444 



SCIENCE 



[N. S. Vol. XL. No. 1030 



for the study of physiology by the newest and 

 most approved methods. 



The Hallerianum, Kronecker's miagnificent 

 physiological laboratory in Berne, has been 

 for years an international center for physio- 

 logical investigators. English, American, 

 Italian and Russian students went there to 

 learn methods and to be initiated in physio- 

 logical research. Well-known physiologists 

 often worked in this laboratory, for instance 

 Oyon, Gamgey, Heger and others. At his 

 attractive home, presided over gracefully by 

 Mrs. Kroneeker, a cultured lady and an accom- 

 plished linguist, one often met celebrated 

 scientists from all over the world. Kiihne, 

 Mosso, Bowditch, Schafer and Foster were 

 often there. 



Kroneeker was a foreign member of our 

 National Academy of Sciences, of the Eoyal 

 Society and of many European Academies. 

 He had conferred upon him honorary degrees 

 from a great many universities. In England 

 alone he received the degree of LL.D. from the 

 universities of Glasgow, Aberdeen, St. An- 

 drews and Edinburgh, and the degree of D.Sc. 

 from Cambridge. 



He had pupils all over the world. Of 

 American investigators who worked under 

 Kroneeker at one time or another I shall men- 

 tion only the following : Mills, Stanley Hall, 

 Gushing, Gies, H. 0. Jackson, H. 0. Wood, 

 Jr., Cutter, Carter, Busoh, Miihlberg, Mays, 

 McGuire, Arnold and Meltzer. 



Before concluding I wish to call attention 

 to the following few incidents which bear wit- 

 ness to the nobility of Kronecker's character. 

 The phenomenon of the " refractory period " 

 which is generally ascribed to Marey, was 

 observed and clearly described by Kroneeker 

 one year before Marey. Kroneeker never 

 made any effort for the recognition of his 

 priority, and both physiologists remained 

 intimate friends during their entire life. I 

 have mentioned above that Kroneeker had a 

 share, at least equal to that of Von Basch, in 

 being one of the first who introduced the era 

 of studying blood pressure in human beings. 

 But when Von Basch and others neglected to 

 give him credit, we find Kroneeker nowhere 

 making an effort to obtain his rights. 



Kronecker's studies of the nature of moun- 

 tain disease was a stimulus which gave rise 

 to researches on that subject by many other 

 investigators, among whom I shall mention 

 Zuntz and Loewy and A. Mosso, who came to 

 results diilering from those of Kroneeker. It 

 was, however, in Kronecker's laboratory that 

 Loewy made the analyses of his results, and 

 I have been a witness of the attractive scene 

 when Mosso was introduced by Kroneeker to 

 his students to lecture on Mosso's theory of 

 acapnia as the cause of mountain disease, a 

 theory entirely at variance with that of bis 

 own. 



Kroneeker had many scientific disputes and 

 was often energetic and perseverant in the 

 defense of his views. But he never permitted 

 a personal note to slip into his discussions. 



Physiology lost in Kroneeker a master and 

 a leader, and numerous physiologists aU over 

 the world lost in him a noble and kind-hearted 

 friend. S. J. Meltzer 



EOCKEFELLEK INSTITUTE 



SCIENTIFIC NOTES AND NEWS 

 Dr. a. Penck, professor of geography at 

 Berlin; Dr. F. von Luschan, professor of 

 anthropology in the same university, and Dr. 

 J. Walther, professor of geology and paleontol- 

 ogy at Halle, are among the German men of 

 science who accepted invitations to attend the 

 Australian meeting of the British Association. 

 It is said that there is some anxiety as to how 

 they shall return home. If press despatches 

 are to be believed, several German astronomers, 

 including Professors Kempff and Ludendorf, 

 who had gone to the Crimea to observe the 

 eclipse of the sun, have been taken prisoners 

 and their scientific instruments confiscated. 



The Paris Academy of Sciences has placed 

 itself at the disposal of the national defense. 

 This resolution having been communicated to 

 the government, members have been placed on 

 commissions on the subjects of wireless teleg- 

 raphy, aviation, explosives, hygiene and medi- 

 cine. The academy is said to be continuing 

 its meetings. A paper was presented at the 

 last meeting of which reports are at hand on 

 the recent eclipse of the sun by Messrs. Bail- 

 laud and Bigourdan, of the Paris Observatory. 



