i6 



NA TURE 



[May 3, 1894 



ceeded in preparing a vaccine from cultures of the cholera 

 bacillus which so profoundly modified the system, that when 

 they subsequently swallowed virulent cholera germs they ex- 

 perienced absolutely no evil effects whatever. But perhaps the 

 most interesting results obtained, and which proved in a very 

 remarkable manner the modification induced in the system by 

 this vaccine, was the transmission of this induced immunity by 

 means of blood serum to animals. Thus, twen'y-five days after 

 the last dose of vaccine had been taken, Sawtschenko and 

 Sobolotny introduced some of their serum into guinea-pigs, and 

 the latter were afterwards inoculated with virulent cholera 

 bacilli. Instead, however, of these animals dying, as they 

 usually do when treated with cholera bicilli, they remained 

 alive. It was found that 001 g. of this human serum was suf 

 ficient to protect one of these animals subsequently treated with 

 O'oo6 g. of virulent cholera bacilli. 



Ax inquiry into the pollution of the River Danube by the 

 drainage from Vienna was carried out last year by Dr. Ueider 

 (/>j/ Osterr-Sanitiitrwesen, 1893, No. 31). This river reaches 

 Vienna in a satisfactory coidition, containing about 2000 

 bacteria per cubic centimetre. The Danube canal on its way 

 through the city receives the greater par", of its sewage, resulting, 

 as was to be expected, in an enormou; accession of bacteria, 

 2l,ODJ — 123,033 per c.c. bein^ prisent. On uniting with the 

 miin-stream and b:c>m'ng mixed with abjul sevin times the 

 v)'um: of water, the pollutioa i; chenically hardly discoverable. 

 Bic'.eriolo^ica'.ly, hawesrer, even 43 ktlo-netres below the en- 

 trance of the canal, the contamination is still very easily per- 

 ceptible, the rapidity of the current and the constant disturbance 

 of the water by steimboat traffi: interfering with the efficient 

 selimentation of the bic'.eria present. D •. Hjider states that 

 thojgh the existence of disease germs in the water may be inter- 

 fered with by the severe cjnpelition they would hive to endure 

 with the numerous harmless microbes, yet the vitality of, for 

 ex imple, cholera bacilli in river water has been shown to persist 

 for several days, and in sewage for very considerable periods of 

 time, so that too much reliance cannot be placed upon the 

 efficiency of this factor. The action of light in destroying 

 disease germ, in the river, should they be present, is also dis- 

 counted. Those who so ardently uphold the comfortable 

 doctrine of the self-purification of rivers, permitting, as it 

 does, of so inexpensive and ready a method of getting rid of 

 sewage by turning it, without let or hindrance, into our streams, 

 will gain but little support for their theories from Dr. Ileider's 

 report. 



I.N the April number of the Journal of Anatomy and 

 Physiolo^', Prof. R. Havelock Charles concludes an article on 

 morphological peculiarities in natives of the Panjab, and their 

 bearing on the question of the transmission of acquired charac- 

 ters. He shows that the bones of the lower extremity of the 

 I'anjabi adult have certain markings differentiating them from 

 those of Europeans. Though these markings are found on the 

 bones of the frcius, the Infant, and the child of the I'anjalii, 

 they arc not found in the skeleton of either the European adult 

 or child. Some of them have been found in the remains of 

 Neolithic man in Kirope, but are absent in the bones of peoples 

 of the present day of similar geographical dislribution. Accord, 

 ing to Prof. Charles, the explanation of this lies in the fact that 

 the habits as to silling postures of Kuropcans differ from those 

 of their prehistoric ancestors, the cave-dwellers, &c., who pro- 

 a'lly squatted on the ground. The Orientals, however, have 

 rc'aincd the sitting postures of their ancestors, and therefore 

 exhibit similar markings. " Want of use," concludes Prof. 

