January 9, 1885.] 



SCIENCE. 



33 



There were but few and slight earth-trembles experi- 

 enced by the party while on the island. It is quite 

 possible that the spit now connecting the two peaks 

 is a later formation, not existing at the time of Hague's 

 visit. Such spits may be formed or destroyed in a 

 single winter storm. The Corwin party, however, 

 thought this had merely been elevated from the sea- 

 bed with Ship Rock, but without the participation of 

 the old peak. It is at present composed of fine black 

 sand, and gray, black-spotted, water-worn pebbles, 

 without vegetation, and may be covered with breakers 

 during heavy storms. It is less than four thousand 

 feet long, and about three hundred and twenty-six 

 feet wide at its narrowest part. W. H. Dall. 



THE CHOLERA EPIDEMIC IN PARIS 

 AND IN YPORT. 



We reproduce to-day two diagrams, showing the 

 course of the epidemic of cholera in Paris in Novem- 

 ber. They are both taken from recent numbers of 

 the R^vue scientiftque. 



Examining the first diagram, we find that the fir-t 

 case entered the hospital on Nov. 4 ; that on the 5th 

 there were ten new cases; and that the number ran 

 up very rapidly, until, on the 11th of November, one 

 hundred and thirty-two new cases were reported from 

 the hospitals alone. From this date the number of 

 cases diminished, until, on Nov. 30, there were but 

 two new cases, and two deaths; and immediately after 

 this the activity of the epidemic became suspended. 

 Taking the total number of cases recorded (1,002), 

 and comparing it with the number of deaths (573), 

 we have a mortality of 57%, — a rather startling re- 

 sult, under the circumstances; for it may be taken 

 for granted, that under the care of a hospital staff, 

 if anywhere, the best results are to be obtained in the 

 treatment of this disease. It may be said, and with 

 how much truth we do not know, that only the 

 worst cases were entered at the hospitals, and that 

 many of these were moribund at the time of entrance. 

 Our impression is, however, that the cases were a fair 

 representation of the average. 



This diagram presents also the usual characteris- 

 tics of a cholera epidemic, the stage of increase (Nov. 



Fig. 1. 



Fig. 2. 



In both of them the double line is the curve of 

 deaths; but in fig. 1 the single line is the curve 

 of cases admitted to the hospital, whilst in fig. 2 it 

 indicates the total number of deaths in the city and 

 hospitals taken together. 



The numbers along the foot of the diagram indi- 

 cate the days of the month. The vertical columns 

 show the number of entries and of deaths in fig. 1, 

 and the number of deaths in fig. 2. 



4-10), the stationary stage (Nov. 10-14), and the peri- 

 od of decline (Nov. 14-30). This, of course, is but a 

 representation in miniature of what occurs in out- 

 breaks that are spread over a greater extent of time. 

 The suddenness of the decline of the epidemic may 

 be due, in part, to the vigorous measures taken to 

 stamp it out; but its disappearance is to be ascribed 

 mostly to the frosts of the last of the month, which 

 were frequent and rather severe. 



