December 26, 1912] 



NATURE 



467 



in the capillary tube, but the I Puppis lines were 

 not observed. 



The positions of the observed lines of the 

 Principal series are 4685-98, 2733-34, 2385-47, and 

 2252-88, all of which are slightly more refrangible 

 than the wave-lengths calculated by Rydberg. 

 Using oscillation frequencies in vacuo, the lines 

 are represented by the equation 



o ^ 109675 



>! = 48764-0 - ^ 'I -,. ;, 



iOT-l-o-9996o6)'' 

 where m has the values i, 2, 3, 4. The wave- 

 length of the first line sufficiently justifies its 

 identification with the high-level line 4685-90 in the 

 chromosphere (Lockyer), the nebular line 4685-73 

 (Wright), the Orion star line 4685-4 (Pickering), 

 and probably .also with 4688 of the bright line stars. 



The new ultra-violet series includes strong lines 

 at 3203-30, 2511-31, and 2306-20, which may be 

 connected by the equation 



109675 

 (w + 0-499506 1-' 

 where in has the values 2, 3, 4. The limit is 

 identical with that of the Principal series, and 

 the new lines are provisionally regarded as form- 

 ing a second Principal series. Hydrogen is appar- 

 ently unique in having two Principal series so 

 related. It has so far only been possible to identify 

 three members of the C Puppis series, their 

 approximate wave-lengths being 54105, 4541-3, 

 and 42003. 



The investigation is regarded as giving another 

 indication of the probability that there are no 

 special kinds of matter in celestial bodies, and 

 that most of the celestial spectra are reproducible 

 in laboratory experiments. 



« = 48763-8 - 



PELLAGRA. 



THE announcement, a few weeks ago, that pel- 

 lagra has been found in the British Islands 

 is of no slight importance. For, if half-a-dozen 

 genuine cases have been found, we may be fairly 

 sure that many hundreds are waiting to be found. 

 In the United States, it is only five years since 

 Dr. Babcock and Dr. Watson directed general 

 attention to the presence of this disease in their 

 country. W^e now have clear evidence that pel- 

 lagra has been found in no fewer than thirty-five 

 States ; and several thousands of cases have 

 already been found and noted. In the final stage, 

 the central nervous system is affected, and the 

 patient is apt to become insane; it is possible, 

 therefore, that many cases will be found, by 

 diligent examination, among the inmates of 

 asylums. Still, we have no reason to believe that 

 pellagra has ever been, or will ever be, so heavy 

 on this country as on Italy. 



Out of the admirable work done by the Pel- 

 lagra Commission (1909) came Dr. Sambon's 

 theory that the disease is one of the insect-borne 

 infections, and that the infecting agent is 

 Simulium, one of the "midges." It is a not im- 

 probable corollary, with some direct evidence in 

 its favour, that the organism of pellagra is a 

 NO. 2252, VOL. go] 



protozoon, similar in nature to the protozoon of 

 malaria. 



Against this theory, based on long and 

 laborious study of the districts where pellagra 

 lies heaviest on the people, there is the old theory 

 that the disease is due to the eating of unwhole- 

 some maize : that some bacterial change in the 

 maize causes it to act as a slow poison. Perhaps, 

 in a few years, these opposed theories, which now 

 seem utterly irreconcilable, may be brought 

 nearer together by a new series of observations, at 

 some level which is not yet in sight. Meanwhile, 

 in the general opinion of experts, the old theory — 

 that bad maize, ipso facto, induces pellagra — is 

 losing ground. One is reminded of the old theory 

 that the eating of the manioc-root was the cause 

 of the African sleeping-sickness ; and one is 

 tempted to think that the maize-theory of pellagra 

 will have the same fate. 



Certainly, if a notable number of cases of the 

 disease be found in this country, the maize-theory 

 will become even harder to hold. 



The earliest full account, in our language, of 

 the disease is probably the paper by Dr. Sand- 

 with (Brit. Med. Ass. Edinburgh meeting, 1898). 

 His study of pellagra in Lower Egypt is well 

 known to all pathologists. For the facts about 

 pellagra in the United States we have Dr. Niles's 

 recent book, " Pellagra : an American Problem " 

 (Saunders, Philadelphia, 1912), and, with much 

 other literature, two important papers in the 

 Transactions of the Society of Tropical Medicine 

 and Hygiene (January, 1912), by Dr. Stannus and 

 Dr. Sandwith, with a discussion, in which Dr. 

 Sambon and Dr. Chalmers took part. The re- 

 ference to pellagra in the British Islands is British 

 Medical journal, October 26, 1912. 



It is fairly certain that careful collectrve inves- 

 tigation will bring to light many cases of pellagra 

 in this country, and the experts will perhaps be 

 enabled thereby to set aside the "maize theory," 

 and all modified forms of that theory, and to class 

 the disease with malaria, yellow fever, and sleep- 

 ing sickness. Still, it is not impossible that the 

 maize theory and the Simulium theory may, by 

 further study of the facts of the incidence and 

 geographical distribution of the disease, be found 

 less hostile to each other than they appear to be 

 at the present time. 



NOTES. 

 We heartily welcome the new Society for the Pro- 

 motion of Nature Reserves. Its objects, as officiaHy 

 stated, are as follows ; — (i) To collect and collate 

 information as to areas of land in the United King- 

 dom which retain their primitive conditions and con- 

 tain rare and local species liable to extinction owing 

 to building, drainage, and disafforestation, or in con- 

 sequence of the cupidity of collectors. All such in- 

 formation to be treated as strictly confidential. (2) To 

 prepare a scheme showing which areas should be 

 secured. (3) To obtain these areas and hand them 

 over to the National Trust under such conditions as 

 may be necessary. (4) To preserve for posterity as a 



