses, 

 or rather attacks, the anti-toxin treatment of diphtheria. 

 It is difficult to understand what has prompted the pro- 

 duction of so prejudiced and, we regret to say, unscientific 

 comment upon this subject. We most emphatically take 

 exception to such expressions as "scientific quackery," 

 and others of a similar character, being applied to in- 

 vestigations of which, although the therapeutic value may 

 be as yet a question of opinion, undoubtedly mark a new 

 step forward in our endeavour to unravel the problems 

 surrounding disease. 



We have no intention of discussing Dr. Berdoe's views 

 in detail, but we feel ourselves called upon to refer to 

 one statement, because the writer has used it as a \ antage 

 ground for his most savage attack upon this method of 

 treating diphtheria. We refer to the death in Brooklyn 

 alleged to have resulted from the injection of some of 

 the anti-toxin. .Several pages are devoted to a detailed 

 account of the incidents of the case, and Dr. Berdoe does 

 not hesitate to designate it as "sudden death from anti- 

 toxin." This, however, is not the view of the Brooklyn 

 Health Department, or of authorities in the Bacteriological 

 Laboratory of the New York City Board of Health, in 

 both of which institutions the anti-toxin used was sub- 

 mitted to a very careful and exhaustive examination, and 

 the official opinion given that it was not responsible for 

 the death of the patient. 



The case for or against the anti-toxin treatment of 

 diphtheria is not one which should lie approached from 

 a party point of view, and such prejudiced, \aporous 

 ■effusions as Dr. Berdoe has permitted himself to indulge 

 in, will never take any part in deciding the question of 

 its efficiency. To arrive at any such positive conclusion 

 is of necessity a matter upon which lime and experience 

 can alone give the final verdict, and its discussion should 

 only be entrusted to those who are capable of approaching 

 the subject in a scientific and judicial spirit. 



Men-gu-yu-mu-Isi ; or. Memoirs of the Mongol IZncamp- 

 menls. Translated from the Chinese by I'. .S. Popov, 

 Russian (lencral Consul at Peking. 580 pp. {Memoirs 

 of llic Russian Gcogrnpliical Society, vol. xxi\. ; 

 Russian.) (.St. J'etersburg, 1895.) 

 This is the work of two Chinese men of science, Chjan- 

 mu, or .Shi-chjou, author of a history of Jinghiz khan's 

 conquests, and Khc-tsyu-tao, author of several geo- 

 graphical works, of which the description of the northern 

 borderlands is best known. It was published in China 

 in 1867, and consists of two parts : a description 

 of the different tribes and confederations into which the 

 Mongols arc divided, with short notes on the extent of 

 the territories they occupy, and short historical notices — 

 the whole cf)vering only about 160 pages of the Russian 

 edition— and a great number of most interesting foot- 

 notes, which rover more than two-thirds of (he volume, 

 and contain a great variety of miscellaneous geographical 

 and historical informaticm. 



NO. 1345, VOL. 52] 



LETTERS TO THE EDITOR. 



[ The Editor does not hold himself responsible for opinions f.v- 

 pressed by his correspondents. Neither can he undertake j 

 to return, or to correspond with the writers of, refected ■ 

 manuscripts intended for this or any other part of Nature. ■ 

 No notice is taken of anonymous communications. ] 



University of London Election. 



I HAVK read the lellcrs which Mi. Bennett. .Mi. Thisolion- 

 Dyer, .ind Prof. R.iy Lankesler have addressed you on the 

 subject of the University of London, and much regret that my 

 friends, whose opinion I value so much, take exception to one 

 paragraph in my letter to Prof. Foster. I do not wish to seem 

 to treat their views with any want of respect, and perhaps, 

 therefore, you will allow me to send a few lines in reply. 



They all criticise the sentence in which I state that I should 

 endeavour to maintain the right of Convocation given in the 

 Charter, which expressly provides that no alteration should he 

 made in the constit ition of the University without the assent of 

 Convocation. 



Prof. Ray Lankester says that " Sir John Luhbock has 

 adopted and made himself the leader of this extraordinary and 

 fantastic policy." Whether it is extraordinary and fantastic or 

 not, is of course a matter of opinion, but, at any rate, it is the 

 law at present. 



I am satisfied that my constituents highly value this right, 

 and I fail to understand how Mr. Thiselton-Dyer has been alile 

 to persuade himself that in endeavouring to maintain it I am 

 taking a line "not courteous to Convocation," or have given 

 '"Convocation the severest slap in the face it has ever received."' 



Prof Ray Lankester .also says that I "have shown an un- 

 favourable estimate of the intelligence" of my constituents. 

 This is such an cxtraordinar)' version (not to s;iy perversion) of 

 what I said, that I trust you will allow me to quote my own 

 words. What I said w.is — 



" Keeling that Convocation ought to be consulted on a m.atter 

 so vitally aft'ecting the University, I should strongly urge, and 

 would do my best to secure, that the scheme when arraiigeil 

 should be submitted to Convocation for their approval, to be 

 signified .is at a senatorial election, and would oppose the Hill 

 unless this were conceded." 



Why should this proposal appear to my friends as being, in 

 .Mr. Bennett's words, fatal to " all hopes of bringing tiur I'niver- 

 sity into line with the requirements of the .age "" ? The Coniinis- 

 sinners will either propound a wise scheme or an unwise one. 

 .My critics believe that it will be wise. Why, then, should they 

 assume that Convocation will reject it ? .\i any rate it is an ex- 

 traordinary reason for attacking me as a Member of Parliament, 

 that I have faith in the good sense and sound judgment of my 

 constituents. John LfiiROCK. ■ 



High Kims, July 30. 



Metrical Relations of Plane Spaces of » Manifoldness. 

 Pl.ANK spaces of n manifolilness arc assumed to have the 

 following properties : — 



(1) Civen a S„-, (a plane space of « - I manifoldness) and a 

 point P outside the same, then a certain S„ will exist which 

 contains both the .S„. , and P. 



It follows therefore that a S,, is determined by h -t- I of its 

 points, unless these points have that special situation to each 

 other by virtue of which they are contained in a plane space of 

 minor manifoldness. 



(2) If a plane space .S„ contains n + I points, which have 

 not the special situation to e.ach other above mentioned, then it 

 will Contain the plane space .S„, determined by these points. 



It therefore appears that // -I- I points ileterminc a S« 

 uniquely. 



(liven a straight line L and any point P upon the same; 

 through L any numlier of planes can be constructed, each of 

 which contains a certain line L' through P perpendicular to L. 

 The aggreg.ale of such lines L', in a space .S„ form a .S„.„ 

 which has that special position towards L by virtue of which it 

 is called perpendicular to L in P. 



To prove this theorem, which certainly holds if « = 2 or 3, 

 let us assume that it is true when /; = /•; then it will also be true 

 when n = k + l. Through P, in a space Sj which contains L 

 and is contained by S,„ cimstrucl the S* , per|>endicular to L. 

 .\ny point not contained in the S*. , and L determines a plane, 



