SCIENCE. 



[Vol. XIII. No. 309 



oUows a doT -bite. And I believe that the rejection of the specific 

 theory will do more to banish hydrophobia from the world than 

 any thing which we have ever heard of. 



"The word 'hydrophobia' should be used only to describe a 

 condition, and not a disease, as we use the word 'convulsions;' 

 and it should be remembered that this condition may be present in 

 a great number of diseases, as I tried to show you when you last 

 met in this city, in 1884. 



""I firmly and honestly believe, that, if this view of what is called 

 hydrophobia were generally accepted, the disorder would shrink 

 and disappear, as the geni is said, in the tales of the ' Arabian 

 Nights,' to have shrunk and disappeared when the right word was 

 spoken ; and I call your attention to the fact that hydrophobia is 

 now almost unknown in our own State of Pennsylvania. Not a 

 single case has occurred in our State since we last met, and I can- 

 not but attribute this fact partly to the extent to which your judg- 

 ment confirms the opinions to which my studies of hydrophobia 

 have led me. 



" I do not despair of seeing the belief in hydrophobia follow the 

 belief in witchcraft, which once had the support of Church and 

 State, of the medical profession and the laity, but which now, thank 

 God ! torments our fellow-men no more. So long, at least, as 

 Pennsylvania presents the spectacle of freedom from the thraldom 

 of ancient superstitions in regard to hydrophobia, and freedom 

 from its curse, I cannot but think that the former has some causal 

 connection with the latter." 



Inebriate Asylums.— Dr. T. D. Crothers of Hartford, Conn., 

 in an address on " Inebriate Asylums and their Work," delivered 

 at Toronto, Can., draws the following conclusions as being sup- 

 ported by the latest teachings of science and experience: i. Ine- 

 briate hospitals must take the place of jails and station-houses. 

 Such places are dangerous in their mental and physical surround- 

 ings, by intensifying the degeneration, and removing the patient 

 beyond hope of recovery. They are in many cases literal training- 

 stations for mustering in armies of chronic maniacs that never de- 

 sert or leave the ranks until crushed out forever. 2. Inebriate 

 hospitals should receive the incurable inebriates, and make them 

 self-supporting, and build them up physically and mentally. 

 They would relieve the tax-payer, and relieve society of untold 

 burdens of sorrow and misery. 3. Inebriate hospitals should re- 

 ceive the recent cases, and place them in the highest conditions of 

 enforced health and vigor, and thus return a large number to health 

 and sobriety again. 4. Inebriate hospitals can and should be self- 

 supporting when once established. They should be managed on 

 scientific business principles, like military training-schools. 5. 

 Inebriate hospitals should be built from the money raised by taxes 

 on the sale of spirits, on the principle that every business should be 

 obliged to provide for the accidents which grow out of it. 6. 

 These are the realities which every inebriate hospital is approach- 

 ing, and which all experience points out as practical and literal in 

 the near future. 7. The inebriate hospitals of to-day are only in 

 the infancy of their work, contending with great opposition and 

 prejudice, misunderstood, condemned, and working against innu- 

 merable obstacles. 8. The work of the present inebriate hospitals, 

 notwithstanding all the difficulties and imperfections, has the 

 grandest promise for the future, and encouragement for further 

 effort in this field, along the line of scientific research. 9. Lastly, 

 there is an intense personality in inebriate hospitals to each one of 

 us. They may bring salvation and restoration to some one near 

 and dear. They may be fountains of healing whose influence shall 

 cross and influence our pathway in many ways. 10. Inebriate 

 hospitals and their work is the great new land which only a few 

 settlers have reached. They are calling to us to come up and oc- 

 cupy, and thus help the race on in the great march from the lower 

 to the higher. 



THE NATIONAL ELECTRIC LIGHT ASSOCIATION. 



