NA TURE 



[June 25, 1896 



Dr. Bruni, of Naples, has recently contributed an im- 

 portant paper to the Annalcs de rinstitut Pasteur, corroborating 

 earlier investigations on the association of the typhoid bacillus 

 with cases of osteomyelitis. The bacteriological study of this 

 disease has recently been actively pursued, and a French 

 physician not long ago published statistics of ninety cases in 

 which he found the Staphylococcus aureus seventy times, and 

 the typhoid bacillus four times. Particular interest attaches to 

 the connection of Eberth's bacillus with osteomyelitis, since 

 Orlofif, Krankel, and others have shown that this organism is 

 frequently found in osseous tissue, whilst of especial im- 

 portance is the discovery made by Chantemesse and Widal, that 

 it has a particular predilection for the marrow of bones. Osteo- 

 myelitis may declare itself not only during the course of typhoid 

 fever, or during the period of convalescence, but also a long 

 time after the recovery has been completed. That a connection 

 was possible between typhoid fever and subsequent manifesta- 

 tions of osteomyelitis was first indicated by Keen in 1878 ; but 

 for the more precise infornntion which is now at our disposal 

 on this subject, we are indebted to Chantemesse and Widal. 

 Dr. Bruni describes a most interesting case of osteomyelitis in 

 which the typhoid bacillus was found in the marrow of the left 

 tibia, six years after the patient had recovered from an acute 

 attack of typhoid fever. Most careful tests were made, in- 

 cluding Pfeitfer's ingenious serum reaction, to correctly diagnose 

 the bacillus found as that of typhoid, and there appears to be 

 no doubt that Dr. Bruni has furnished fresh evidence of the 

 new r6le which may be assumed by this much-dreaded microbe. 



During last year M. Flammarion made some interesting 

 experiments as to the effect of lights of different colours upon 

 vegetable growth {Bull. Soc. Ast. France, June). On July 4, 

 eight identical sensitive plants, which had been sown at the 

 same time, were selected for experiment. These were placed 

 two by two in similarly constructed glass boxes, of which 

 the sides were of different colours, one being red, one green, 

 one blue, and another of ordinary clear class. All were exposed 

 to precisely the same meteorological conditions throughout. 

 The rates of growth were as follows : 



Sept. 6 0'220 o'ogo 0^027 0-045 



,, 27 0.345 o'i5o 0'027 0080 



Oct. 22 0'420 o'i52 0027 O'lOO 



Thus, while the plants exposed to blue light made no progress 

 whatever, those exposed to red increased their height fifteen 

 times. The latter, moreover, acquired an extraordinary degree 

 of sensitiveness. Similar results, but not so strongly marked, 

 were obtained with geraniums and other plant.s. The fact that 

 the plants exposed to white light grew less rapidly than those 

 which were under red glass, although receiving the same amount 

 of red radiations, seems to suggest that the presence of blue 

 light in the former case not only did not accelerate the growth 

 of the plants, but actually retarded it. 



In vol. viii. of the Proc. Roy. Soc. Victoria (Melbourne), 

 recently published, Mr. R. Etheridge, jun., describes some 

 Trilobite remains from Heathcote, on the western side of Mount 

 Ida, which are of extreme interest as an addition to the scanty 

 Cambrian fauna of the Antipodes. Although occurring only as 

 casts, the characters of the head and pygidium appear to be 

 clearly shown, so much so that Mr. C. D. Walcott, from an 

 examination of careful drawings, unhesitatingly referred them 

 to the Middle Cambrian. As the result of a critical comparison, 

 Mr. Etheridge is unable to identify them with any known genus, 

 and has named the specimens Dinesus ida. Along with this 

 trilobite occurs a brachiopod, which seems very similar to 

 Lakhiniim, a form described from the Cambrian of the Salt 

 NO. I 39 I, VOL. 54] 



Range, India. It is to be hoped that this scanty fauna, which 

 is the only unquestionable Middle Cambrian fauna yet found in 

 Australia, and which seems to have no close relation to any of 

 the other Cambrian faunas of that country, may soon be added 

 to, for it is certain that the trilobites are a most promising group 

 for the determination of the geographical life-provinces which 

 may have existed in these remote times. In the same volume 

 there is a revision of (with additions to) the fauna of the Table 

 Cape Beds, Tasmania, by Mr. I'ritchard, who regards it as 

 Eocene. 



The Agricultural Gazette of Cape Colony publishes a letter 

 sent by Sir Ferdinand von Mueller to Sir Hercules Robinson, 

 the Governor of the Colony, and appealing for a reserve-ground 

 for the preservation of rare Cape plants. As the veteran botanist 

 of Victoria points out, the vegetation of South Africa is the 

 richest in the world, not only as to number of species, but also 

 as containing an astounding variety of plants of special and 

 peculiar type, aggregated chiefly in the south-western province."* 

 and occurring nowhere else. Hundreds of these are quite local 

 and restricted to very circumscribed areas. They are sure to be 

 swept out of existence altogether, unless special provision is 

 made for their preservation ; and it is on that account that the 

 appeal is made for a wild-garden or reserve for the conservation 

 of Cape plants in areas where they can be maintained for the 

 knowledge of generations to come. It may be said that botanic 

 gardens exist already in several parts of t he colony ; but in a 

 report upon Baron von Mueller's proposal. Prof. Mac Owan 

 remarks: "These places can only exist by making themselves 

 into a lounge or pleasaunce of idle hours for the population 

 living close by. I speak as one who knows, for it was my lot to- 

 run one of these for fourteen of the hardest and most unsatis- 

 factory years of my working life. The conditions of support 

 compelled the place to grovel down into a nursery-garden on 

 commercial lines, in order to get money enough to keep it 

 presentable for the daily stroller. Nor did I ever dare to plant 

 up any single portion of it with typical representatives of our 

 Flora. The public would have taken the alarm at once. They 

 care nothing for the special prehistoric flora of the land they live 

 in, compared with the newest hideous abortion in chrysanthe- 

 mums. ... So that some of the gardens which we complaisantly 

 call botanic, have it in them to stand between the living and 

 the dead, and stop the slow and sure extinction of the most 

 ancient and interesting part of our Cape Flora. This state of 

 things, brought home to me yearly as I traverse the same 

 solitudes each season, and note the increasing scarcity of rare 

 plants, has been much in mind ; but I do not see any other way 

 of dealing with the matter, than by the reserve, now recom- 

 mended, of chosen localities for all time and inalienable." But 

 much as this is to be desired. Prof. Mac Owan has to confess 

 that the idea is not likely of even approximate fulfilment. 



Under the editorship of Dr. Cotz Martius, Professor of 

 Philosophy'in the University of Bonn, the first part of a new 

 journal has appeared, fentitled Bcitrd^e :ur Psychologie iind 

 Philosophie. The present number is devoted to considerations 

 bearing on colour-vision, and contains three papers by Dr. 

 Martius on the brightness of negative after-images, on a new 

 method of determining the brightness of colours, and on the 

 conception of specific brightness of colour-sensation. In 

 addition to these, Herr Friedrich Kretzmann contributes a note 

 on the brightness of complementary mixtures. 



In' L'Etlettricista, Prof. A. Roiti describes a new tube for the 

 production of Riintgeri rays, in which the bottom end is covered 

 with a cap of aluminium instead of glass, thus allowing freer 

 passage of these rays. According to the figure given, it appears 

 that this cap is used as the anode, the kathode being a concave 

 speculum of aluminium facing it. By jiolishing with emery 



