Apeil 8, 1921] 



SCIENCE 



333 



cepted the position of professor of anatomy in 

 tlie medical school of the University of Oregon. 



DISCUSSION AND CORRESPONDENCE 



OSTEOMYELITIS IN THE PERMIAN 



It is always an interesting matter to be ahle 

 to call attention to the earliest appearance in 

 geological time of any phenomenon of nature 

 which is common at the present time. It is 

 especially imporltant in ancient pathology to 

 point out the similarity in form of the results 

 of infective processes of ancient times with 

 those of recent epochs. It is evident that the 

 results of pathological processes have under- 

 gone no particular evolutionary change and 

 one untrained in the study of fossil objects is 

 able to recognize an example of osteomyelitis 

 from the Permian if he is acquainted with 

 modem pathology. 



The present specimen which shows this in- 

 teresting phase of pathology is a posterior 

 dorsal spine of a reptile of the Dimetrodon type 

 and was collected in the Red Beds of Texas by 

 Mr. Paul 0. Miller, of the University of Chi- 

 cago. The spine had been fractured near its 

 base in a simple transverse break, the line of 

 which is still evident, and from an ensuing 

 infection a chronic osteomyelitis developed in 

 the shaft of the bone producing a sinus-filled 

 tumefaction which is to-day so characteristic 

 of that condition. This argues for the pres- 

 ence of infective bacteria during the Permian 

 gueh as have been demonstrated by the mag- 

 nificent researches of Renault in the Paleozoic 

 of France. 



This is the oldest vertebrate fossil showing 

 the results of infection which has been seen or 

 described, as it is likewise the oldest example 

 of osteomyelitis. These statements apply only 

 to fossil vertebrates for I have not sufficient 

 knowledge of invertebrate forms to make a 

 sweeping statement covering all fossil forms, 

 but so far as my studies go I have seen no ex- 

 ample of bacterial infection during the life of 

 any Paleozoic form older than the reptile re- 

 ferred to above. This of course brings up the 

 question as to the existence of a very mild 

 form of pathology during the early geolc^ical 



periods. The entire problem of early pathol- 

 ogy is, however, still an open one and hasty 

 conclusions must not be made on insufficient 

 data. EoY L. Moodie 



Department op Anatomy, 

 University op Illinois, 

 Chicago 



the chromosomes of conocephalum 



CONICUM 



During the winter and spring of 1919-20 a 

 study was made of the chromosomes of Cono- 

 cephalum conicum for the purpose of deter- 

 mining whether or not there exists any visible 

 difference between the chromosome groups of 

 the two sexes. "No such difference was found, 

 but the chromosome number (haploid) is 

 plainly nine instead of eight as reported by 

 Farmer, Bolleter, and Escoyez. One of the 

 chromosomes is very minute and may have 

 been overlooked by these workers, or there 

 may possibly be a difference in respect to the 

 chromosome number between the European 

 and the American races which are ascribed 

 to this species. It is planned to secure plants 

 from different localities and continue the 

 study with reference to the chromosome 

 number. 



Amos M. Showalter 



Department op Botany, 

 Univeksity op Wisconsin 



the cost of german publications 



To THE Editor of Science : Concerning this 

 topic I may be allowed, as one not long ago 

 from a neutral country, to answer Mr. Howe's 

 and Mr. Dock's letters (Science, Nov. 26, 

 1920, and Dec. 24, 1920, resp.) as follows: 



When, before the war, the Germans sold 

 goods to this country at a lower price than 

 they were sold in Germany, this fact was 

 much resented here. 



When nowadays, after the war, the Germans 

 sell goods to this country at a higher price, 

 nominally, than they are sold in Germany, 

 this fact is much resented here again. 



IN'ote the inconsistency! 



If German books could be imported into 

 this country at prices prevailing in Germany 