THROtJGH the efforts of Mr. George F. Porter, of the transporta- 

 tion committee, one and one- third rates were obtained some time ago 

 for all delegates travelling to the coming convention in Chicago, in 

 the territory of the Trunk Line Association. It gives us pleasure 

 to now announce that the same active worker has secured the same 



rates from the Central Traffic Association, whose territory covers 

 all that portion of the United States lying west of Pittsburgh (Penn.), 

 Buffalo (N.Y.), and Bellaire (O.), and north of the Ohio River and 

 east of Chicago (111.). The method of obtaining the return ticket 

 from the Chicago Convention (Feb. 19, 20, and 21) is extremely 

 simple. 



First, Each person must purchase (not more than three days 

 prior to the date of the meeting nor later than three days after the 

 commencement of the meeting) a first-class ticket (either unlim- 

 ited or limited) to the place of meeting, for which he will pay the 

 regular tariff fare, and upon request the ticket-agent will issue to 

 him a certificate of such purchase properly filled up and signed by 

 said ticket-agent. Second. If through tickets cannot be procured 

 at the starting-point, the person will purchase to the nearest point 

 where such through tickets can be obtained, and there repurchase 

 through to place of meeting, requesting a certificate properly filled 

 out bv the agent at the point where repurchase is made. Third, 

 Tickets for the return journey will be sold by the ticket-agents at 

 the place of meeting at one-third the highest limited fare, only to 

 those holding certificates signed by the ticket-agent at point where 

 through ticket to the place of meeting was purchased, and counter- 

 signed by the secretary or clerk of the convention, certifying that 

 the holder has been in attendance upon the convention. Fourth, 

 It is absolutely necessary that a certificate be procured, as it indi- 

 cates that full fare has been paid for the going journey, and that 

 the person is therefore entitled to the excursion fare returning. It 

 will also determine the rotite via which the ticket for return journey 

 should be sold ; and w///zou/ it no reduction will be made, as the 

 rule of the association is that " no refund of fare will be made on 

 any account whatever, because of the failure of the parties to ob- 

 tain certificates." Fifth, Tickets for return journey will be fur- 

 nished only on certificates procured not more than three days 

 before the meeting assembles, nor later than three days after the 

 commencement of the meeting, and will be available for continuous 

 passage only ; no stop-over privileges being allowed on tickets sold 

 at less than full fares. Certificates will not be honored unless pre- 

 sented within three days after the date of the adjournment of the 

 convention. Sixth, Ticket-agents will be instructed that excursion 

 fares will not be available unless the holders of certificates are 

 properly identified, as above described, by the secretary, on the 

 certificate, which identification includes the statement that one 

 hundred or more persons, who have purchased full-fare tickets for 

 the going passage, and hold properly receipted certificates, have 

 been in attendance at the meeting. The certificates are not trans- 

 ferable, and the signature affixed at the starting-point, compared with 

 the signature to the receipt, will enable the ticket-agent to detect 

 any attempted transfer. This convention will undoubtedly be the 

 largest and most interesting which has ever been held, and will be 

 accompanied by an exhibition of electric light and power apparatus 

 and supplies, which will be in a large hall devoted entirely to this 

 purpose. 



Electric light and power men who are not now members of 

 the association would do well ts join at once, which they can do by 

 addressing the secretary, Allan V. Garratt, at 16 East 23d Street 

 New York City. 



So large a number of the representative manufacturers and deal- 

 ers in the electric light and power apparatus and supplies have ex- 

 pressed a wish that facilities be afforded them to make a very large 

 exhibit at the coming convention of the National Electric Light As- 

 sociation in Chicago, in February, that the executive committee has 

 decided to secure a large hall, where ample room for each exhibiter 

 may be had. Before the committee can proceed further with the 

 matter, it will be necessary to know how many exhibiters there 

 will be, how many square feet of floor space each will want, how 

 many horse-power in steam, how many horse-power from shafting, 

 and how much current and at what electro-motive force. For the 

 purpose of the committee at present, it will only be necessary to 

 have an approximate idea of what is wanted : therefore any intend- 

 ing exhibiters should apply at once to Mr. B. E. Sunny, chairman 

 executive committee, 148 Michigan Avenue, Chicago, 111. 



GiNN & Co. announce that the new edition of Lanman's " San- 

 skrit Reader " is ready. 



