38 



SCIENCE 



[N. S. Vol. XXXI. No. 7J 



In ooranion with other universal symbols the cross 

 emblem presents four clearly marked stages in its 

 development, a simple idea, elaboration, sanctity 

 and decadence. The crux ansata of Egypt, which 

 was originally a water gauge beginning with a 

 simple stick set upright on the banks of the Nile 

 to indicate the height of the annual overflow, was 

 elaborated, first, by the addition of a short horizon- 

 tal bar, thus forming a tau-oross, the masculine 

 symbol sacred in Phcenicia to Tammuz, and later 

 by the sun-circle, finally changed to a loop, making 

 the object a handled cross. Thus juxtaposed, the 

 fertility of sun and waters suggest the generative 

 powers of nature. This symbol appears in the 

 catacombs with the sun circle transformed into 

 a laurel wreath, expressive of the triumphant 

 faith and hope of christians. The first historical 

 appearance of the swastika, fourteenth { ?) cen- 

 tury B.C., is apparently on a small leaden figure 

 three and a half inches long, found by Dr. Schlie- 

 mann in the second city of the ruins of Troy 

 together with many crosses of gold, silver, etc., 

 the location of the symbol on the figure having 

 generative significance. The swastika indicated 

 the sun — ^the feet referring to the rays, then fire 

 and finally life. In India, the swastika (arani) 

 formed by the two firesticks — the feet indicating 

 flames — was the emblem of fire, then, by an asso- 

 ciation of ideas, the flame of being. Thor's ham- 

 mer, identical in form with the Phoenician mascu- 

 line cross, was the sacred symbol of flre, the 

 hearth, marriage and fertility, and in the god's use 

 ol this hammer to restore his two dead goats, the 

 symbol suggests immortality. The paper traced 

 the gathering of various national crosses by the 

 early converts to the catacombs of Rome, where 

 the crux ansata, swastika, tau-cross and modi- 

 fications of them all, appear on the walls and 

 tombs. The wave of enthusiasm occasioned by 

 the discovery of America brought many mission- 

 aries across the Atlantic — following the reports 

 of those who took possession of the soil under 

 the sign of the cross — and they were amazed to 

 find the cross already so prevalent, attributing its 

 presence to some early christian missionary, tra- 

 ditionally St. Thomas. Its use on altars, tablets 

 and pottery, in weaving, in ceremonies, as well 

 as in representing the orientation of the earth 

 and the heavens, the material and the invisible 

 world, were suggested in support of the thesis that 

 whether as swastika, emblem of fire, wind or 

 water, crux ansata emblem of reproduction, the 

 tau-cross suggestive of the masculine function, or 

 the Latin cross with its acquired ethical sugges- 



tion, the cross has always been the generic symbol 

 of the impartation and maintenance of life. 

 John R. Swanton, 



Secretary 



THE BOTANICAL SOCIETY OF WASHINGTON 



The fifty-seventh meeting of the society was 

 held at the Dewey Hotel, November 20, at eight 

 o'clock P.M., Vice-president Spillman presiding. 

 The following papers were read. 

 Maize and Pellagra: Dr. C. L. Alsberg. 



A description of the clinical features of pellagra 

 was presented, its history in Europe sketched and 

 its occurrence in North and South America dis- 

 cussed. The different hypotheses in regard to its 

 etiology were considered, viz., the malnutrition 

 theory, the spoiled maize theory and the work of 

 Lombroso, the mold theory and the work of Ceni, 

 the bacterial theory, and the protozoon theory. 

 It may be said that pellagra occurs where spoiled 

 corn forms the most important feature of the 

 diet of wretchedly poor peasantry, that most in- 

 vestigators believe it to be an intoxication by as 

 yet unidentified toxic products of the growth of 

 lower organisms upon corn, and that this belief 

 has not as yet been established beyond doubt. In 

 the United States sporadic cases have probably 

 existed for many years. Its apparent increase of 

 recent years may, if the spoiled corn theory be 

 correct, be due to climatic and agricultural 

 changes leading to change in varieties of corn 

 grown, to harvesting of more immature corn, and 

 to imperfect curing, all factors which may favor 

 spoiling. The industrialization of the south with 

 the resultant consumption of corn shipped long 

 distances and the disappearance of the small 

 neighborhood grist mill, may be further factors. 

 Deterioration of corn is usually due to its great 

 moisture content, when harvested prematurely or 

 imperfectly cured. The remedy is to cause it to 

 be thoroughly dried, preferably in kilns, before it 

 leaves the farmer. This would not merely be an 

 important hygienic measure but an equally impor- 

 tant economic one. The saving of freight charges 

 would be enormous, for many millions of gallons 

 of water in the form of unnecessary moisture are 

 hauled annually from the corn-belt to the sea- 

 board. 



The Relation of Plants to Peat Formation: Pro- 

 fessor Chakles A. Davis. 



A short account of two important types of peat 

 deposits and ecological relations of the plants 

 from which they are formed. 



The chief agents of decomposition of vegetable 



