January i, 1903] 



NATURE 



extremely misleading ; it is difficult, for instance, to dissociate 

 those physiological processes which are generally described as 

 "voluntary" from having a physiological connection wiih 

 " volition," and yet with volition as such physiology itself can 

 have no dealings. In the opinion of the writer of the present 

 review, Prof. Verworn is to be congratulated upon the firm 

 attitude which he has taken and upon his timely attempt to 

 demarcate the scientific frontier of his subject. 



In the editorial preface reference is also made to a mis- 

 conception which appears to be rather widespread, and is 

 fundamental as regards clear definition of the subject ; this is the 

 tendency to regard general physiology as identical with what has 

 been called comparative physiology. The latter phrase is un- 

 doubtedly a wholesome protest against the restriction as to 

 experimental material which pervades a large section of physio- 

 logical work, and which causes generalisations to be drawn from 

 phenomena observed only in a few vertebrates — the frog, the 

 rabbit, cat, dog and monkey. But comparative physiology as 

 the appropriate vis-avis for the extensive science of comparative 

 anatomy cannot at present be said to exist at all ; on the other 

 hand, there is a considerable and rapidly accumulating mass of 

 material for general physiology in the sense in which this phrase 

 is used by Prof. Verworn. It is true that both studies postulate 

 investigations carried out upon an extensive range of living 

 material ; there is, however, a very real distinction between 

 them related to the end for which the study is undertaken. If 

 this is directed so as to ascertain the phenomena exhibited by a 

 particular animal as such, then it fitly forms part of comparative 

 physiology ; but if it is undertaken with the object of throwing 

 light upon analogous phenomena existing throughout widespread 

 groups of organisms, then it can be more appropriately described 

 as pertaining to general physiology. In this latter case the object 

 of study is selected because it exhibits some particular physio- 

 logical process in an especially striking way or under especially 

 modified conditions. The distinction will no doubt break down 

 as our knowledge widens and a real comparative physiology 

 comes into being, but at present it appears to be both sound 

 and useful. In illustration of such practical utility the writer 

 of this article draws attention to investigations upon the 

 phenomena exhibited by the electrical organs of fishes ; these 

 have been undertaken by physiologists in order to throw light 

 upon the electrical changes present in such excitable tissues as 

 muscles, nerves, &c. ; it is a mere incident that they also con- 

 tribute towards our knowledge of the life-history of particular 

 forms of fish. In this connection it is desirable to explain that 

 the editor is particularly careful to guard against giving the im- 

 pression that he attaches particular value to the study of the 

 simplest forms of life ; these are extremely suitable objects of 

 study for particular purposes but he rightly ridicules the notion 

 of there being any special virtue in a " Protistenphysiologie. " 



It will be clear from the above review that a very wide scope 

 is given to the possible subject-matter of the new journal ; it 

 includes a wealth of material if only in investigations upon all 

 the excitable tissues both animal and vegetable. The editor's 

 hope is to bring together, by means of the Zeitschrift, widely 

 scattered researches upon most diverse objects, which will, 

 however, all be linked through their authors' aims and points of 

 view ; the whole assemblage will thus have a direct bearing in 

 regard to those large problems of the existence of which every 

 physiologist is aware. 



In order to encourage the advance of physiology along these 

 lines. Prof. Verworn announces his intention of giving the new 

 journal an international character, partly by publishing at the 

 end of each number reviews of such researches appearing in 

 various existing periodicals as come within the scope of the 

 subject, but mainly by undertaking to print communications in 

 any one of the languages made official at the Physiological 

 Congress held last year in Turin. There are at present very 

 few journals in which physiological communications, whether 

 German, French, English or Italian, can appear ; a physiological 

 Zeitschtift of this cosmopolitan character will prove to be a real 

 boon, and will, if successful, bring into touch workers of dif- 

 ferent nationalities in a way which must be most beneficial for 

 the advance of their science. 



