January 7, 1904] 
NATURE 
237 
THE SENESCENCE OF ORGANS AND ITS 
INFLUENCE ON PATHOLOGICAL PHENO- 
MENA. 
A PAPER by Prof. R. Wiedersheim on the senescence 
of organs in the phylogenetic history of man and 
its influence on morbid phenomena has been published in 
the Politisch-anthropologischen Revue, Il. Jahrgang, Heft 
6 (Thuringische Verlags-Anstalt Eisenach und Leipzig). 
In emphasising the fact that in many cases organs, or 
tissues, which are spoken of as vestigial, and are con- 
sidered to be functionless, may in reality play an important 
part in the physiological balance of the organism, the 
author points out that the same is true not only of those 
‘parts which are degenerating, but also of those which, 
though at present of comparatively little importance in the 
ordinary sense, are in a state of progressive development, or 
have undergone a change of function. 
Pathologists have long recognised the fact that tissues 
which have been arrested in development during ontogeny 
are likely at certain times to give rise to pathological con- 
ditions, and Prof. Wiedersheim maintains that one is 
justified in speaking of the old age and senile degeneration 
of organs, or tissues, in a phylogenetic sense, just as one 
uses these terms in the case of individuals. He believes 
that in many cases there is evidence that certain phylo- 
genetic stages in the development of organs, or tissues, are 
less resistant than othérs to pathological changes, just as 
in the individual the tissues are less able, at certain ages, 
to resist baneful influences arising within or outside the 
body. A large number of examples are given to show that 
organs phylogenetically very old are often prone to various 
diseases, such as carcinoma, Xc. 
The question is discussed as to why organs which have 
reached this form of old age are retained, and the con- 
clusion is arrived at that they have no selection-value, and 
therefore do not affect the preservation of the species. 
Organs, or parts of organs, which are in this sense 
phylogenetically aged are compared by the author to the 
aged members of a community, who may roughly be 
‘divided into two classes—one containing those who con- 
form to the arrangements made for them by the community 
and take little or no interest in what is going on, the other 
containing those aggressive individuals who oppose im- 
provements and progress. Society experiences trouble from 
the members of this latter class, and similarly those 
phylogenetically aged structures which we have inherited 
from our ancestors may, if they retain sufficient vitality, 
‘seriously affect the vital equilibrium of our bodies. 
UNIVERSITY AND EDUCATIONAL 
INTELLIGENCE. 
Pror. PaGet has resigned his chair of naval architecture 
‘in the Beriin Technical School, on his appointment to the 
post of technical director of the German Lloyd. 
Dr. H. GrassMan has been appointed professor of mathe- 
matics at Halle, Mr. F. C. M. Stérmer professor of pure 
mathematics in the University of Christiania, and Dr. H. 
Veillon professor of physics and chemistry at Basle. 
A course of ten lectures on enzymes and their actions 
will be delivered by Dr. W. M. Bayliss, F.R.S., at Uni- 
versity College, London, on Wednesdays at 5 p.m., 
beginning Wednesday, January 13. The lectures are open 
‘to all internal students of the university without fee, as 
a as to qualified medical men, on presentation of their 
cards. 
A MEETING of medical graduates of Oxford engaged in 
teaching in London was held on Tuesday to consider the 
vacancy in the regius professorship at Oxford caused by 
‘the resignation of Sir John Burdon Sanderson. The chair 
was taken by Sir William Church, president of the Royal 
College of Physicians. It has been suggested that the pre- 
sent reader in pathology should be appointed regius pro- 
fessor of medicine, so that the emoluments of the chair of | 
medicine might be made to supplement the income of the 
reader in pathology. A statement setting forth reasons 
against this proposal has been sent to all medical graduates 
of Oxford for signature, and the following resolutions were 
passed at Tuesday’s meeting :—‘‘ That in the opinion of 
NO. 1784, VOL. 69] 
this meeting the regius professor of medicine should be a 
physician who is representative of medicine in its widest 
sense.’? ‘‘ That it would be detrimental to the best interests 
of medicine in Oxford if the regius professorship were con- 
verted into a professorship of any one branch of medical 
study.” 
Science does not occupy a prominent place in the new 
educational monthly entitled School, the first number of 
which has just been received from Mr. John Murray, but 
the contents include much matter which should stimulate 
interest in education as a whole. In summing up his im- 
pressions of American education, obtained during the recent 
visit of the Mosely Commission, the Rev. T. L. Papillon 
remarks, ‘‘ what has struck me most in the little that I 
have been able to see of American education is first of 
all the attitude of the whole people towards public educa- 
tion, and their recognition of it as a prime necessity of 
national life, for which hardly any expenditure can be too 
great; next its eminent practical and popular character.” 
Lord Avebury contributes some early recollections, including 
his Eton days, when the whole course of instruction con- 
sisted of Latin and Greek, with one lesson a week in geo- 
graphy. ‘“ Neither arithmetic, modern languages, science 
nor drawing were regarded as essential portions of educa- 
tion, and they did not enter into the school course.’’ There 
are also articles, among others, on the late Mr. Herbert 
Spencer and on the education of the engineer. 
A supject which deserves careful and sympathetic investi- 
gation by the Board of Education was brought before public 
notice in the Morning Post of December 29, 1903, and dealt 
with in a leading article. As will be within the knowledge 
of most readers of Nature, there are at the Royal Colleges 
of Science of London and Dublin two classes of students, 
those, namely, who pay fees, and those who hold scholar- 
ships, studentships, or exhibitions, and have been selected 
by the Board of Education by competition or otherwise. 
Many of these ‘‘ Government ’’ students hold what are called 
national science scholarships. Until 1901 these national 
scholars received during the forty weeks in the academic 
year an allowance of thirty shillings a week, out of which 
the great majority of them had to find board, lodging, 
clothes, books and apparatus—for the national scholars, of 
whom there are sixty, come almost exclusively from the 
lower middle classes, and are without any private means. 
Since 1901, this weekly allowance has been reduced to 
twenty-five shillings a week. This reduction in value of 
the national scholarships has, very naturally, given rise to 
much dissatisfaction, and early last year a petition, drawn 
up by the Students’ Union, was signed by all the national 
scholars in the Royal College of Science, London, and on 
the advice of the council of the college was forwarded to 
the Board of Education. A reply to this petition, signed by 
Mr. F. G. Ogilvie, was received in due course, and it con- 
tains the statement that ‘‘in fixing the present rates the 
Board were of opinion that an allowance of 11. 5s. per week 
would be a sufficient supplement to the resources of the 
students to whom scholarships were awarded to enable them 
to devote their whole time and energy to the prosecution of 
their studies during the period over which the courses at the 
Royal College of Science would extend.’’ The suggestion 
that national scholars have private resources upon which 
they can draw is certainly based upon a misapprehension ; 
for only very rarely do such scholars receive any allowance 
from home or friends, and we believe that all the national 
scholars at present at the Royal College of Science are with- 
out private means. There can be no doubt that for a 
student to live within a reasonable distance of the college 
at South Kensington, and with comforts sufficient to enable 
him to perform his work properly, he must spend more than 
twenty-five shillings a week. The attempt to work earnestly 
and for long hours every day, and at the same time to pay 
his way on the amount of his present allowance, must lead 
to needless irritation, and in many cases to real. hardship 
and permanent injury to health. The only satisfactory solu- 
tion of the difficulty which has arisen would seem to be the 
establishment of suitable halls of residence for all scholar- 
ship holders, in which that corporate life which is so im- 
portant a part of university life may be enjoyed by these 
young men who are studying science for their own and their 
country’s benefit. ( 
Us 
