36 



SCIENCE. 



[N. S. Vol. V. No. 105. 



most defective; in the Blacks the female has 

 the most defective eye and the male the most 

 defective ear. The result of Mr. Stetson's 

 memory test of the same number is reserved for 

 another paper. 



A paper by Surgeon-General Geo. M. Stern- 

 berg was read, entitled ' Science and Pseudo- 

 science in Medicine,' in which he noted the 

 difference between the truly scientific investiga- 

 tions, with special reference to preventive med- 

 icine, in contagious and infectious diseases, and 

 the great service such investigations had been 

 in stamping out epidemics such as cholera, 

 yellow fever, etc. , and the so-called science of 

 pretenders and frauds for the sake of gain. He 

 then dwelt at some length on the arrant 

 quackery, charlatanism and fraud practiced by 

 the promoters of numerous well advertised cure- 

 alls which, by plausibly used scientific terms 

 and facts, were calculated by their pretended 

 science to mislead and deceive. This gave rise 

 to an interesting discussion upon the desirability 

 of government supervision and interference in 

 the publication in the press and the sale of such 

 preparations. Messrs. McCormick, Ward, Stet- 

 son, Pierce, Farquhar, Blodgett and others took 

 part in the discussion. 



J. H. McCormick, 

 Secretary. 



TOBREY BOTANICAL CLUB. 



At the meeting of Tuesday evening, Decem- 

 ber 8th., thirty persons were present and one 

 new active, and seven correspouding mem- 

 bers were elected. The death of Mr. Wm. H. 

 Rudkin, one of the oldest members of the club, 

 was announced by Dr. Britton and a committee 

 was appointed to take suitable action. It was 

 resolved that a complete list of the correspond- 

 ing members should be printed in the December 

 number of the Bulletin. A contribution by Dr. 

 T. F. Allen, entitled ' Descriptions of New 

 Species of Nitella from North America and 

 Japan ' was read by title by Dr. Britton, in the 

 absence of the author. Mrs. Elizabeth G. Brit- 

 ton presented a ' Contribution to the Bryology 

 of Bolivia.' It reviewed the more important 

 collections of Bolivian mosses, the treatment 

 which they had received and the present work 

 in progress on this subject, and enumerated the 



bryological collections made by Dr. Rusby in 

 Bolivia in the years 1885 and 1886. This col- 

 lection contained 96 species, in 39 genera, 42 of 

 the species being hitherto undescribed. Dr. 

 H. H. Rusby spoke of ' Botany at the Pan- 

 American Medical Congress held in the City of 

 Mexico, November, 1896.' This paper con- 

 tained brief references to the character of the 

 flora observed on the journey to Mexico, an ac- 

 count of the scientific progress in the city, 

 especially pertaining to applied botany and re- 

 ferred to the botanical work organized by the 

 Pan-American Medical Congress. It was supple- 

 mented by remarks upon the same subject by 

 Mrs. Britton, who also attended the Congress. 

 A number of important publications by the In- 

 stituto Medico Nacional were exhibited. Dr. 

 N. L. Britton described a new species of Gera- 

 nium hitherto confounded with G. Carolinianum. 

 The papers by Dr. Allen and Dr. and Mrs. Brit- 

 ton will be published in the Bulletin, that by Dr. 

 Rusby in the Druggists' Circular. On motion 

 the Club adjourned to meet on the second Tues- 

 day in January. 



H. H. Rusby, 

 Recording Secretary. 



THE ACADEMY OF SCIENCE OF ST. LOUIS. 



At the meeting of the Academy of St. Louis 

 on the evening of December 21, 1896, Mr. H. 

 von Schrenk made some remarks on the para- 

 sitism of lichens, illustrated especially by the 

 long hanging forms of Usnea harbata, common, 

 on Juniperus, etc., on Long Island, N. Y. It 

 was shown that these lichens do not penetrate 

 below the outer periderm of the host, and con- 

 sequently are not to be regarded as true para- 

 sites, but that they frequently cause the death 

 of the latter by suffocation. As Schimper has 

 noted for the long moss of the South, Tillandsia 

 usneoides, the plant is capable of dissemination 

 by wind and birds, and of growing in new sta- 

 tions without attachment. 



Officers for 1897 were nominated. 



Wm. Trelease, 

 Recording Secretary. 



Erratum : Prof. H. A. Hazen calls our attention to 

 the fact in our letter from M. W. de Fonvielle on 

 page 762, Hersuite should be Hermite and 60,000 m. 

 should be 15,000 m. 



