276 



SCIENCE. 



[Vol. XXI. No 537 



We have had for several hundred years the term physiology, 

 v^hich is the science of the life-phenomena.' There is no reason 

 why we should not retain this name, and use it as it has been 

 used ever since the revival of science in the sixteenth century. 

 Biology is of later origin, it was born with evolution, and it is 

 merely a branch of the all-embracing physiology. Biology does 

 not consist of the entire sum of life-phenomena; it is the branch 

 of physiology which treats of the mutual relationship of the forms 

 of organized matter, especially in view of the theories of adapta- 

 tions and of natural selection. 



I wish to confine my remarks as far as possible to vegetable 

 biology, and here I shall invite your attention to a very important 

 paper by F. Delpino," who regards biology as the main basis of 

 Darwinism, and points out its importance for the theories of 

 plant metamorphosis. With reference to the latter, we find that 

 Warming' will admit only the "definition of metamorphosis" 

 into the biology. Goebel* explains the state of affairs very 

 logically in these words: ''Biology regards the parts of the 

 plants as if they were not limbs (in morphological sense), but 

 organs, or tools," and thus he mentions one feature of biological 

 investigation, namely, the study of correlation. 



If physiology is placed at the head of natural science, and 

 biology in its proper place as a branch thereof, we shall be able 

 to see more distinctly how to reach the ideal, namely, the com- 

 parative physiology of animals and plants, for which so much 

 material has been accumulated that we are able to grasp many 

 important features of life in general. I have repeatedly '' referred 

 to this fact, but it will be admitted that the fundamental defini- 

 tions must be logical and not ridiculous. 



How biology, in the true and limited sense, branches out into the 

 other departments of botany, I have shown in the following table. 

 We have two features of living things: form and function, and, 

 accordingly, the morphology and the physiology. The table shows 



Animal physiology 



Animal morphology 



General physiology 



General biology 

 Biological classification 

 " anatomy 

 " morphology 



General morphology^ 



Vegetable physiology 



""Vegetable morphology 



how we get a biological classification, or a comparative syste- 

 matic botany, or zoology. Biological morphology is practically a 

 morphology which deals with adaptations of the different forms 

 to certain ends and comparatively regarded. Biological anatomy 

 is teaching the structural adaptations in animals and plants from 

 a comparative standpoint. 



To apply biological characters and features to the systematic 

 part of either zoology or botany will tend to make the registration 

 of species and forms more valuable to physiology. 



Probably it seems trifling to write quite elaborately about a ques- 

 tion of definition. If, however, our fundamental definitions shall 

 be not merely adaptations for the extension of private power and 

 inHuence, we must consider them well. This is not only a ques- 

 tion of logical consideration, but of scientific principles. 



J. Christian Bay. 



Missouri Botanical Garden, April 27. 



' See J. von Sachs, " Vorlesungen iiber Pflanzenphysiologie," 1887, p. 3. 



2 Fondamentl di Biologia vegetale, I.; Prolegomeni (Revista dl Filosofia 

 scientiflca, Milano., I., 1880, No. 1, pp. 58-90). See Botanisches Centralblatt, 

 TOl. Ix., 1882, pp. 333-335. 



' Warming, in Meddelelser fra den bot. Forening 1 KJoebentiavD, I., 192. 



' Pflanzenblologlsche Schilderungen, I., 1889, Introduction. 



93, p. 105; BIo- 



Epidermic Forms of Mental or Nervous Diseases or Disorders. 



It is very desirable that certain data should be gathered on 

 "epidermic forms of mental or nervous diseases or disorders.' 

 As an example of what is meant, I would instance "The Chil- 

 dren's Crusade," which occurred in Europe ; the persecution of 

 certain individuals supposed to be possessed of witches in New 

 England, and chorea, or St. Vitus's dance, occurring among 

 school children ; panic is another form very common, especially 

 at the present day. 



Could any of the readers of Science furnish me with any infor- 

 mation of occurrences which have come under their notice or 

 which they may have read about? They are certainly very com- 

 mon, for one reads of them very often in the daily papers. If 

 some of your "live" readers would consider this subject seriously, 

 and send so full reports as possible, they would not only be doing 

 a personal favor, but would certainly be conti-ibuting toward an 

 intei'esting and important collection of scientific facts. 



James Wood, M.D. 



162 St. John's Place, Brooklyn, N.T. 



Color of Flowers. 



I HAVE just seen Miss Neal's question in your issue of March 31, 

 1893, as to how to preserve the colors of flowers when pressing 

 them. If some of your readers have not already sent a better 

 recipe, the following may be found useful. 



Immerse the stem of the fresh plant in a solution of 31 grains 

 of alum, 4 of nitre, and 186 of water for a day or two, until the 

 liquid is absorbed, then jiress the plant in the usual way, sift 

 some dry sand over the flower, and submit to a gentle heat for 

 about twenty hours. 



I have found this process pretty successful. A. B Steele. 



Edinburgh, Scotland, April 28. 



' See Science, March 24. 1893, p. 162 ; Bot. Gazette, xyii. 

 loglsches Centralblatt, xiil., 1893, p. 38. 



The Aurora. 



In my contribution to Science, April 7, on the above subject, no 

 mention was made (as required by Dr. Veeder in his reply in the 

 issue of April 28) of a particular instance of want of coincidence 

 between auroral display and solar disturbance at the eastern limb, 

 for the following reasons : First, because I have, so far, considered 

 each phenomenon as being dissociated, or rather not connected in 

 the manner stated; second, because I do not think it possible to 

 point out such a want of coincidence with the very liberal limits 

 of time evidently comprised in the term " eastern limb" by the 

 advocates of this theory; and, third, amidst the bewildering 

 number of instances, which must occur between even dissociated 

 phenomena of such frequent occurrence, even when the limit 

 spoken of is of reasonably brief duration, it is possible (most 

 probable) that coincidence will be mistaken for cause. That 

 this coincidence is not so great as claimed, seemed to me to be 

 indicated by the results mentioned as obtained by Greenwich, as 

 also by the same conclusion arrived at by Professor Ricco, as 

 mentioned by Dr. Veeder; surely this is a fair assumption to make, 

 if discussion of the same or similar records give results so widely 

 different? 



Personally, I do not wish to take any part in this discussion. 

 Dr. Veeder's theory has constantly appeared in the press and by 

 pamphlet without any attempted refutation; believing it to be 

 founded on false premises, I have felt called upon to act as censor, 

 failing any one else. 



Granted a very large number of coincidences between auroral 

 displays and the position of a disturbed area at the eastern limb 

 of the sun; if Dr. Veeder will place a limit of, say, twenty-four 

 hours for the term " eastern limb," and consider occurrences be- 

 yond this as not being coincidences, I believe he will find that 

 there are as many auroras (I should be inclined with this limit to 

 say, very many more) which occur without this particular solar 

 source of energy as with it. Again, allowing any interpretation 

 of the term "eastern limb," and, applying the same interpreta- 

 tion rigorously throughout, I think it will be found that the pro- 

 portion of coincidences will increase from the minimum sun- 

 spot period to the maximum, and that this coincidence will vary 



