December 19, 1884.] 



SCIENCE 



555 



ed, inasmuch as it was put up and forwarded by Koch 

 himself. It shows all the peculiarities of shape de- 

 scribed by him, and most certainly bears out the asser- 

 tion that it possesses distinguishing characteristics 

 from other bacteria. In form and arrangement, it 

 differs markedly from any other organism with 

 which we are acquainted, either those found in the 

 intestines or elsewhere. 



SCIENCE IN MANCHESTER. 



A centenary of science in Manchester. (In a series 

 of notes.) By R. Angus Smith, Ph.D., LL.D. 

 London, Taylor 8f Francis. 475 p. 8°. 



The progress of literature and science in 

 Manchester, Eng., is full of interest to Ameri- 

 cans. It is not only that the cit} r is full of 

 life and vigor, and that its relations to the 

 United States are very close, but there is a 

 sort of western freshness in all its undertak- 

 ings. Owens college is not yet forty 3-ears old ; 

 the Victoria university is more recent than 

 Johns Hopkins ; the Literary and philosophical 

 society of Manchester is j^ounger b} 7 several 

 years than the American academ}' and the 

 American philosophical societ} 7 ; and the Free 

 public library is the junior of the Astor library 

 in New York. Manchester has grown during 

 this century more rapidly than Baltimore, and 

 its wealth has increased at a rate which is still 

 more remarkable. Under these circumstances, 

 we have examined with some curiosity the 

 volume prepared for the hundredth year of the 

 Literary and philosophical society of Manches- 

 ter, 1881. 



Among the many honorable names com- 

 memorated in it, two are pre-eminent, — Dalton 

 and Joule. The former established the science 

 of chemistn- on the basis of the atom : the lat- 

 ter ascertained the mechanical equivalent of 

 heat. Referring to these great discoverers, 

 Dr. Smith expresses his belief that there has 

 been ' ; a law in the recesses of humanity which 

 has caused the influence of the community to 

 concentrate itself, first into the Societ}', and 

 then, through particular members, into the 

 theory of chemist^, equivalents of atoms, and 

 their connection with mechanical force, — the 

 knowledge of which must influence mankind 

 forever." Dalton 's development of the atomic 

 theory was preceded by other noteworthy con- 

 tributions to science, — his discovery of color- 

 blindness, his epoch-marking essaj's in meteor- 

 ology, and his elaborate inquiry on the force 

 of vapor ; to all of which brief reference is 

 here made. 



Joule was a pupil of Dalton ; " a follower," 



sa}-s Smith, " worthy of the prophet; ... a 

 pupil who has become the master of man}' 

 learners." The relations of these two men 

 are thus described. " The idea of units of 

 measure in Dalton's mind developed itself 

 gradually into the idea of units of force in the 

 mind of Joule. . . . To say that the two are 

 the most successful descendants of the great 

 thinkers who have grappled with the subject 

 of atoms for three thousand years, is but to 

 express a simple fact: and to assert that Dal- 

 ton and Joule have made the great leading 

 discoveries on the subject is simply to follow 

 history. From one we learn the order in which 

 the ultimate particles of bodies move : from the 

 other we learn the force and relation of their 

 movements in those great phenomena, heat, 

 electricit} T , and mechanical force." 



There are other stars in the Manchester fir- 

 mament. Among them are William Fairbairn, 

 builder of the tubular bridge at Menai, a man 

 of ' wonderful instinct ' as an engineer ; and 

 his more scientific coadjutor, Eaton Hodgkin- 

 son. Sir John Hawkshaw, Sir Heniy Roscoe, 

 and Professor Balfour Stewart are famous 

 among recent members of the societ}'. The 

 laboratory of Dr. Edward Schunck is said to 

 be the finest private laboratoiy in the country. 

 The founder of the society, Dr. Thomas 

 Percival, a physician of great repute, who had 

 the skill to elicit the best co-operation of other 

 men, is commemorated by Dr. Smith as one who 

 foreshadowed some of Darwin's views. His 

 contemporary in the societ} 7 , Charles White, 

 Dr. John Ferriar and the three Heniys, also re- 

 ceive due notice ; and so does Thomas Cooper, 

 afterwards of Columbia, S.C., whose name has 

 recently been brought to mind by allusions 

 to it in the autobiograplry of Dr. Marion 

 Sims. 



The comments of Dr. Smith on the present 

 state of the society are suggestive. First, he 

 recognizes a disposition, on the part of the 

 Manchester investigators, to send their papers 

 to the Royal society of London. "It is use- 

 less to complain of this : it is a phase of na- 

 tional life, and it will probably grow stronger 

 for a time, until this sub-centre becomes suffi- 

 ciently brilliant to make men feel that it is an 

 object of great ambition to become distin- 

 guished here." The writer thinks that Man- 

 chester has allowed its forces to be too much 

 scattered. Next he pleads for enlarged quar- 

 ters. The members of the society are unwill- 

 ing to leave the rooms where Dalton studied, 

 which were his home from morning until even- 

 ing for the greater part of his life ; but more- 

 space is demanded. Third, he answers the 



