40 



NA TURE 



[November 12, 1908 



hs prepared and published no fewer than four large 

 biographical works, one on botany, one on anatomy, 

 one on surgery, one on practical medicine — the first 

 of these in two quarto volumes, and the last occupy- 

 ing as many as four. These " Bibliothecae " contain 

 not only lists of scientific works, but also short 

 analyses and criticisms of their contents, along with 

 biographical notices of the authors — a titanic labour 

 of vast utility to subsequent workers. Nor were his 

 writings confined to the natural sciences. As we have 

 already seen, he early attained considerable fame as 

 a poet; later we find him publishing historical novels 

 — " Usong, an Oriental Story," 1771 ; "Alfred, King 

 of the Anglo-Saxons," 1773; " Fabricius and Cato, 

 a Fragment of Roman History," 177'. His 

 " Journal," which was published ten years after his 

 death, contains his opinions on other literary men 

 and on things in general, and especially philosophy 

 .ind religion. Both this and his correspondence mani- 

 fest strong conservative and anti-democratic views, 

 with a tendency to intolerance towards those who held 

 different opinions. 



Haller was loaded with honours during his life- 

 time. He was an honorary member of almost all 

 the learned societies of Europe. Frederick the Great 

 in vain attempted to induce him to settle in Berlin, 

 and the endeavours of O.xford and Utrecht to obtain 

 his services were equally futile. The Kintr of England 

 .ippointed him his physician, and the Emperor of 

 (Germany granted him a title of ncbility. But he 

 was himself content to live and die a simple citizen 

 of Berne, a prophet not without honour in his own 

 country. 



Haller's bicentenary was celebrated at Berne with 

 great ceremony in October by the inauguration of a 

 statue erected in front of the university on a height 

 overlooking the town. On the day preceding the in- 

 auguration a joint session of the Historical, Medico- 

 chirurgical, and Scientific Societies of Berne was held 

 in the hall of the university, which was occupied by 

 a large audience, including many ladies. Interesting 

 accounts of Haller's life and work were given by 

 Prof. Steck (history), Prof. Fischer (botany), and Prof. 

 Kronecker (physioiogy). .Addresses were also received 

 from various societies with which Haller had been 

 connected, as well as from universities and other 

 learned bodies. The societies were represented by 

 Prof. Leo, who appeared for the Royal Society of 

 Sciences in Gottingen ; Prof. Waldevcr, for that of 

 Berlin; Prof. Heger, Brussels; Prof. Bohr, Copen- 

 hagen; Prof. Riickert, Munich: Prof. \\'angerin, 

 Halle; Prof. Gamgee, London (presenting a Latin 

 address from the Ro\al Societ\ ) ; Prof. Schiifer, Edin- 

 lairgh: whilst the universities were represented by 

 Prof, yon Griitzner, of Tubingen : Prof. Merkel, of 

 Gottingen; Prof. Kollmann, of Bale; Prof. Ewald, of 

 Strassburg, and others. In the evening a recention 

 was held in honour of the foreign delegates bv the 

 president of the memorial committee. Prof. Tschirch. 



The actual dav of the inauguration (October 16) 

 was kept as a public holiday. A procession of all 

 those who were to take part in the ceremonial, in- 

 cluding the Swiss and foreign delegates, the university 

 authorities, and the students — the latter with the 

 banners and in the uniforms of their respective corps 

 — was marshalled in front of the Parliament buildings, 

 and marched through the principal streets of the old 

 city to the site of the memorial. There, orations were 

 pronounced bv the rector of the university. Prof. 

 Tschirch, and bv State Councillor Dr. Gobat, re- 

 presenting the Education Department of the Canton. 

 .A fine choir of men's voices rendered a selection of 

 appropriate music, and in glorious sun.shine, to the 

 accompaniment of the booming of cannon and the 

 NO. 20.-; 7, VOL. 79] 



sound of the Swiss national anthem, the covering 

 which had concealed the monument was removed, and 

 the representation of Haller, by Siegwart, of Lucerne, 

 was displayed to the view of the assembled multi- 

 tude. 



The statue represents Haller as he might have ap- 

 peared to his contemporaries in about his fiftieth year. 

 No contemporary picture or bust of this period of 

 his life is extant, although his appearance in earlier 

 and in later life is not unfamiliar. The sculptor had, 

 therefore, to imagine him at the period chosen — which 

 was that of his greatest scientific activity — a circum- 

 stance which has certainly not detracted from the 

 artistic merit of the statue. 



The unveiling ceremony was followed by a banquet 

 to the delegates and others who had been invited to 

 the celebration. Not the least interesting of the guests 

 were some of the direct descendants of Haller. In- 

 deed, the reply of M. .Mbert de Haller, of Lausanne, 

 to the toast of the Haller family showed that some at 

 least of the literary ability of his ancestor has de- 

 scended to his generation. 



The festivities were wound up by a torchlight pro- 

 I cession of students, followed by a " Kommers " in 

 ' the Kornhaus-keller. 



.•\ bronze plaque, exhibiting the bust of Haller in 

 profile, designed bv the sculptor of the memorial, 

 was struck to commemorate the bicentenary, and a 

 copy was presented to each of the foreign delegates — 

 an artistic memento of a memorable ceremony. 



E.A. S. 



CAISSON DISEASE.' 

 T\ /I EX who have been working in compressed air, 

 ■'■'•'- either under water in diving dresses or diviner 

 bells, in caissons used in preparing foundations 

 for bridges, &c., or in making shafts or tunnels 

 through watery ground, are liable to a variety of 

 symptoms known generally as "caisson disease." 

 These symptoms, which come on only at or shortly 

 after the return to atmospheric pressure, vary in 

 severity from pains in the muscles and joints, known 

 as " bends " or " screws," to paralysis and evei> 

 death. Paul Bert showed experimentally thirty 

 years ago that these attacks are due to the fact that 

 air (chiefly nitrogen) which has been dissolved in 

 the fluids and tissues of the body while under pres- 

 sure may, on decompression, be liberated in the 

 form of bubbles, which produce local or general 

 blocking of the circulation or other injuries. He also 

 showed that if decompression were effected suffi- 

 ciently slowly, the excess of air which had been 

 taken up could escape by diffusion through the 

 lungs, and thus bubbling and symptoms could be 

 avoided. The phenomenon is, in fact, that of de- 

 compressing soda-water by pushing in the stopper ; 

 the problem of the prevention of caisson disease is 

 how to push it in so slowly that the gas can 

 escape without forming bubbles, and without the loss 

 of so much time that the primary object of the 

 manoeuvre is frustrated. 



Practical experience has shown clearly that the 

 incidence of caisson disease varies with the height of 

 the pressure and the duration of exposure to that 

 pressure. Cases of illness are much more frequent 

 in caissons where the pressure required to keep out 

 the water approximates to 45 lb., or 3 atmospheres 

 in excess of atmospheric pressure, than in those 

 which are worked at about 20 lb. or 25 lb. Yet far 

 higher pressures may be experienced with impunity 



I -The Prevenlion of Compre-se i-ai 

 G. C. C. Damant, and J. S. Haldane (/», 

 p. 342)- 



llness." Bv A. E. Boycott. 

 a/ a/ Hygiene, vol. viii., 1908, 