Space will not permit any extended reference to the researches 

 contained in the first number of the new journal ; it may, how- 

 ever, be said that as regards importance and varied interest they 

 are excellent, and that Prof. Verworn is to be congratulated 

 upon the subject-matter of his first volume. The communications 

 include the following original publications : — " Zur Kenntnis der 



Narkose," Hans Winterstein ; "Neue Versuche zur Physiologie 

 der Befruchtung,'' E. von Dungern : " Ueber die Reaktion des 

 Blutserums der Wirbeltiere und die Reaktion der lebendigen 

 Substanz im allgemeinen," H. Friedenthal ; " Inanitionsers- 

 cheinungen der Zelle," H. Wallengren. 



There is, further, an article by Prof. Boruttau upon the older 

 and the more modern conceptions as to the causation of nerve 

 conducl ion, and reviews of various contributions to contemporary 

 physiological and biological literature by a number of competent 

 reviewers. The journal is well printed, and such plates as are 

 present in this first volume are quite satisfactory. It is to be 

 hoped that English contributions to general physiology may 

 appear in some of the succeeding numbers ; in the meantime, 

 Prof. Verworn has the hearty good wishes of many English 

 physiologists for the success of his undertaking. F. G. 



INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE 

 WE A THER-SHOO TING. 



ON 



I 



F anyone wishes to learn the history of the subject of the 

 effect of gun firing on weather, he cannot do better than con- 

 sult a most interesting and complete history, which has recently 

 appeared as a publication of the Central Anstalt for Meteor- 

 ology and Earth's Magnetism (year 1902, vol. xxxix., Vienna). 

 The above-mentioned history is only one of several valuable 

 articles contributed to this volume, all of which are connected 

 with the same subject. In fact, the publication is an account 

 of the international conference for experts on weather-shooting 

 which took place in July last at Graz. It may be news to many 

 people to learn that already three international and one Italian 

 congresses have been held, and that anyone who was interested 

 in the subject could have attended. 



The congress in question was summoned to give, if possible, 

 definite answers to two definite questions, namely, (1) Is 

 weather-shooting effective or not? (2) If no final judgment 

 can be given, what should be done in future and how should one 

 proceed ? In order to prepare those interested and about to 

 attend the conference, three monographs were published and dis- 

 tributed a fortnight beforehand, bringing together the whole 

 history of the subject up to that time ; the methods, appa- 

 ratus and arrangements of modern weather-shooting ; and 

 lastly, the criteria for judging the effect of weather-shooting and 

 the application of the same to the numerous " effects " and " non- 

 effects" as reported in previous congresses and publications. 

 Each of these are printed in the present volume and are valuable 

 contributions to the subject. 



It would take too long to enter deeply into the details of the 

 numerous meetings and discussions at the conference itself. 

 It is of interest to state, however, that the distinguished 

 director of the Vienna Central Anstalt of Meteorology and 

 Earth's Magnetism, Herr H<>frath Prof. Dr. Pernter, was 

 general reporter to the congress, and that at the end of the 

 volume he sums up the conclusions of the conference. The first 

 result, as he states, was that the effect of weather-shooting, 

 based on expert evidence, appears not only — as the over- 

 whelming majority of the opinions of experts showed — as 

 doubtful, but as most doubtful and, indeed, improbable when 

 all circumstances and different weights of opinions are con- 

 sidered. 



The second main result, restricting ourselves only to two, 

 was that the firing should njt as yet be given up, but con- 

 tinued until it be proved that it has not the desired effect. 

 It may be mentioned in conclusion that this publication is a 

 model of what such a report should be, and those who have 

 taken part in it are to be congratulated on the successful result 

 of their labours. 



UNIVERSITY AND EDUCATIONAL 

 INTELLIGENCE. 



Oxford. — A statement of the needs of the University has 

 been circulated by the Vice-Chancellor among members of con- 

 gregation. Applied mechanics is one of the subjects for which 

 an additional professorship is asked. Better endowment is 

 asked for the professorship of human anatomy, the readership 

 in pathology, the Siblhorpian professorship of rural economy 

 (now suspended), the chairs of geology, zoology, physics and 

 experimental philosophy, and the curatorship of the Pitt-Rivers 



no. 1 73 1, vol. 67] 



