296 



SCIENCE. 



[Vol. VIII., No. 191 



accepted view on the subject. If we subdivide 

 these three classes, we find, that, while all classes 

 of men of thought live longer than ordinary men, 

 the moralists live longest, scientists coming next ; 

 that among the men of feeling the religionists 

 alone live the full period of life, while poets' lives 

 are 5 years, and musicians" lives 8 years, too 

 short ; that, of men of action, rulers and com- 

 manders both fail to complete the full term of 

 life by 4 years. One sees from these statements 

 (which, however, in their detail at least, must be 

 accepted with hesitation, owing to the fewness of 

 examples) that the kind of psychical and physical 

 activity pursued, infiuences the life-period ; that 

 certain types of genius are apt to die young, while 

 others are particularly favored with a full allow- 

 ance of years. 



The question of longevity becomes important 

 when we consider that through it the leaders of 

 civilization are allowed to exercise their impor- 

 tant function a few years longer, thus enabling 

 more great men to be alive at the same time ; and 

 that, by its tendency to be inherited by the oflf^ 

 spring, the children of great men will begin life 

 with a better chance of reaching maturity, and, 

 in turn, of becoming important to the world, if, 

 as we have reason to believe it would, the genius 

 of their ancestors has left its traces in them. 



Joseph Jastrow, 



PARIS LETTER. 

 There is a good deal of discussion going on at 

 present concerning the Municipal laboratory in 

 Paris. This laboratory, as is known, was estab- 

 lished in order to furnish to all persons who require 

 them, a means of making careful analyses of all 

 sorts of manufactured goods, and especially eat- 

 ables and drinks. Of com-se, this made the dealers 

 and manufacturers who sell impure wine, milk, 

 or preserves very angry. But this resentment 

 showed the usefulness of the laboratory ; and not- 

 withstanding the efforts of some aldermen, whose 

 votes are under control of wine-dealers, and whose 

 voices are necessary to them, the laboratory has 

 been kept up, and continues doing useful work. 

 The present discussion concerns salicylic acid, 

 and has brought a howl from the beer-men. The 

 laboratory considers the use of salicylic acid as 

 hurtful, and wishes all manufacturers who use it 

 to be prosecuted. In 1877 a committee appointed 

 to study the matter reported, saying that it is bet- 

 ter to forbid the use of saUcylic acid in the manu- 

 facture of beer. In 1880, another committee, on 

 which were Brouardel and Wiii-tz, reported in a 

 similar manner, considering salicylic acid as a 

 dangerous substance, which is preservative only 

 when used in such large quantities as to render 



the beer toxic, and proposing that all alimen- 

 tary substances containing that acid be destroyed, 

 and their sale forbidden. In 1881 a law was en- 

 acted, forbidding the use of the acid. This 

 brought such a number of protestations, that in 

 1883 the question was again brought before a com- 

 mittee composed of Wiirtz, Pasteur, and others. 

 It reported as the preceding ones had done. It 

 was immediately decided to prosecute all manu- 

 facturers of or dealers in alimentary substances 

 containing the acid. But as the victims of the 

 prosecution were generally innocent, being re- 

 tailers, and not manufacturers, a plan was insti- 

 tuted to seize upon beer as it came into Paris, and 

 before it was sold to dealers. But there arose a 

 serious diflficulty. Most of the adulterated beer 

 comes from Germany, and the law has no force 

 among foreigners. But then the dealers to whom 

 German beer is sent have it analyzed ; and, if it 

 contains salicylic acid, they merely have to send it 

 back. On the whole, the course followed by the 

 Municipal laboratory is a very good one, and 

 profitable to public health. It will always have 

 enemies, since unscrupulous dealers wiU always 

 exist, as they have always to the present day ; but 

 every man who cares for his health must be a 

 stanch supporter of it. 



The Journal offlciel has recently published the 

 annual report on the statistics of the population of 

 France for 1885. The results are very unsatisfac- 

 tory. The bii-th-rate has diminished (it is 922,361), 

 being smaller than usual by twenty or thirty 

 thousand. The number of illegitimate children is 

 larger than in preceding years, being more than 

 eight per cent instead of seven. The death-rate 

 also has diminished, but not to a degree commen- 

 surate with the birth-rate, which exceeds the 

 death-rate by 85,484. This difference is much 

 smaller than it was some ten years ago, when it 

 was 140,000 or 150,000 yearly. However, it must 

 be remembered that the effects of the war of 1870 

 are still felt, and that the diminished birth-rate 

 may be ascribed to the loss of a great number of 

 men, who, at the present time, would have been 

 heads of numerous families. 



M. Paul Bert has recently created in Tonquin a 

 scientific society. He wished to imitate Napoleon 

 in Egypt, no doubt, and has given a sister to the 

 Institut d'Egypt. The Bac-ki-ham-lam-vien — 

 such is the name of the new academy of sciences — 

 has for its mission the collecting of materials for 

 the history of Tonquin. Of course, M. P. Bert 

 has created himself president of the academy, and 

 is sole elector. It is he who decides who shall be 

 the members : they must be of Tonquin blood. 



Professor Herzen of Lausanne has published an 

 interesting review of the researches recently con- 



