March 7, 1919] 



SCIENCE 



239 



tion of the number of persons exhibiting 

 anosmia in this community, than to some 

 form of inheritance. 



I wish in no way to be understood as op- 

 posing the belief that deficiencies in the sense 

 of smell may be inherited in human beings. 

 On the contrary, it seems certain that defects 

 in the sense of smell must be inherited, since 

 this sense in man is so degenerate as to be 

 vestigial in function, often strangely one- 

 sided in its manifestations, or even completely 

 wanting. The extent to which the sense is 

 developed varies greatly among individuals. 

 Many persons with apparently normal olfac- 

 tion are actually unable to appreciate certain 

 particularly pungent odors such as those of 

 violets, or hydrocyanic acid, etc. 



In deciding the cause of deficient olfaction 

 it is most important to recognize the favor- 

 able location for exposure to disease of the 

 olfactory epithelium. Any attempt to deter- 

 mine the manner of inheritance of the differ- 

 ent degrees of anosmia, therefore, must ne- 

 cessitate a careful examination of the nasal 

 epitheliimi in all so-called abnormal individ- 

 uals in order to detect the vitiating effects 

 of disease. 



In heredity studies of no other sense would 

 such considerations be more important than 

 in investigations based on the degree of 

 efficiency of the sense of smell. Diseases of 

 the nasal epithelium are often but slightly 

 contagious thus affecting only certain mem- 

 bers of a family, and on account of greater 

 exjKisure, more probably the male members, as 

 in the family now considered. Some diseases 

 of the nasal passages as rhinoscleroma are 

 endemic in certain regions and might cause 

 secondary conditions which would seem to be 

 " inbred " in the community. 



Anosmia is known among women as well as 

 among men, though probably more often in 

 the latter. Until, however, there is statistical 

 evidence indicating a decided preponderance 

 of the defect in one sex, when not the direct 

 result of disease, there is no reason in the 

 absence of further genetic data for assuming 

 the condition to be sex-linked in inheritance. 



Anosmia is in no way comparable to color- 

 blindness as the expression " smell-blindness " 

 might suggest. It is comparable only to 

 defective sight or actual blindness when this 

 is due to either retinal, nerve, fiber-tract, or 

 cerebral center deficiency. 



Charles E. Stockard 

 Cornell Medical College, 

 New York City 



QUOTATIONS 



THE ORGANIZATION OF RESEARCH IN 

 GREAT BRITAIN' 



The Committee of the Privy Council for 

 Scientific and Industrial Research has pub- 

 lished its third annual report (for the year 

 August 1, 1917, to July 31, 1918).^ Prac- 

 tically it is a new government department 

 which administers the Imperial Trust for the 

 Encouragement of Scientific and Industrial 

 Research. During the last financial year the 

 committee exjjended £30,825, and it is con- 

 vinced that the value to the nation of the work 

 done is beyond all comparison greater than the 

 cost, and will, as time goes on, bring con- 

 tinually augmented returns, for the garnering 

 of the harvest of research is sure though slow. 

 The estimated expenditure for the current 

 financial year is £163,350, which includes a 

 sum of £89,750 for the National Physical Lab- 

 oratory. In addition, the laboratory is rend- 

 ering services to the several war departments, 

 which will be met out of the vote of credit, at 

 an estimated cost of £74,100. The grants in 

 aid of industrial research associations will be 

 met out of the fund of one million held by the 

 Imperial Trust. 



The report by the Advisory Council, of 

 which Sir William McCormick is chairman, 

 and Sir Frank Heath, K.C.B., secretary, gives 

 an account of the progress made in the estab- 

 lishment of these associations and the steps 

 that have been taken in the organization of 

 national research. Some thirty industries are 



1 British Medical Journal. 



2 ' ' Eeport of the Committee of the Privy Coun- 

 cil for Scientific and Industrial Research for the 

 Year 1917-18." H.M. Stationery Office. Price 

 4d. net. (Cd. 9194.) 



