Apbil 6, 1006.] 



SCIENCE. 



545 



Medullated Fibers in the Oculomotor Nerve 

 of the White Rat and of the Cat at Different 

 Ages.' The increase in number of medul- 

 lated fibers is more closely correlated with the 

 advance in body-weight than of age. The 

 medullated fibers increase in size during the 

 life of the animal. The two types, ' large ' 

 and ' small,' increase in diameter at the same 

 rate. Dr. Edinger contrihutes a criticism of 

 Dr. Terkes' article on the sense of hearing of 

 frogs, published last year, and this is followed 

 by a reply from Dr. Yerkes. 



The Journal of Nervous and Mental Dis- 

 eases, for February, opens with a paper by Dr. 

 Charles L. Dana on those forms of muscular 

 atrophy which are progressive in character, 

 and are degenerative and central in origin, 

 viz., progressive ophthalmoplegia, bulbar paral- 

 ysis, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, and the 

 various types of spinal progressive atrophy, 

 whether beginning in the arms, legs, shoulders 

 or hip girdle. The paper presents a clinical 

 study of seventy-two cases, and is illustrated. 

 Dr. Hoppe follows with a discussion of hyster- 

 ical stigmata caused by organic brain lesions. 

 Dr. C. K. Mills reports a case of crural 

 monoplegia, probably representing the early 

 stage of a unilateral ascending paralysis due 

 to degeneration of the pyramidal tracts, and 

 Dr. Spiller discusses briefly the question of 

 separate sensory centers in the parietal lobe 

 for the limbs. 



The Journal of the Outdoor Life, pub- 

 lished at Trudeau, N. Y., in the Adirondack 

 Mountains, has been made the of&cial organ 

 of the National Association for the Study and 

 Prevention of Tuberculosis, of which Dr. 

 Herman M. Biggs, medical director of the 

 New York City Health Department, is presi- 

 dent. The membership of the association in- 

 cludes the leading workers in the field of 

 tuberculosis, both lay and professional, 

 throughout the United States and Canada. 

 The Journal of the Outdoor Life aims to be 

 helpful to persons suffering from or having 

 a tendency toward lung trouble. It deals 

 with the outdoor treatment of tuberculosis in 

 an intelligent and scientific manner and, while 



not advocating self-treatment by the laity, or 

 attempting to supplant personal medical ad- 

 vice, it points out some of the cormnon pitfalls 

 that beset the unwary health-seeker. It ad- 

 vocates fresh air, nourishing food, carefully 

 regulated exercise and competent medical 

 supervision. 



In the near future the Schweizerische 

 Naturforschende Gesellschaft intends to pub- 

 lish a national journal containing investiga- 

 tions by Swiss students of science. It will be 

 supported by the Federal Government. At 

 present the details concerning the character 

 and form of the journal are being discussed by 

 the various Cantonal branch societies. 



It is announced that American Medicine, 

 edited by Dr. George M. Gould, will hereafter 

 be published monthly instead of weekly. 



DISCUSSION AND CORRESPONDENCE. 



THE DISTRIBUTION OF GOVERNMENT PUBLICATIONS. 



To THE Editor of Science : On page Y of 

 the issue of Science for January 5, 1906, in 

 the address of the president of the American 

 Association for the Advancement of Science, 

 appears the assertion that the large editions 

 of government publications imply a ' pecu- 

 niary waste,' because many of the copies fall 

 into the hands of persons not competent to ap- 

 preciate them. That seems a very short- 

 sighted view, explainable only upon the theory 

 that the distinguished speaker considered all 

 who were not in position to receive, or buy, 

 or secure access to limited editions are not 

 competent to appreciate them. Large edi- 

 tions are greasily to be commended and are 

 certainly riot SC pecuniary loss in the end, for 

 with the constant increase of public and quasi- 

 public libraries and consequent search for pub- 

 lications to complete the collections, and the 

 increased demand arising from constantly in- 

 creasing numbers of scientific workers, the 

 great majority of copies of all worthy works 

 sooner or later reach the hands of men who 

 can use and appreciate them, or become avail- 

 able in school or public libraries. The high 

 prices of many publications issued by educa- 

 tional institutions and private publishers pro- 



