\ 
NovEMBER 16, 1916] 
of the tests. He criticises Dr. McDougall’s use of 
the zsthesiometer from the point of view ot method, 
and the apparatus chosen by Dr. Rivers to test colour 
vision. If the tests themselves are faulty, then the 
generalisations based on them are invalid, and the 
writer thinks that the Murray Islanders ought not to 
be judged by these experiments. Anthropologists and 
ethnologists will find the whole article of interest. 
ALTHOUGH the lack of a definition of disease does 
not prevent the practice of medicine, the amount of 
litigation which has recently arisen about medical 
matters, such litigation turning upon the meaning of 
terms like injury, accident, disease, etc,, necessitates 
the accurate definition’ of such terms. It is the object 
of an article by Dr. Charles Mercier in the October 
number of Science Progress to define ‘‘a disease.” 
Every part of the human body has a duty towards the 
whole, which Dr. Mercier calls its extrinsic function, 
and a duty towards itself (which consists in making 
good the waste consequent on the performance of its 
extrinsic function), its intrinsic function. When the 
intrinsic or extrinsic function of a part of the body 
is disordered or defective, there is usually scme sign 
of such disorder or defect. The sign may be per- 
ceptible to the patient alone, to bystanders alone, to a 
skilled physician alone, or to all three. Such a sign 
is termed a symptom. Disease is a term covering 
not only all disorders of function and all symptoms, 
but also all results of disorder of function. Indiges- 
tion, a disorder purely of extrinsic function; atrophy, 
a disorder purely of intrinsic function; albuminuria, 
a result of disorder of extrinsic function; cancerous 
breast, a result of disorder of intrinsic function; and 
pain, are all disease. But none of these is ‘‘a disease.” 
Diseases may become symptoms, but the only way they 
can do so is in the way we contemplate them. Certain 
things sometimes called diseases are not diseases. 
Structural disease is not ‘‘a disease "’; thus a cancerous 
liver may be removed from a dead body and preserved 
in spirit, and it would obviously be absurd to call the 
preserved organ a disease. It is a diseased organ, but 
not a disease. A valve of the heart of a 
patient suffering from rheumatic fever may undergo | 
structural damage, which, with its consequences and 
symptoms, constitutes ‘‘heart disease.”’ But the latter 
is only part of ‘‘the disease’’ from which the patient 
suffers, which is acute rheumatism.. When, however, 
the rheumatism disappears, leaving the heart damaged, 
this structural damage, together with its symptoms 
and consequences, becomes ‘the disease.” 
Dr. A. Rasmussen, in the American Naturalist for 
October, gives a very valuable summary of all the 
theories which have been advanced in explanation of 
the hibernation of animals since Gesner wrote in 
1551. Conrad Gesner was apparently the first to con- 
duct experimental work by way of an attempt to 
solve the mystery which enshrouds this peculiar state 
of torpor, though speculation on the subject goes back 
to the time of Aristotle. Although the author refers 
occasionally to the hibernation of “‘man and other 
animals,” yet in his essay he confines his remarks 
entirely to mammals. He insists that until certain 
causal relations are definitely established between the 
factors concerned many of these theories are of little 
value except as a stimulus to further research. If the 
hibernation of mammals is only an extreme form of 
ordinary diurnal sleep, as some maintain, it is especi- 
ally to be hoped that this subject will continue to be 
investigated by more modern and adequate means, 
for no entirely satisfactory theory has yet been ad- 
vented to explain the physiological cause of ordinary 
sleep. 
NO. 2455, VOL. 98] 
NATURE 
215 
In a recent report to the governors of the Hudders- 
field Technical College, Dr, A. E. Everest, the newly 
appointed head of the Department of Coal-Tar Colour 
Chemistry, refers to the objects which the governing 
body had in view in grafting this extension on to the 
courses already existing in the college. The aim is to 
establish in Huddersfield ‘‘a laboratory for research 
and post-graduate work that shall be the national 
centre to which all firms connected with the coal-tar 
colour industry shall naturally come for assistance, and 
around which all matters connected with coal-tar colour 
chemistry shall centre.’ It is recognised that the first 
essential to the success of this scheme is to keep the 
new laboratory open to the participation of all indus- 
trialists interested in this branch of applied chemistry, 
and to this end the governors have selected as the 
head of the department one not in any way tied by 
appointment to any particular firm, British Dyes, 
Limited, the directors of which have helped the new 
venture with a substantial endowment, are now in 
possession of the Tunbridge works of the old firm of 
Messrs. Read Halliday and Sons, Limited. Moreover, 
this company has made great progress with its new fac- 
tory in the auspiciously named suburb of Dalton. At 
Deighton, within a stone’s-throw of the Dalton site, 
are the rapidly extending works of Messrs. L. B. 
Holliday and Co., at present engaged on an im- 
proved process for an urgent necessity. At Milns- 
bridge, also in the same valley, is the old-established 
firm of.Messrs. Leitch and Co., who have accomplished 
work of national importance. These and other firms 
outside Huddersfield have interested themselves in the 
new department, and have rendered valuable assistance. 
At present teaching and research work are in pro- 
gress, temporary accommodation having been found 
in the chemical department. These facilities are, how- 
ever, quite inadequate, and a suitable site has been 
acquired for the colour department, on which well- 
equipped laboratories, offices, and reference library will 
be built so soon as the necessary funds are available. 
Tue ‘‘Galvanoset,” a patented piece of apparatus 
utilising the ordinary electricity supply for medical 
purposes, has been submitted to us for examination 
by the Medical Supply Association, Gray’s Inn Road, 
W.C. It may be described as a potential divider using 
tap-water as the medium conveying the main current. 
The water is contained in a cylindrical glass vessel 
about 9 in. in diameter and 4 in. deep. Into the 
water dip two vertical rods of electric light carbon 
placed as far apart as possible, and supported from the 
flat ebonite cover of.the glass.vessel.. From these elec- 
trodes current is taken to the patient. Just below the 
cover is a horizontal arm which rotates about a vertical 
central axle and carries at its ends two vertical carbon 
electrodes which are connected to the mains. When 
the movable electrodes have their joining line per- 
pendicular to the line joining the fixed electrodes, there 
is no potential difference between them, but when their 
joining line coincides with that between the fixed elec- 
trodes there is the maximum potential difference. The 
pairs of electrodes never touch, so there is no danger 
of passing a large current through the patient. By 
the aid of a graduated circle on the cover and an 
outer index attached to the arm carrying the movable 
electrodes, an approximate notion of the voltage in 
the derived circuit is obtained, but for greater pre- 
cision a milliammeter is provided on the cover. A trial 
shows that when a pressure of 100 volts is applied 
between the fixed electrodes a maximum current of 
about 200 milliamperes flows in the derived circuit. 
Quite apart from the medical purposes for which it is 
designed, an apparatus such as this would have mani- 
fold applications in all laboratories where small vari- 
able currents are required. 
