Nov. 4, 1869] 
NATURE AG 
Relations to Cholera and Typhus” (Boden und Grundwasser in 
ihren Beziehungen zu Cholera und Typhus) in which he developes 
at length his views. To many these are probably now well 
known, but still, it may be perhaps as well to state that they are 
somewhat as follows. . 
The phenomena of Cholera result from the introduction into 
the animal system of a cholera poison, which is possibly an 
organic being, and which we may call z. Now, z is non-repro- 
ductive ; does not of itself multiply or spread. But there is 
another distinct thing, the cholera germ (originating in India), 
which we may call x. x of itself will not produce cholera 
symptoms. It may remain, and probably may multiply in the 
human body, and be carried in or on the body from place to 
place without of zse/f producing cholera, Cholera symptoms 
can only be brought about by z, and x can only give rise to 
cholera, indirectly, by generating z. But «, in order that it may 
generate s, must come in contact with and act upon another 
substance, which we may call y. That is, « cannot germinate 
into z unless it meets with the substratum y ; or we may use 
the idea, thrown out we believe by Dr. Farr, and imagine and 
y to be the male and female parents of the offspring z, which is 
either sterile, or can only reproduce .. 
Thus, then, + originating at certain times in India,’and meeting 
with y at once gives rise to z, and an outbreak of cholera is the 
result. The quantity of < is probably more than sufficient to 
account for all the cases that occur; the surplus may even 
perhaps be carried about, and so spread the epidemic ; but there 
being no reproduction of z, the stock would soon be exhausted. 
With z, however, a quantity of x is also carried about, more 
particularly by the excrement ; -v, in fact, clings to its products 
just as yeast cells cling to a fermented liquid. And whenever x 
meets with fresh y, it generates fresh z; and so the epidemic 
travels on, x making itself felt by z whenever it falls upon a 
store of y. For the existence of y, certain things are necessary, 
to wit :— 
1. A soil which, like alluvium, is permeable to air and water 
for several feet deep. 
2. A rise and fall of sock-water. A soil which is permanently 
dry, or one which is always filled with sock-water, are equally 
unfavourable for the development of v. The change of level of 
water is absolutely necessary. 
3. The presence of organic and mineral matters on which the 
variations in the amount of sock-water may act, and out of them 
produce 7. 
4. A temperature sttitable for such processes of organic 
evolution. 
All these points and many others are fully discussed in a 
series of chapters with such headings as ‘* Porous and Compact 
Soils” ; ‘* The Soil and the Immunity of Wirzburg” ; ‘‘ Influ- 
ence of drinking Water on Cholera epidemics” ; “ Considerations 
on the Cholera epidemic of 1866 in East London, in reference 
to Soil and Sock-water conditions” ; ‘‘ Apparent evidences against 
the ‘Soil and Water theory’ and for the theory of ‘ Contact 
and Idiosynerasy,’” &c. &e. It concludes with a series of aphor- 
isms, ‘On the Origin and Spread of Cholera”; ‘‘On the 
Influence of Variations in Sock-level on the Enteric Fever of 
Munich” ; and, ‘‘ On the Causes of the Immunity of Lyons.” 
SOCIETIES AND ACADEMIES. 
Zoological Society.—The first scientific meeting for the 
session will be held on Thursday the 11th inst., when Prof. 
Flower, F.R.S., will read a paper on the Anatomy of the Aard- 
Wolf (Proteles cristatus). The following communications have 
been receiyed since the last meeting :—Dr. J. Anderson : Letter 
received from, describing a living specimen of the Pigmy hog ot 
Terai (Porcula salvania).—My. P. L. Sclater: Remarks on the 
condition of various Zoological Gardens on the Continent recently 
visited by him, and on new and rare animals observed in those 
establishments.—Dr. B. Simpson. Notes on Addurus fulgens.— 
Mr. John Brazier : Note on the Egg of a species of MWegapodius 
from Bank’s Islands.—Surgeon Francis Day : Remarks on fishes 
in Calcutta Museum.—Mr. John Brazier : Notes on the Localities 
of two Species of Land-Shells.—Mr. R. B. Sharpe: Additional 
Notes on the genus Ceya.—Dr. George Bennett: Letter received 
from, on the habits of the Wood Hen of Lord Howe's Island.—— 
Dr. J. E. Gray : On the Guemul or Roe Buck from Tinta, South 
Peru.—Dr. A. Giinther: Report on two collections of Indian 
Reptiles. —Mr. Morton Allport: Letter received from, on the 
introduction of Salmon into the Australian Colonies.—Rey. O, P. 
