August 25, 19 10] 



NATURE 



239 



18 per cent, greater in thorianite than in Joachinislhal 

 pitchblende, while in autunite, a phosphate of uranium, 

 tliis ratio was about 20 per cent. less. She separated the 

 radium chemically before estimating it. 



This month appeared in the Philosophical Magazitie (p. 

 ^45) a communication by Mr. F. Soddy and Miss I'irret 

 <m this subject. They lind that, by determining the radium 

 'lirectly in the mineral, the ratio is practically the same 

 for thorianite as for Joachimsthal pitchblende, but that in 

 their specimen of autunite the ratio is only 44 per cent. 

 ■.I that of pitchblende. During the last three months I 

 have been engaged on this problem also. I find that the 

 ratio in thorianite from Java agrees within the limits of 

 f.\perimental error with that in specimens of pitchblende 

 fiom Joachimsthal and from German East ."Xfrica, the 

 latter of which is probably of primary formation. In my 

 specimen of autunite, however (from ."^utun, in France), 

 the ratio is only 27 per cent, of that of the pitchblendes. 

 Thus, taking the ratio Ka to U in pitchblende as i, in 

 .Mdlle. Gleditsch's specimen of autunite it is only o-8o ; in 

 Mr. Soddy and Miss Pirret's it is 044, and in mine 0-27. 



To explain these somewhat e.Kceptional results, it must 

 be assumed either (i) that the Ra has been washed out of 

 the mineral in some way, or (2) that the mineral is very 

 young, and that therefore the Ra is not yet present in 

 equilibrium amount. 



'I o throw light on these points, I hope to determine 

 the ratios uranium to ionium and to actinium in different 

 specimens, not only of autunite, but of the family of 

 minerals R'(U0,);iR"0,)„.8H,0 (R' = Ca, Ba, Cu ; 

 K" = P, As), of which it is a member. 



Alex. S. Russell. 



Physik.-Chem. Institut der Universitat, Berlin, 

 August 6. 



Elemental Weight Accurately a Function of the 

 Volution of Ideal Space-symmetry Ratios. 



Suffering from a malady of the eyes, I may be excused 

 the two following errors in my communication published 

 in Nature of July 21 : — 



(i) For hex, or the cubic line-ratio, read throughout 

 Oct, or the octahedral line-ratio ; and for act similarly read 

 throughout hex. 



(2) In the table at the end. No. 6, read 1-00766 as the 

 m»an, in place of 1-00765, the product in this instance 

 fXo. 4 in the references to the general formula) deviating 

 by o-ooooi from the experiment ; in the other cases the 

 figures are exact. H. Newman Howard. 



.Aberdovey, Xorth Wales. 



The Jamaica Earthquake. 



May I point out that in the review of " Recent Earth- 

 Quake Investigations " (Nature, August 11, p. 165), the 

 date of the Jamaica or Kingston earthquake (where the 

 loss of life was 800, and of property about 2,010,000/.) 

 Is wrongly stated? It took place on January 14, 1907, 

 and not on June 14, igo6. D. Morris. 



Boscombe, .August 12. 



CHOLERA AND ITS CONTROL. 

 ■^OTHIXG is more striking, even to the casual 

 ■'•^ observer, than the change that has taken place 

 in the attitude of the public, no less than of those who 

 have charge of the public health, towards those great 

 epidemic outbreaks that swept Europe up to the end 

 of the eighteenth century "and after." Until the 

 Great Fire of London in 1666 — indeed, until the rise 

 of the great school of sanitary reformers of whom 

 Chadwick and Simon may be taken as types — panic 

 and despair were the predominant emotions aroused 

 in the presence of plague, cholera, and the like. With 

 a knowledge of the results of what could be done bv 

 the adoption of efficient sanitary measures, these two 

 paralysing influences were gradually rendered less 

 f ffective, especially as 'the call to preventive and cura- 

 tive work could be made to divert men's minds from 

 brooding and evil anticipation. Men then realised 



NO. 2130, VOL. 84] 



how much could be done to ameliorate the conditions 

 of communities attacked by these diseases, and how 

 successful were the preventive measures adopted as re- 

 gards transference not only from community to com- 

 munity, but from individual to individual, with the 

 result that organisation took the place of panic and 

 hope succeeded on despair. Still, men were working 

 in the dark, and the mystery enshrouding the mode 

 of spread of disease was profound until Pasteur, 

 Koch, Lister, and their many disciples gradually 

 evolved from the chaos of theory, fact, and fancy the 

 germ-theory of disease, and isolated from the welter 

 of organisms by which the patient was surrounded 

 the one that in each case appeared to be the specific 

 cause of the disease. 



In no case is this more marked than in that of 

 cholera, and at the present time one may see in dif- 

 ferent parts of Europe reproduced different phases of 

 the history of the evolution of our methods of dealing 

 with cholera epidemics at different periods. In Russia 

 and in some parts of Italy, where fatalism and apathy 

 prevail, and where sanita'ry science has not yet reared 

 its head, cholera still arouses panic, only to be fol- 

 lowed by the lethargy of despair. In other parts of 

 Europe efforts — in many cases very inadequate — are 

 made to combat the spread of the disease, whilst in 

 northern Europe, including such places as Amsterdam 

 and London, the announcement that cholera may in- 

 vade the country, or that it has already gained a foot- 

 hold, simply means a call to renewed sanitary efforts 

 directed by intelligent e.xperience and skill[ which 

 will prevent the disease from entering the country 

 except as carried by isolated patients, and the treat- 

 ment of patients in such fashion that there will be no 

 further extension beyond a very limited area. 



At the present juncture, when cholera may spread 

 from Russia, Italy, Roumania, or elsewhere, the crisp 

 instructions issued to port medical officers no less than 

 timely account of the outbreak of cholera in Rotter- 

 dam last year about this time (see the Times, .August 

 19), should give comfort and courage, both to those 

 who have to deal with cholera in our ports, and to 

 those who at one time would inevitably have been 

 attacked in large numbers. Between August 20, 1909 

 (when cholera was found in three children in one 

 family, who died suddenly with the clinical symptoms 

 of cholera, the nature of the disease bei-ng at once 

 confirmed by full bacteriological examination) and Sep- 

 tember II, what might have expanded into a great 

 epidemic in Rotterdam began and was crushed. The 

 facilities for the spread of the diseases are perhaps 

 greater in Rotterdam than in any other seaport town 

 in the world, but by careful isolation, not only of the 

 patient, but of "contacts," i.e. people who have come 

 in contact with the patients at any time after the 

 outbreak of the disease, , in " isolation " wards, 

 and "observation" sheds, bv warning the people 

 against the use of unfiltered water, the eating of green 

 fruit, and excessive indulgence in the use of alcoholic 

 liquors, the epidemic was cut short. Fines and im- 

 prisonment were awarded to those who interfered in 

 any way with the authorities in carrying on their 

 work, either by obstructing them or bv failino- to 

 notify cases where the illness showed any symptoms 

 of cholera. Careful observation of suspected cases, 

 disinfection of houses, bed linen, clothing, of patients 

 and contacts alike, were all resorted to; but, on the 

 other hand, all who helped were well treated, receiv- 

 ing whatever wages they would have earned normally; 

 indeed, we are told, they were so well treated gener- 

 nllythat "many presented themselves as contacts in 

 the hope of receiving food, clothing, and wages with- 

 out working." It may be said that these methods 

 were, on one hand, harassing, and, on the other. 



