666 
The first stated paper was by Dr. W. W. 
Johnston on ‘The [ll-health of Charles Dar- 
win,’ its nature, cause and its relation to his 
work. Dr. Johnston presented the results of an 
extended research into the life of Darwin, 
showing that up to the age of twenty-seven the 
philosopher was strong and vigorous; then fol- 
lowed thirty-six years of suffering, and eleven 
years of improvement to the date of his death. 
Dr. Johnston stated that the visible beginning 
of Darwin’s intellectual life was during the 
voyage of the Beagle. These five years were 
characterized by constant strain of overwork, 
which was continued for several years after the 
voyage, though his nervous system was ex- 
hausted. The break-down of Darwin necessi- 
tated a strict regimen, the good results of 
which appeared in the last decade of his life. 
Dr. Johuston diagnoses the case as one of neu- 
rasthenia brought on by overwork, the symp- 
toms appearing on the voyage of the Beagle. 
The prolongation of Darwin’s life was due to 
the regimen adopted and the unremitting care 
given him by the members of his family. The 
paper was discussed by Dr. Frank Baker and 
Dr. Theo. N. Gill. 
Dr. George M. Kober read a paper entitled 
“The Progress of Charity Reform in the Dis- 
trict of Columbia since 1896.’ Dr. Kober’s 
paper was more than locally interesting in 
showing what may be done by the application 
of rational methods to the charity problem. 
These are personal inspection as to the needs 
of applicants, stimulation to self-help by aid in 
securing employment, and the encouragement 
of small savings during times of production, to 
be drawn upon in times of stress. The prog- 
ress noted under this system since 1896 is re- 
markable. Dr. Kober presented statistics show- 
ing a great diminution in applicants for aid, a 
heavy reduction of the expense of conducting 
the work, and a large increase in the number 
of those depositing savings. 
WALTER HoucuH. 
THE ACADEMY OF SCIENCE OF 8T. LOUIS. 
AT the meeting of the Academy of Science of 
St. Louis on April 1, 1901, thirty-three per- 
sons present, a memorial notice of the late 
Judge Nathaniel Holmes, a charter member of 
SCIENCE. 
(N.S. Vou. XIII. No. 330. 
the Academy, was presented by a committee 
composed of Professor Nipher, Dr. Sander and 
Dr. Baumgarten. 
Mr. John S. Thurman delivered an address 
on the many industrial uses now made of com- 
pressed air, illustrating his remarks by appa- 
ratus in operation, including electric motor air 
compressor, compressed air auger, drill, disin- 
fecting atomizer, sculptors’ and stone-cutters’ 
tools, carpet renovators, etc., and a set of 
lantern slides showing the practical uses made 
of these and other implements and machines 
operated by means of compressed air. 
Dr. Theodore Kodis exhibited, under the 
microscope, slides illustrating a new method of 
staining brain tissue, whereby, in four or five 
days, it has proved possible to prepare single or 
double stained preparations containing nerve 
cells with the dendrides of the latter brought 
out by a direct stain, instead of being differ- 
entiated merely as amorphous silhouettes, as 
is the case with the much slower Golgi process 
commonly employed. It was stated that the 
material is treated before sectioning, for about 
twenty-four hours, with cyanide of mercury, 
followed for approximately the same length of 
time by a formaldehyde solution, after which 
sections are cut, stained with phosphomolyb- 
date hematoxylin and, if desired, a contrast- 
ing stain, such as one of the aniline greens, and 
mounted in the usual way. Z 
WILLIAM TRELEASE, 
Recording Secretary. 
THE ELISHA MITCHELL SCIENTIFIC SOCIETY,,. 
UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA. 
THE 134th meeting of the club was held on 
April 9th, when the following papers were 
read : 
‘First Aid to the Injured in the United States. 
Army’: Professor C. S. Mangum. 
‘The Work of the Commission for the Examination — 
of the United States Mint’: President F. P. Venable. 
CHaAs. BASKERVILLE, 
Secretary. 
DISCUSSION AND CORRESPONDENCE. 
OIL IN TEXAS. 
To THE EDITOR OF SCIENCE :—You doubt- 
less have remarked that in various commer- 
cial journals the oil which flows in such 
