406 



SCIENCE. 



LVoL. IX., No. 221 



settlements on the Chatahutchi River seem more 

 recent than Kasi'hta and Kawita, and therefore it 

 is probable that the Creek immigration to those 

 parts came from the Coosa and Tallapoosa rivers. 



The villages of the Creeks are built along the 

 banks of rivers and brooks, frequently in places 

 subject to inundations. They consisted of irregu- 

 lar clusters of houses. Each of these belonged to 

 a gens, or clan, of which there were a great num- 

 ber, twenty of which are still in existence. Only 

 the larger villages had a public square occupying 

 a central position. This was reserved for the cele- 

 bration of festivals, especially for that of the an- 

 nual fast, which is the most prominent one among 

 their feasts. On the square stood the council- 

 house. The Creeks distinguished two kinds of 

 towns, — the red or war town, and the white or 

 peace towns. While the former were governed 

 by warriors only, the latter had a civil govern- 

 ment. One of the most noteworthy of the peace 

 towns was Apalatchukla. It was considered the 

 mother town of the Creek confederacy. No cap- 

 tives were put to death, no human blood was 

 spilled there. Deputies from all Creek towns as- 

 sembled there when a general peace was proposed. 

 On the other hand, Kawita-Tallahassi, a few miles 

 north of Apalatchukla, was an important war 

 town. Here the chiefs and warriors assembled 

 when a general war was proposed, and here cap- 

 tives and state malefactors were put to death. 



Gatschet's researches on the ancient pathways 

 are of particular interest. A detailed study of trails 

 leading through the country forms an important 

 part of Indian history and ethnography. But un- 

 fortunately only very few are traceable at the pres- 

 ent time. He describes four trails leading from 

 the eastern states to the Creek towns, crossing 

 the Chatahutchi River by means of fords. 



We cannot enter here upon the ethnographic 

 and linguistic details contained in Gatschet's book, 

 but confine ourselves to the foregoing remarks, 

 which will be explanatory of part of the vast 

 amount of information contained in the maps. 

 It must be regretted that the publication of the 

 second volume of Gatschet's work is delayed so 

 long, as it will undoubtedly further our knowledge 

 of North American ethnology as much as the first 

 one has done. 



PARIS LETTER. 



M. Brown-Sequard has been elected president of 

 the Soci6te de biologic in place of the late Paul Bert. 



The principal conversational topic of scientific 

 interest at present is the particularly significant 

 relationship existing between typhoid-fever ex- 

 tension and the quality of the water distributed in 

 Paris. It is known that Paris receives its drink- 



ing-water from three principal sources : very pure 

 and palatable water is furnished by two rivers 

 whose waters are brought into Paris by means of 

 aqueducts, namely, the Vanne and the Dhuys ; 

 second-rate water comes from the Ourcq River ; 

 finally, Seine and Marne water is, on account of 

 its impurity, especially used for public purposes, 

 — street cleaning and watering, fountains, etc. 

 But, although the last water is generally not mixed 

 with pure drinking-water, it often happens, es- 

 pecially in summer, that the Dhuys and Vanne 

 do not furnish water enough, so that it becomes 

 necessary to use Seine or Marne water. The con- 

 sequence is, that, sometime after this mingling of 

 the pure with the impure water, typhoid-fever be- 

 comes much more prevalent. For instance : for 

 seven weeks during which pui*e water is dis- 

 tributed in the whole of Paris (May 3-June 16), 

 the number of typhoid-fever cases applying to the 

 hospitals is 149. From June 9 to June 20 the Seine 

 water is mingled with that of the Dhuys and the 

 Vanne. During the seven weeks from June 21 to 

 Aug. 8, the cases are 472. The number of cases 

 begins to increase between eighteen and thirty 

 days after the admixture of the impure water. 

 The same relationship exists in most epidemics of 

 typhoid-fever, between the nature of the water- 

 supply and the frequency of the disease. Another 

 very significant fact is, that, in barracks where 

 the water is good (Vanne water), the death-rate 

 from typhoid-fever is only 0.7 per cent, while in 

 barracks (although quite new and very healthy 

 otherwise) where Marne water is used, the death- 

 rate rises (from typhoid-fever alone) to 17 per cent. 

 If these facts are confirmed, — and it is unlikely 

 that they should not be so, since a recent investi- 

 gator, M. Thoinot, has found the typhoid baciUus 

 in great numbers in Seine water taken at the very 

 place where it is pumped for the municipal reser- 

 voirs, — the Paris board of aldermen will have to 

 give up using Seine water, and will be compelled 

 to secure pure drinking-water elsewhere, if it does 

 not wish to be called, with just reason, a cold- 

 blooded murderer, which it seems to be at present. 

 Such a state of things is a shame to a city like 

 Paris, and in an age of science like that in which 

 we live. 



The senate committee for the abatement of 

 alcoholism in France has just reported, and pro- 

 poses that all non-ethylic alcohols shall be ex- 

 cluded from wines and liquors, as they are poison- 

 ous. This is very well, but will it be very easy to 

 devise an instrument or a chemical method for the 

 discovery of non-ethylic alcohol in wine or spirits ? 



The Paris academy of medicine is going to dis- 

 cuss, some time hence, the question of mental 

 overwork ; and the results of these discussions, 



