594 



NATURE 



[August 22, 1S95 



individual ii .1 r.n c In the one case it belongs to the 

 whole race, whilst in the other it is possessed by only 

 panicularly fortunate individuals of a race. 



Does not this point rather to the operation of excep- 

 tional circumstances, in which, possibly, heredity may 

 play a part? How is it that whereas some families 

 appear to have a faculty for contracting ever)- zymotic 

 disease, others exposed to similar conditions, have an 

 equally characteristic faculty for escaping such diseases ? 



The impression is irresistible that such a faculty is 

 born with or natural to the individual. 



It may be argued that the white-rat-race-immunity 

 may also be ascribed to the operation of heredity. This 

 is quite possible, but in the one case the immunity is 

 l)erfected or heredity has accomplished its work, whilst 

 in the other it is incomplete and is still in an evolutionary 

 stage. The race immunity to diphtheria, or immunity in 

 its perfected condition, is evidently of a diftcreni order, 

 and may also ver>- possibly have been developed on quite 

 different lines, from that which we ha\e been discussing 

 in the human subject. In what this difference consists is 

 at present unknown, and until we have a more intimate 

 understanding of the actual condition in the system upon 

 which immunity depends, or a closer insight into the 

 particular agents responsible for its production we cannot 

 hope to arri\e at any definite conclusion. 



There is. however, another obstacle to a logical accept- 

 ance of Wassemiann's arguments as to the origin of 

 protective diphtheritic scrum in the human system, that is 

 to say, in the light of our present knowledge, for it entails 

 the supposition that such indi\ iduals have been subjected 

 to the action of diphtheria bacilli. This supposition is the 

 logical outcome of the bacteriological evidence which is 

 at our present command on this subject. Thus it has 

 been found, over and over again, that the serum of 

 animals artificially rendered immune to a particular 

 disease, is only efficacious in affording protection to 

 other animals infected with iiientically the same tniirohial 

 ttiscase. This has quite recently been carefully worked 

 out by I'feiffer, who has shown that the serum of horses 

 rendered immune to cholera is only efficacious in cases of 

 infection from the cholera vibrio, and that it is absolutely 

 inoperative in protecting from an infection due to any- 

 other vibrio, however nearly the latter may resemble that 

 of the cholera vibrio. 



liut we have seen that protective serum may be pos- 

 sessed by individuals who have never had diphtheria, on 

 whom, moreover, careful investigation has not been able 

 to reve.il the invariable presence of true diphtheria bacilli. 

 .So far it must be acknowledged, then, that we have no 

 working hypothesis which enables us to comprehend 

 aright the circumstances which determine the presence 

 of or control the generation of anti-diphtheritic scrum 

 in the human system, and we are therefore jjowcrless to 

 cither stimulate or diminish its production ; but we are, 

 however, in a position to regulate, to a great extent, the 

 dissemination of diphtheria virus from one individual to 

 another. 



It has recently been shown that children taken from 

 diphtheria surroundings, and not themselves suffering 

 from the disease, in a large number of cases carry about 

 with them in their nasal and throat passages typical 

 virulent diphtheria bacilli, and that although they do not 

 necessarily themselves develop the disease, they thus 

 become the dangerous carriers of infection. 



It is considered essential, therefore, that no member of 

 a family where diphtheria has occurred, should be allowed 

 to mix with others until a bacteriological examination 

 ha-i --.hnwn that diphtheria bacilli are absent from the air 

 1 .either arc those who have recovered from 



'^ ' to be permitted to resume their usual occu- 



p.iin.n,, until the absence of diphtheria bacilli has been 

 conclusively proved. 



In C.crmany such systematic examinations arc rapidly 

 NO. 1347, VOL. 52] 



gaining ground, and already in some of the hvgienic 

 institutes the practice is regularly carried out. Indeed, in 

 Konigsberg, von Esmarch has suggested that to facilitate 

 the universal adoption of such precautions, the throat of 

 the patient or suspect should be wiped with a sterile 

 sponge, and the latter forwarded for bacteriological 

 examination. 



The causes at present at work contributing to the 

 generation of diphtheria in London have yet to be found. 



If the contraction of diphtheria primarily depends 

 upon the presence or absence of anti-toxic serum in the 

 human system, then it would ajipear that some causes are 

 at work tending to deprive the individual of the capacity 

 to generate this means of protection. 



It is difficult to conceive, and hard to realise, that the 

 advance in sanitary science and improved hygienic 

 conditions of the present day have but resulted in London 

 in increased facilities for generating and distributing the 

 virus of diphtheria, and that so far we ha\e pnncd Our- 

 selves hopelessly unable to fathom this problem, or to 

 stay the progress of this terrible malady. 



REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE APPOINTED 

 liV THE SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION TO 

 A WARD THE HODGKINS FUND PRIZES} 



'T'HE Committee of Award for the Hodgkins prizes 

 ■*■ of the Smillisonian Institution has completed its 

 examination of the two hundred and eighteen papers sub- 

 mitted in competition by contestants. 



The Committee is composed of the following members 

 Dr. S. P. Langley, Chairman, cx-officioj Dr. (".. Brown 

 (ioode, appointed by the .Secretary of the Smithsonian 

 Institution ; .Assistant Surgeon-General John .S. liillings, 

 by the President of the National .Academy of Sciences ; 

 Prof M. W. Harrington, by the President of the .American 

 Association for the .Advancement of .Science. The 

 Foreign .Advisoiy Committee, as first constituted, was 

 represented by M. J. Janssen, Prof T. II. Huxley, 

 and Prof von Helmholtz ; and after the recent loss of 

 the latter. Dr. W. von Bezold was added. After con- 

 sultation with these eminent men the Committee decided 

 as follows : 



Kirst prize, of ten thousand dollars, for a treatise 

 eml)odying some new and im|)ortant discoveries in regard 

 to the nature or i)ropertics of atmospheric air, to Lord 

 Kayleigh, of London, and Prof William Ramsay, of the 

 I'nivcrsity College, London, for the discovery of argon, 

 a new element of the atmosphere. 



The second prize, of two thousand dollars, is not 

 awarded, owing to the failure of any contestant to comply 

 strictly with the terms of the offer. 



The third jjrize, of one thousand dollars, to Dr. Henry 

 de \'arigny, of Paris, for the best jiopular treatise upon 

 atmospheric air, its properties and relationships. Dr. ilc 

 Varigny's essay is entitled " L'.Air ct la \'ie.'' 



(Signed), S. P. L.ANCi.iiv, 



C Brown Cioonii, 

 John S. Bii.i.inc.s, 

 .M. W. Hakkincton. 

 August 9, 1895. 



.SUPPI.KMKNT.\RV UkPORT ok THK COMMIIIKK Al'- 

 rOINTKIl )1V THK Smithsoni.vn I NsmUTlON TO 

 A\V.\RI) THK HODCKIN.S KfND PkIZKS. 



.After having performed the function to wliic li the 

 Committee was called, as announced by the circular 

 of the .Secretary of the .Smithsoni.in Institution, dated 

 March 31, 1893, which function did not include the award 

 of any medals, there remamed several papers to wliich the 

 ' Commiinicatcc] liy I»r. S. P. l,.inKlcy, Secretary .Smithsonian Institulion. 



