208 



NA TURE 



[December 28, 189; 



soniideae, with (i) Lessoniese and the genera Dictyoneuron, 

 Lessonia, Postelsia, and Nereocystis ; (2) Macrocystese, with 

 Macrocystis. III. Alariidese, with (i) Alariese, containing 

 Alaria and Pterygophora ; (2) Eckloniese with Ulopteryx, Eck- 

 lonia, and Eisenia ; (3) Egregieae with Egregia. A synopsis of 

 these nineteen genera is given, and also a list of all the known 

 species with localities. The Laminariacese are inhabitants of 

 the colder waters of the globe, it is the summer temperature 

 which seems to act as a limit to their distribution, as heat not 

 cold is inimical to their growth, they can endure almost any 

 degree of cold that occurs even in polar seas, but speedily die 

 away where the waters are at all warm. 



In support of his theory that the toxic products elaborated by 

 pathogenic bacteria partake of the nature of ferments. Dr. Uschin- 

 sky {Centrib. f. Bakt. 1893) quotes some very interesting experi- 

 ments made by Courmont and Doyon, published in two lectures 

 given before the Societe de Biologie in March and June last. 

 These investigators, in their studies on tetanus-poison, point out 

 that the toxic action of this material is not hastened by greatly 

 increasing the quantity of toxine introduced into an animal. Thus 

 200 c.c. of the filtrate obtained from a tetanus-broth-culture 

 were injected into the blood of one dog, and from 3-4 c.c. of 

 the same filtrate into another dog ; in both cases tetanus symp- 

 toms developed on the third day after the injection. These 

 investigators also state that they were able to induce symptoms 

 of tetanus in animals, by simply injecting some of the blood 

 derived from an animal rendered tetanic as above, similar results 

 being also obtained with muscle-extract. That the quantity of 

 the toxine introduced into the system of an animal does not 

 influence the ordinary p^riod of incubation characteristic for 

 each variety of animal, was confirmed by experiments made by 

 Dr. Uschinsky on rabbits ; for by the injection of from 40-50 

 times the usual quantity of tetanus-toxine into thesejanimals, he 

 was not able to hasten the appearance of the tetanus symptoms. 

 On the other hand, he failed to confirm the remaining results 

 obtained by Courmont and Doyon, for on injecting 6-7 c.c. of 

 the blood of rabbits suffering from tetanus into guinea-pigs and 

 frogs, no symptoms of tetanus made their appearance in these 

 animals. It is possible, however, that the French investigators 

 used larger quantities of tetanus blood for their inoculations, 

 and that this may account for the divergence in the results 

 obtained. 



Two contributions have recently been made towards the 

 aetiology of the particular form of nervous disease known as 

 delirium acutum. Early in the year Prof. Bianchi and Dr. 

 Piccinino published a paper in the Transactions of the R. 

 Accad. Med.-chirurg. of Naples, entitled " Sull'origine 

 infettiva di una forma di delirio acuto, " and in the Centralblalt 

 f. Bakteriologie, vol. xiv. No. 16, Dr. Rasori has described 

 the results of his observations on the aetiology of a particular 

 case of delirium acutum which passed into his hands in the 

 Bologna lunatic asylum. The investigations were, however, 

 carried out in Prof. Tizzoni's laboratory, and under his direction. 

 The clinical aspect of the case suggested some source of infec- 

 tion as the primary cause of the disease, and at the autopsy 

 some of the fluid underneath the dura mater was removed and 

 inoculated into sterile bouillon and agar-agar respectively, and 

 kept at 37° C. In both these media bacterial growths made 

 their appearance, which were found to be due to a small 

 bacillus, the microscopic and macroscopic description of which 

 is shortly given. The next step was to ascertain if this organism 

 was endowed with pathogenic properties, and for this purpose 

 \ c.c. of a pure culture in broth of the bacillus was introduced, 

 with the usual rigid antiseptic precautions, under the dura 

 mater of a healthy rabbit. This animal died in two days, and 

 the bacillus was found in large numbers in the blood and in the 



NO. I 26 I, VOL. 49] 



marrow taken direct from the brain and spinal cord. Similar 

 results were obtained when the organism was introduced sub- 

 cutaneously or into the nasal membrane, the bacillus being de- 

 tected in the nerve substance as well as in the blood of the 

 animal. The organism was, therefore, possessed of virulent 

 pathogenic properties, being able to exist and multiply in the 

 body of the rabbit, and by elaborating some toxic substance to 

 induce its death in from one and a half to six days, according 

 to the point selected for inoculation. Dr. Rasori, in making 

 this preliminary communication, reserves to himself the task of 

 trying to trace out the special circumstances which favour this 

 bacterial infection, and the manner in which it may gain access 

 to the human subject. 



An excellent photograph of the late Prof. Tyndall appears in 

 Part 52 of "The Cabinet Portrait Gallery," published by 

 Messrs. Cassell & Co., and is accompanied by a sketch of his 

 career. 



In a Supplementary Paper, just issued by the Royal 



Geographical Society, Messrs. D. G. Hogarth and J. A. R. 



Munro give an account of "Modern and Ancient Roads in 

 Eastern Asia Minor." 



We have received the Monthly Weather Review for July, 

 1893, prepared under the direction of Mr. A. Pedler, F.R.S., 

 meteorological reporter to the Government of India. 



The third volume of Prof. Blake's "Annals of British Geo- 

 logy," 1892 (Dulau and Co. ), has appeared. In previous volumes 

 an objectionable feature was the insertion of criticisms among 

 the abstracts of papers, but in this Prof. Blake's opinions are 

 collected together in the form of an introductory review. We 

 are afraid that the following extract from the preface heralds the 

 death of the " Annals " : " On the reception accorded to the present 

 volume depends the continuance of the publication ; the ex- 

 perimental stage is ended. The co-operation, therefore, is in- 

 vited of all those who desire a record of geological literature of 

 any kind, for the ' Geological Record ' having fallen through, and 

 the 'Year Book of Science 'being discontinued, if these 'Annals' 

 cannot be put on a firm basis the only remaining hope would 

 be that the Geological Society should undertake a ' Record ' at 

 their own expense, by the aid of paid recorders." 



At the November meeting of the Institution of Engineers an d 

 Shipbuilders in Scotland, Prof. J. H. Biles read a paper on 

 "The Strength of Large Ships," in which he gave the results 

 of a series of calculations undertaken with a view of determin- 

 ing the relative stresses upon ships of more than 400 feet in 

 length. Capt. J. Bain gave an account of experiments made 

 with six large screw steamers to test " The Effect of Reversing 

 the Screw of a Steamship upon the Steering. " His experiments 

 lead him to the following conclusions : — (i) If the helm is put 

 hard aport on board a screw steamer, with a right-handed pro- 

 peller, going full speed, or nearly full speed, ahead, and at the 

 same instant the engines are reversed full speed, her head 

 (provided there are no disturbing influences present) will cant 

 to port instead of to starboard. {2) If the helm is put, or 

 rather allowed to run hard astarboard, the instant the engines 

 are reversed full speed ahead her head will cant to starboard as 

 if on a pivot. (3) If a steamer, with a right-handed screw, 

 going full speed ahead, has another vessel close to on her star- 

 board bow, and in trying to clear her the helm is put hard astar- 

 board and the engines reversed full speed, a collision is almost 

 certain. With regard to the Victoria disaster Capt. Bain says : 

 Had both the vessels started from their respective divisions at, 

 say, under half speed ahead, with the port screw reversed on 

 board the Victoria, and the starboard screw reversed on board 

 the Camperdoivn, while the other screw on each of them was 



