330 • 



SCIENCE. 



[N. S. Vol. VIII. No. 193.. 



velopment of animals, between the rods and 

 the pigment of the epithelium. In some ani- 

 mals both are formed before birth ; in others 

 both are formed after birth ; in all, the pigment 

 gets its full intensity only after birth, and in 

 those born blind (kittens) only some days after 

 they open their eyes. It would be interesting 

 to find out if kittens pass through a period dur- 

 ing these few days after their eyes are opened, 

 when, although they can see by daylight, they 

 are not yet provided with night-vision. Pro- 

 fessor Albertoni does not distinctly say that the 

 rods are destitute of the visual purple at this 

 time, when the pigment of the epithelium is 

 wanting, but it is very probable that that is the 



case. 



C. L. F. 



EXPEEIMENTS WITH KITES AT BLUE HILL OB- 

 SEEVATORY. 



The world's record for high kite flight was 

 broken on August 26th at Mr. Rotch's observa- 

 tory by Messrs. Clayton and Ferguson, who dis- 

 patched a tandem of kites into the air until the 

 highest one reached an altitude of 12,124 feet 

 above the sea level, a height 277 feet greater 

 than any kite has reached heretofore. 



The top kite was of the Lamson ribbed pat- 

 tern, and had an area of 71 square feet. The 

 other kites were the modified Hargreave box 

 variety, and had a combined area of 149 square 

 feet. All the kites were fitted with self-reg- 

 ulating, elastic bridles, invented at the obser- 

 vatory, to prevent the kites from exerting a 

 dangerous pull. Five miles of line, weighing 

 75 pounds, was let out, while the weight of the 

 kites, recording instruments and secondary line, 

 was 37 pounds, making a total of 112 pounds 

 lifted into the air. The recording instrument 

 was made by Mr. Ferguson and was of alu- 

 minum, weighing three pounds, and registering 

 temperature, pressure, humidity and wind ve- 

 locity. The ascent was begun at 11 o'clock, 

 and the highest point reached at 4:15 p. m. 



The kites passed through clouds when about 

 a mile above the surface of the earth, but while 

 above the clouds the instruments showed the 

 air to be very dry. At the highest point the 

 temperature was 38 degrees and the wind ve- 

 locity 32 miles an hour. At the ground at the 



same time the temperature was 75 and the wind 

 velocity 32 miles. The highest wind velocity 

 recorded was 40 miles an hour at a height of 

 11,000 feet. The wind on the ground at this 

 time was from the west, while at the highest- 

 point reached by the kites it was southwest. 

 The flight was one of a series of high ascents 

 made during the spring and summer, averaging 

 about a mile and a-half, while on several occa- 

 sions a height of over 10,000 feet has been ob- 

 tained. 



THE PREVENTION OF CONSUMPTION. 



We learn from the British Medical JournaT 

 that the Congress of Tuberculosis, which came- 

 to an end on August 2d, passed the foUowing^ 

 resolutions : The Congress, considering that- 

 contagion constitutes by far the most important 

 cause of human tuberculosis, and that sputa 

 dried and reduced to dust are the most effective 

 agents of contagion, makes the following recom- 

 mendation : 1. That, until the time arrives- 

 when tuberculosis will be included among the 

 contagious diseases the notification of which is 

 compulsory, all places open to the public should 

 be provided with hygienic spittoons, and witb 

 a conspicuous notice forbidding expectoration 

 anywhere else than into these receptacles. 2. 

 That the public authorities set the example 

 by ordering the carrj'ingout of this measure 

 with the least possible delay in all places under 

 their jurisdiction, and especially in schools of 

 every class ; this is the most vital point in the 

 reform. S. That tuberculous patients should 

 not be sent to convalescent homes open to per- 

 sons suffering from other diseases. 4. That 

 homes should be established and specially re- 

 served for convalescent children. 5. That a 

 ' medical committee of initiative ' for the estab- 

 lishment of popular and gratuitous sanatoria- 

 should be formed. 6. That the private initiative 

 of the medical body, and the initiative of the 

 public imitating the example already set in> 

 France and in other countries, should lead tO' 

 the creation of the largest possible number of 

 sanatoria. 7. That the Minister of Public In- 

 struction and the Department of Public Hygiene 

 in the Ministry of the Interior encourage, by ant 

 official patronage, the courses of instruction in 

 hygiene which the League against Tuberculosis 



