May 31, 1906] 



NATURE 



107 



fort Scale numbers and the wind velocity measured 

 in miles per hour as derived fruiii the methods of 

 Curtis and Koppen. 



Mr. Simpson not only shows the reason for the 

 ■discrepancy between these two sets of numbers, but 

 discusses the special problems to which each set is 

 applicable. This part of the report is particularly 

 interesting, since it displays the intricacy of the 

 problems connected with anemometry. Besides the 

 ditViculties of a theoretical character, there is the 

 additional fact that the scale is not sufliciently d&finite, 

 nor the estimates sufficiently accordant, to warrant 

 the presentation of an authoritative table of equivalents 

 applicable to each number of the Beaufort Scale, and 

 the Director contents himself with offering a less de- 

 tailed statement which for practical purposes expresses 

 the relation between Beaufort numbers and hourly 

 velocities. 



This table shows that 12 was too high a number, or 

 the steps of the scale too small. The difference of 

 velocity must be considerable before it becomes 

 apparent to rough methods of observation. 



W. E. P. 



PROF. 



METSCHMKOFF'S 

 LECTURES. 



HARBEN 



T^HE Harben lectures of the Royal Institute of 

 ••■ Public Health have just been delivered by 

 Prof. Elie Metschnikoff, of the Pasteur Institute, 

 Paris, and Foreign Member of the Royal Society. 

 The lectures, which contained matter of the greatest 

 interest, and were admirably delivered, attracted large 

 and appreciative audiences. 



In the first lecture, delivered on May 25, Prof. 

 Metschnikoff directed attention to the fact that persons 

 may harbour disease germs without themselves mani- 

 festing any ill effects. A notable instance of this is 

 the case of a woman, the proprietress of a bakery, 

 who suffered from typhoid fever ten years previously, 

 and whose employees always suffere'd from more or 

 less gastro-intestinal disturbance, two of them dying 

 from typhoid fever. Investigation proved that this 

 NO. 1909, VOL. 74] 



woman was e.\creting numbers of typhoid bacilli. 

 Why should such an infected person remain appar- 

 ently well ? Undoubtedly bec.uise she had acquired 

 an immunity, the result of modifications of living 

 parts of the body, in all probability of the phagocytic 

 cells. .AH the evidence points to the phagocytes 

 being the great line of defence against disease germs. 

 Recently Dr. Wright advanced the hypothesis that 

 the fluids of the body prepared the microbes for in- 

 gestion by the phagocytic cells by means of sub- 

 stances named opsonins; but experiments were quoted 

 suggesting that phagocytosis takes place without 

 any addition of opsonins. AH observations lead to 

 the conclusion that immunity against infective agents 

 is the result of phagocytic action, is a function of 

 the cells. 



Persons addicted to alcohol are far less resistant 

 to infective diseases than abstemious individuals, and 

 experiments show that aniinals subjected to the in- 

 fluence of alcohol become more sensitive to harmful 

 microbes, because the alcohol has a deleterious action 

 on the phagocytes. It was therefore suggested that 

 it might be wise to eschew alcohol (and other drugs) 

 in the treatment of infective diseases. On the other 

 hand, normal blood-serum and weak saline solutions 

 increase the resistance towards pathogenic microbes, 

 and cases were quoted showing the beneficial action 

 of these substances in grave cases of disease and in 

 major operations. 



The second lecture, delivered on May 28, was on the 

 hygiene of the alimentary canal. In all probability 

 microbes frequently gain access to the circulation 

 through the intestinal wall, and Prof. Metschnikoff 

 supported the view that the virus of tuberculosis fre- 

 quently gains access to the body by this portal. Para- 

 sitic worms are also a source of danger, and many 

 cases of appendicitis can be ascribed to this cause. 

 The data collected indicates that it is high time to 

 undertake a campaign against the entozoa. To ob- 

 viate the risk of intestinal infection, much may be 

 done bv taking cooked food only — boiled water and 

 milk, boiled vegetables, cooked and not raw fruit, 

 and no raw salads. The precautions suggested 

 may appear difficult to carry out, but, once accus- 

 tomed to them, they enter into practice without 

 difficulty. 



The third lecture, delivered on May 30, was devoted 

 to a consideration of hygienic measures against 

 syphilis. It was pointed out that the sufferers from 

 this malady are very largely innocent victims. The 

 subjects of anti-svnhilitic sera and of anti-syphilitic 

 vaccination were considered, and it was shown that 

 both of these are at the present time impracticable. 

 It has been shown that apes can be inoculated with 

 the svphilitic virus, which gives a means of testing 

 prophylactic measures, and as a result of experiment 

 it lias been found that the application of a calomel 

 ointment well rubbed into the seat of inoculation 

 will prevent infection if applied within twenty hours 

 of inoculation. The results obtained on lower 

 monkeys and on anthropoid apes agree so well as 

 to justify the conclusion that the same method may 

 also serve for the prevention of syphilis in man. It 

 has been tried with successful results in the case 

 of a medical student who volunteered for the experi- 

 ment. 



No considerations of a moralising tendency should 

 be opposed to the prevention of so disastrous a 

 calamity as syphilis. True morality should rather 

 contribute as much as possible to the prophylaxis of 

 this and manv another disease. 



The lectures will be published in full in the forth- 

 coming numbers of the Journal of Hygiene. 