 Charles, "would induce changes in form and size, and so 

 gradually small differences would be integrated till there would 

 be total disappearance of the markings on the Kuropean 



N ^. I 779. VOL. 50] 



skeleton, as no advantage would accrue to him from the posses- 

 sion of facets on his bones fitting them for postures not prac- 

 tised by him. The facets seen on the bones of the Panjabi 

 infant or foetus have been transmitted to it by the accumulation 

 of peculiarities gained by habit in the evolution of its racial 

 type — in which an acquisition hiving become a permanent pos- 

 session ' profitable to the individual under its conditions of life' 

 is transmitted as a useful inheritance. These markings are due 

 to the influence of certain positions, which are brought about by 

 the use of groups of muscles, and they are the definite results 

 produced by actions of these muscles. . . . They are instances 

 of the transmission of acquired character, which heritage in the 

 individual function subsequently develops." 



There are many evidences that a portion of the east coast of 

 Florida was thickly populated in prehistoric times, and remains 

 of this settlement are found in refuse heaps of villages and single 

 habitations. These heaps are from a few square yards to many 

 acres in extent, and fro-n one to fifteen feet in depth. Some of 

 their contents are described and figured by Dr. De Witt Webb, 

 in an excerpt from the Prjicc.liii^i of the U.S. National 

 Museum (vol. xvi. No. 966). In connection with the remains, 

 various members of the hum.in skeleton have been found in 

 positions which suggest cannibalism. There are hearth; with 

 accumulations of ashes and shells mingled with pottery (mostly 

 in fragments) and implements and weapons of shell, all of which 

 tell something of the moJe of life of the race which apparently 

 inhabited the region for many generations. As to the age of 

 the heaps, Dr. Webb concludes it must be left to conjecture. 

 Trees hundreds of years old are scattered over the remains, all 

 instrujients and implements of wood have long since perished, 

 and not even a tradition is left to throw light upon the matter. 



A SECOND edition of " A Manual of Ethics " designed for 

 the use of stulents, by Mr. John S. Mackenzie, has been pub- 

 lished by the University Correspondence College Press. 



Mkssrs. Cassell and Co. have commence! anew serial issue, 

 in monthly parts, of Mr. W. Swaysland's "Familiar Wild Birds." 

 In Part i. the Goldfinch and the Magpie are described and 

 pictured. The descriptions, though brief, are very inuructive, 

 and the plates are extremely good. 



In addition to the usual excellent summary of current le- 

 searcheSitheyiiHrHd/a/" the Roya! Microscopical Societyfot April 

 contains the fifth part of Mr. F. Chapman's p.aper on the 

 foraminifera of the gault of Folkestone ; a description of an in- 

 expensive screen for monochromatic light, by Mr. J. W. Gifford ; 

 and an account of a gall-producing Copcpod, J-'iicilro^iis Rhody- j 

 miiiit, sp. n., by Dr. G. S. liiady, F.R.S. 



The long-expected work on the Carboniferous Insects of 

 Commentry, France, upon which M. Charles Hrongniart, of the 

 Paris Natural History Museum, has been engaged some fifteen 

 years, is now finished, and will appear in a few weeks. It forms 

 nvolume of 450 pages inquartoand an atlas of thirty-seven plates 

 in folio. About 60 new genera and 100 new species are de- 

 scribed. The work also contains a detailed study of the 



I 

 nervation of living Neuroplcr.\, Urtliof-lcra, and FiilgoriJ^i. 



A I'AMl'llLET, entitled "Notes on Birds of Central Mexico, 

 with Descriptions of Forms believed to be New," by Mr. P. L. 

 Jouy, has been issued as an excerpt from the Proiiciliii^i of the 

 U.S. National Museum (vol. xvi. pp. 771-791). Most of the 

 species enumerated are from the temperate tableland region J 

 corresponding to the southern borders of Arizona and New || 

 Mexico, and though few common tropical birds are given, the 

 list will certainly be found valuable. 