Cambridge: Notes on some Spiders and Scorpions from St. 
Helena, with descriptions of new species.—The Secretary : On 
additions to the Menagerie during June, July, August, and 
September.—Mr. W. T. Fraser: Letter received from, respect- 
ing the Existence of the Rhinoceros in Borneo. 
MANCHESTER. 
Literary and Philosophical Society, October.—Mr. E. W. 
Binney, F.R.S. in the Chair. The following extract of a letter 
from Dr. Joule, F.R.S., dated Southport, October 5th, 1869, 
and addressed to the Chairman, was read :—“I enclose a rough 
drawing of the appearance of the setting sun. Mr. Baxendell 
noticed the fact that at the moment of the departure of the sun 
below the horizon, the last glimpse is coloured bluish green. 
On two or three occasions I have noticed this, and also near 
sunset that just at the upper edge, where bands of the sun’s 
disk are separated one after the other by refraction, each band 
becomes coloured blue just before it vanishes.” 
PARIS. 
Academy of Sciences, October 25.—M. L. Pasteur 
communicated a note relative to the dispute which has arisen 
between him and M. Thenard on the subject of his patented 
process for preserving wines by the application of heat. A 
paper was read by M. Phillips on the Movement of similar 
solid Elastic Bodies, supplementary to a memoir on the equili- 
brium of such bodies, read in January last. 
A memoir on the fundamental Equations of the mechanical 
theory of Heat, by M. F. Reech, was presented by M. Regnault. 
In a note on the illumination of transparent bodies by polarised 
Light, M. A. Lallemand described some new experiments with 
transparent solids. On passing a ray of polarised light horizontally 
through a polished cube of glass in a direction perpendicular to 
two of its faces, the maximum of illumination is horizontal, the 
light emitted is white, is entirely polarised in a horizontal plane, 
and gives the principal lines of the solar spectrum. When viewed 
vertically, the illumination is nil, unless the glass be fluorescent. 
The light observed in a yertical direction in the latter case is 
more or less coloured, is neutral to the polariscope, and gives 
none of the lines of the solar spectrum, The author noticed 
the behaviour of various other substances, such as crystal, fluor 
spar, Iceland spar, &c., M. Dumas communicated a letter from 
M. P. Volpicelli on the Heat of the Lunar Radiation containing 
an historical sketch of the researches upon this subject,and showing 
that both Melloni and Herschel have demonstrated the calorific 
action of the Moon. M. H. Marie Davy, whose previous state- 
ment (September 20, 1869) that the calorific effects of the Moon’s 
rays were inappreciable called forth M,. Volpicelli’s remarks, 
now communicated a note on the Calorific Power of the Lunar 
Rays, in which, after noticing that Melloni was the first to demon- 
strate the existence of such a power, and that his results had been 
confirmed by Prof. Piazzi Smyth ; he goes on to describe his own 
recent experiments, in which, by the employment of the thermo- 
electric pile, he has been able to obtain a series of results perfectly 
confirmatory of those of his predecessors. He found that the heat 
furnished by the moon is quite appreciable, and that its amount 
increases rapidly as it advances towards the full. M. C. Dareste 
communicated a memoir on the notion of Type in Teratology, 
and on the distribution of monstrous type in the division of 
vertebrate animals; the argument of which is, that the type of 
monstrosities is correlated with the type of organisation, so that 
if uniformity of type occurs in monstrosities throughout any wide 
range in all classes of the vertebrata, for example, the origin of 
such monstrosities dates from a very early period of embryonic 
development, and the more limited the range of a monstrosity, 
the later in the life of the embryo will be its origin. A paper was 
read by M. P. P. Deherain on the influence exerted by dif- 
ferent luminous rays upon the decomposition of carbonic acid and 
the evaporation of water by leaves. The author states that, 
with equal intensity, the yellow and red rays act more energeti- 
cally than the blue and violet rays, both in producing evaporation, 
and in causing the decomposition of carbonic acid ; in the latter 
respect he found that the leaves of Potamogeton crispus emitted 
26°2 cub, cent. of gas under yellow light ; they gave off only 
5°8 cub. cent. in the same time under blue rays of equal intensity. 
M. E. Decaisne communicated some remarks on the various con- 
ditions of the production of goitre ; M. Landrin, a note on the 
physiological action of Chloral ; M. Jatiwski, an account of a 
process for bronzing iron ; M. Delaurier, a note on the manufac- 
ture of manganate of calcium, and M. Mehay, a note on the 
Infinitesimal Calculus. 
