316 
NATURE 
[AucustT 3, 1899 
in the neighbourhood of the Mediterranean, one in the 
China Seas, and one in South America. It is stated in 
connection with the forestry division that 100,000 acres 
are under forestry experimentation. The State Agri- 
cultural Experiment Stations report an active year, about 
‘4oo reports and bulletins having been issued during the 
year to over half a million addresses. As is fitting at 
the present time, the volume contains special articles on 
the resources of Puerto Rico and the Hawaiian Islands. 
Organoterapia. By Dr. E. Rebuschini. Pp. viii + 442. 
(Milan: Ulrico Hoepli, 1899.) 
IN the introduction Dr. Rebuschini briefly deals with 
the history and general nature of organotherapy. The 
main substance of the book is devoted to a detailed ac- 
count of the glandular secretions and other substances 
derivable from the several organs of the animal body, 
and the applications of these fluids to the treatment of 
disease. As the author points out, the most successful 
branch of organotherapy up to the present time has been 
that of the thyroids, and this alone occupies nearly half 
of the book. 
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR. 
[The Editor does not hold himself responsible for opinions ex- 
pressed by hts correspondents: Neither can he undertake 
to return, or to correspond with the writers of, rejected 
manuscripts intended for this or any other part of NATURE. 
No notice ts taken of anonymous communications. | 
Undercurrents. 
In Nature for July 13, p. 261, is given an abstract of 
a paper lately read by Admiral Makaroff, of the Imperial 
Russian Navy, before the Royal Society of Edinburgh, on the 
subject of double currents, z.e. of currents in reverse directions 
in different strata of water in certain straits. Admiral Makaroff 
gives his opinion on the causes of these reverse currents, and as 
they are diametrically opposed to those that I hold, I think that 
it may not be uninteresting to give my reasons for differing from 
him. 
Admiral Makaroff considers that difference of density of the 
water is the primary and, indeed I gather he thinks, the only 
cause of these opposing currents; but he brings no evidence 
beyond theoretical considerations in support of his belief. 
Let us consider his instance of the Bosporus. 
In 1872, as Admiral Makaroff very kindly mentions, I made 
a series of observations on the undercurrents in this Strait and 
in the Dardanelles, and showed that when the surface water, of 
a very low specific gravity, was flowing from the Black Sea to 
the Mediterranean, the water in the lower strata of the Straits, 
of a high specific gravity, was running strong in the opposite 
direction. 
But the surface current does not always flow in this direction. 
It is sometimes almost still, and on occasions the movement is 
towards the Black Sea. The lower strata respond, and are 
either also still, or move in the opposite direction. 
It is evident that as the Mediterranean water is always of a 
high specific gravity, and the Black Sea surface water always of 
a low specific gravity, if the difference between them is the 
primary cause of the opposing currents the latter would always 
flow in the same direction, and that as they do not in fact behave 
in this manner, there must be some other force at work. 
My observations soon led me to conclude that this force is 
the wind. 
The prevailing wind in the summer and autumn, in which I 
made my observations, is from the N.E. When it blew 
from this direction, the surface -current ran towards the 
Mediterranean. When it was calm the water was in the 
Dardanelles, ordinarily, still, and in the Bosporus often so, 
When the wind came from the westward, the currents were 
reversed. 
I do not know how the deduction from these facts can be got 
1 Report on the Currents of the Bosporous and Dardanelles. (Hydro- 
graphic Office. Potter, London.) 
NO. 1553, VOL. 60] 
over. I am quite ready to admit that the difference in 
specific gravity will cause a slow circulation in the direction 
in which the two currents ordinarily run, but in the face of their 
undoubted reversal under the circumstances which I have 
related, it appears to me that there can only be one conclusion. 
It was on the ground that the direction of the wind is the 
prevailing factor that I believed that we should find a similar 
condition of affairs in the Strait of Bab-el-Mandeb, and as I 
stated in a communication to NATURE, vol. lviii. p. 544, these 
conditions were, by observations most ably carried out by 
Commander Gedge, R.N., in H.M.S. Stork in 1898, proved to 
exist. 
There are here none of the differences 0. specific gravity 
demanded by Admiral Makaroff’s hypothesis, and I consider 
that the existence of the reverse undercurrent in Bab-el- Mandeb, 
when the north-east monsoon is forcing the water on the surface 
into the Red Sea, absolutely proves the correctness of the theory 
that wind is the primary cause of this interesting circulation. 
Admiral Makaroff in his paper merely mentions the Strait of 
Bab-el-Mandeb as a place where the double-currents occur, but 
says nothing about them ; and I am not aware that any observ- 
ations but those made by H.M.S. S/or% have been carried out 
in this Strait. 
Admiral Makaroff is a close and indefatigable observer, and 
oceanography owes him much, but I cannot help thinking that 
in this instance his enthusiasm for densities has led him away. 
Ilowever, I shall be glad to hear reasons to the contrary, as I 
only desire the truth. W. J. L. WHARTON. 
Florys, Wimbledon Park, July 25. 
The Duties of Provincial Professors. 
SINcE the appearance of the article ‘‘ The Duties of Pro- 
vincial Professors” in NATURE, I have daily been wishing to 
write to thank you for it, but hitherto have been hindered 
partly by want of a convenient opportunity, and partly by the 
feeling that all the points brought forward are so absolutely 
accurate, and the article is so complete, that it leaves nothing 
further to be said. The warning it contains as to the danger 
of making true culture subservient to competition is most timely. 
I have an experience of many years as an officer in a provincial 
university college, and know, to my cost, how rank is the 
growth of the spirit of competition with rival colleges, and how 
widespreading are its roots. And this is at the sacrifice of the 
best intellects and ability of the colleges. It results usually in 
the resignation of the most original and brilliant characters 
who may have sufficient private means to secure a bare inde- 
pendence ; while the others remain quite at the mercy of their 
governing body, who may at any moment—even without any 
assigned motive—give them notice to resign. This and the 
very inadequate salaries attached result in constant changes in 
the staff. Further, the fever of competition induces the different 
university colleges to take up technical and pedagogical train- 
ing, adding department after department at a rate greatly in 
advance of their means, so that no side can be worked to its 
full development owing to an insufficient staff and an over- 
burdened exchequer. 
A question which has frequently arisen in my mind of late is, 
Are we to allow without protest a different standard of morals to 
our governing bodies from that accorded to individuals ? 
In 4u/é their income is derived from public sources ; why should 
councils of university colleges, whose existence depends upon 
such sources of income, be allowed the power to close their 
meetings to reporters? Are they to be allowed freedom of 
method without danger of exposure? Must we quietly allow 
them to fix the salaries of their officers at their own pleasure at 
an average which is much below the market value of the services 
rendered—in some cases even so low as 50 per cent. below the 
average rate? Is this honest? No: 7 ds thieving the best 
energies of some of our most able minds ! 
Those of their officers who lack private means know that they 
dare not speak the thoughts of their hearts. They hardly dare 
protest, or courteously ask—even in the most considerate 
manner, for colleges have their known difficulties—for their 
legitimate due, for they know very well that, until they have 
another post to step into, they are helpless. ; 
These things ought not to exist. They are a slow poison 
sapping the life of true education, rendering systems which are 
almost ideal in theory of no account in practice. 
July 25. VERITAS. 
