238 JOURNAL OF SCIENCE. 
there is sufficient evidence to prove that we must take the inter- 
vention of meteors between the earth and the sun as the cause of 
many of the remarkable variations in the temperature which are 
so unaccountable, it we ignore the effects which may be produced 
in this way. 
MEDICAL SECTION. 
The adjourned meeting of the Medical Section of the Royal 
Society was held in the society’s house on Friday evening, 16th 
June. The discussion on Dr. Mackellar’s paper ‘‘ On the Etiology 
of Typhoid Fever” was resumed, and carried on with unabated 
interest, seven members speaking at some length before Dr. 
Mackellar delivered his reply. Concerning the practical points 
connected with the causation of this disease, very little, if any, 
difference of opinion existed, and it was agreed that in the vast 
majority of cases contaminated water supply was answerable for 
spreading the infecting germ; in rarer instances the specific 
poison may be introduced into the system in other ways. That 
the possibility of the origination of typhoid fever de novo existed 
was not denied, but no case has yet arisen in which a careful 
inquiry into the circumstances surrounding it has not revealed 
some unsuspected channel by which the materies morbi may have 
been conveyed to the sufferer. 
Sydney, 5th July, 1882.—H. C. Russell, Esq., B.A., vice-presi- 
dent, in the chair. 
New members—Dr. C. U. Carruthers, Dr. A. Diickershoff, Dr. 
G. Hurst, Dr. P. H. M‘Gillivray, M.A. (Sandhurst, Victoria), Dr. 
E. Sinclair, Messrs. Sydney Moss, D. Porter, W. H. Rothe, H. 
E. Russell, and the Rev. William Webster, of Wilcannia. 
The Chairman exhibited a new eye-piece which he had de- 
signed for the observation of the transit of Venus, which afforded 
the observer a number of lines for reference; so that practically 
he was enabled to see the transit several times instead of once. 
This was accomplished by having microscopic lines placed in the 
eye-piece at fixed distances. One of these was kept tangential to 
the sun’s edge, and during the time that Venus passes each of the 
lines was to be noticed by the observer. 
A short paper ‘ On the Orbit of the present Comet” was read 
by Mr. G. Butterfield. 
Numerous interesting exhibits were shown by various gentle- 
men, including Swan, Maxim, and Fox-Lane incandescent lamps, 
by Mr. W. Macdonnell. The same gentleman also exhibited 
De la Rive’s experiment, showing the rotation of the voltaic arc 
round an electro-magnet. Dr. H. C. Wright exhibited one of 
Tolles’ erecting stereoscopic binocular eye-pieces. Mr. G. D. 
Hirst exhibited Abbe’s diffraction plate, and explained the 
phenomena of refracted images, as seen through microscopic 
objectives. 
LINNEAN SOCIETY OF NEW SOUTH WALES. 
Sydney, 28th June, 1882.—Dr. James C. Cox, president, in the 
chair, 
New member—Reyv. Joseph Campbell, M.A. 
Several donations to the Society were announced. 
