August 30, 1919] 



SCIENCE 



213 



In ancient days, when the climate of the Turk- 

 ish empire was favorable, the ancestors of some of 

 the present inhabitants were the leaders of civili- 

 zation. To-day their descendants are crushed and 

 discouraged by the insurmountable obstacles of na- 

 ture. No wonder their spirit is broken, their chil- 

 dren ignorant, their religion corrupt, aid their gov- 

 ernment diabolical. 



Truly Turkey is the sick nation of Europe, 

 and her civilization corresponds to her phys- 

 ical environment. 



This does not mean that she is forever doomed 

 to misgovermnent, race hatred and massacre. It 

 does mean, however, that there is little hope of any 

 favorable development from within. 



We now attain to the climax of the book in 

 a consideration of Germany and her Neigh- 

 bors, and the Great War. Racial character, 

 Huntington says, " is the effect of physical 

 environment acting upon generation after 

 generation." The Germans are living in one 

 of the most invigorating climates, one that is 

 superior to that of her enemies who live east 

 and south of them, and it has made them the 

 virile and persisting people, that they are. 



No other nation in the world has so many people 

 who live under a highly stimulating climate. The 

 German devotion to the national cause is like that 

 which made early Eome so formidable. 



Wherever and whenever the climate is stimula- 

 ting, civilization seems to rise to a high level. The 

 character of the civilization of course varies ac- 

 cording to the race and training of the people. 

 Yet no matter what the race, it seems under such 

 circumstances to acquire the power to originate 

 new ideas, to stick to them until they are carried 

 out, and to impress its rule and its civilization 

 upon the less favored people with whom it comes 

 in contact. 



Charles Sohuchert 



NEW ACTIVITIES IN THE HISTORY OF 

 SCIENCE 



The active interest in the history of science 

 which exists at the present time in Europe is 

 indicated by the numerous publications which 

 are api)earing and announced in this field. 



In Italy the journal Scieniia (Rivista di 

 Scienza), International Review of Scientific 

 Synthesis, is in its thirteenth year of publica- 



tion. The present editor is E. Rignano, whose 

 works are favorably known to American read- 

 ers. This is a monthly publication (subscrip- 

 tion at 33 francs per year, Eelix Alcan, pub- 

 lishers, Paris), with articles in French, 

 Italian and English, but articles in Italian 

 and English are repeated in French transla- 

 tion. The title indicates the purpose, synthesis 

 of science, of the journal, particularly to 

 counterbalance the ill effects of over-special- 

 ization and also to have due regard for the 

 bonds of unity among the different sciences. 

 The social sciences and the history of science 

 are included within the program of this pub- 

 lication. It deserves the hearty support of 

 all scientists, particularly the support by sub- 

 scription of college and technical libraries 

 and by individuals. 



Professor Gino Loria has published for 

 nearly twenty years the quarterly journal, 

 Bollettino di Bibliografia e Storia delle Sci- 

 enze Matematiche (Torino, Rosenberg et 

 Sellier, Via Maria Vittoria, 18). The editor 

 is notable among historians of mathematics 

 as a mathematician of the fijst rank, con- 

 tributing equally to the field of pure mathe- 

 matics and to the history of the science. This 

 journal is always interesting and instructive, 

 particularly valuable to all students of mathe- 

 matics. 



In March of this year appeared the first 

 number of a new Italian publication, quar- 

 terly, devoted entirely to the history of sci- 

 ence, the Archivio di Storia della Scienza. 

 The editor. Professor Aldo Mieli, of the Uni- 

 versity of Eome, is a well-known contributor 

 to the fields of the history and philosophy of 

 the sciences. Each volume of the Archivio 

 will consist of about 500 pages (foreign sub- 

 scription 35 francs, Dott Attilio Nardeechia, 

 Via dellTTmilta, 14, Rome 19). While par- 

 ticular attention is to be paid to Italian sci- 

 ence and scientists, all publications in the 

 history of the various sciences and relating 

 to the philosophy and development of science 

 eome within the range of the journal. 



The first number contains the following 

 articles and departments: G. B. De Toni, 

 " Francesco Griselini, viaggiatore e natural- 



