252 



NATURE 



[January 12, 1905 



acknowledgment of the work of the late Dr. A. v. 

 Krafft, by whom it had been intended that the descrip- 

 tion of the Triassic rocks should be undertaken. 



A chapter is devoted to the correlation of the un- 

 fossiliferous sequence of the outer Himalayas with 

 that in Spiti, and an impartial account is given of the 

 guesses — thev are nothing more — which have been 

 made. Mr. Hayden does not attempt to deliver judg- 

 ment on this vexed questicfti, but seems inclined to- 

 wards Dr. Stoliczka's view; in this we think that he 

 has not taken sufficient account of what may be called 

 extra-Himalayan considerations. The differences be- 

 tween Spiti and the outer Himalayas, the long sequence 

 of fossiliferous rocks in the one, the complete absence 

 of fossils in the other, seem to admit of only two ex- 

 planations — either the rocks of one area are unrepre- 

 sented in the other, or the conditions of deposition 

 were so dissimilar that lithological similarity in the 

 two areas is not to be looked for, and' either supposi- 

 tion precludes nil lio;>i- of dircci c <>rrrl:i(i<in. 



The memoir is indexed and illustrated by plates, 

 several of which are reproductions of photographs by 

 the author; it bears the stamp of careful work, and 

 is worthy of the reputation of the Geological Survey 

 of India. We regret that we cannot say as much for 

 the method of stitching adopted by the Calcutta 

 Government Press ; the book may be re-bound, but the 

 torn and mangled leaves can never make a seemly 

 volume. 



SlYi LAUDER BRUNTON ON THE NEED OF 



PHYSICAL EDUCATION. 

 "T^HE report of the inter-departmental committee on 

 •* physical deterioration, while in the absence of 

 scientifically ascertained data it hesitated to pronounce 

 the evil it investigated to bo widespread, has pointed 

 us all to a better way, and Sir Lauder Brunton in these 

 two addresses ' drives home the lesson. 



1 January' 5. — National Federation of Head Teachers' Associations, 

 " The Proposed National League for Physical Education and Improvement." 



January 6. — Incorporated Society of Medical Officers of Health, "The 

 Report of the Inter-Departmental Committee on Physical Degen 



NO. 1837, VOL 71] 



In speaking at Cambridge to the Head Teachers' 

 .•Association on the National League, which owes its 

 inception to his statesmanlike grasp of the psycho- 

 logical moment at which to enlist the sympathy and 

 interest of the nation, half alarmed, half repentant of 

 ils easy optimism and laissez-faire. Sir Lauder Brunton 

 went direct to the point — 



How can we alter most surely and speedily those 

 conditions which tend to physical deterioration? 



The answer lies in a nutshell. By training the 

 young to open-air work and play, to care of teeth and 

 exercise of muscles, the girls in preparation of appe- 

 tising food, the boys in such drill as will make them 

 real defenders of their country. 



We may not go so far as Sir Lauder in his belief 

 in the educative value of the wall picture of the ravages 

 of the tubercle bacillus — we remember the fearful joy 

 with which we contemplated a ghastly picture of 

 volcanic colouring which an old lady assured us was 

 an accurate delineation of a drunkard's stomach — nor 

 do we think his picture of the country cottage 

 altogether accurate ; but he has seized the fact that 

 the master of the situation is the teacher, and to the 

 teacher he turns, confident in his zeal, his devotion, 

 his stimulating propaganda, his patient training, 

 confident, too, in the plastic material our schools bring 

 to his hand. 



To another large class of workers in the public 

 service, the medical officers of health, Sir Lauder 

 Brunton also appeals. He pointed out to the Incor- 

 porated Societv that physical efficiency is more than 

 doubtful in the mass of people even if physical deterior- 

 ation is unproved. 



For accurate data as to height and weight, growth 

 and physical development of the youth of the nation, 

 we must look to the teachers in daily touch with them. 

 Such data have hitherto been conspicuous by their 

 absence, but once in existence they will enable the 

 statesman and statistician alike to realise the problem 

 they have to solve. 



This involves periodical measurement, and to render 

 their task effective the teachers will need instruction, 

 and the most likelv person to be called in to give that 

 instruction is the M.O.H. Without trenching on the 

 medical profession the teacher may learn from them 

 to detect signs of fatigue or mental strain, to note 

 defective vision and physical weakness, all of which 

 too often escape notice until irremediable mischief is 

 done. 



Sir Lauder Brunton dwelt on the question of the milk 

 supply, the feeding of underfed school children, and 

 the housing question, and warmly endorsed the com- 

 mittee's recommendation that the medical officer of 

 health should have security of tenure in view of the 

 local jealousies he may arouse, the local prejudices he 

 may cross. Discussing the report. Sir Lauder Brunton 

 approved the desire for a Board of Health to undertake 

 some of the duties of the over-worked Local Govern- 

 ment Board ; failing such a board, he cordially 

 welcomed the idea of an advisory council for matters 

 concerning the national physique, such council to 

 consist of representatives of the Departments of State 

 reinforced by men of science and by experts in ques- 

 tions of health and of physical development. 



He is assured of the readiness of the medical pro- 

 fession to do their part in the educative work ; he 

 believes in equal readiness of the teachers to learn and 

 teach what it is of vital importance the coming gener- 

 ation should acquire, not only theoretically, but 

 practicallv — a knowledge of the laws of health. 



The National League for Physical Education and 

 Improvement has so far been mainly confined to the 

 medical profession, but now that its aims are focused 

 and defined Sir Lauder looks to a wider public. He 



