NOTES AND COMMENTS. 



MEMORIES : FRANXIS GALTOX.* 



In his charmingly-written autobiograph}', Dr. Francis Galton 

 gives many interesting ghmpses into an exceedingly interesting 

 career ; and in addition, we have reminiscences of several 

 leading men of science who have now passed awa}' ; men who 

 were fellow- workers with Galton. but who are known to the 

 present generation by their works alone. In many respects 

 the life of Dr. Francis Galton reminds us of the career of our late 

 grand Yorkshireman, Dr. Sorby ; would that he, too, had left 

 us a volume of ' Memories ' ! Neither Sorby nor Galton 

 had that ' struggle for existence ' which is the fate of so many 

 scientific men, and both were thus able to devote their lives 

 in the pursuit of science, with such excellent result. 



CROTON OIL. 



It is impossible in a short notice to even refer to the 

 numerous interesting chapters dealing with travel, heredity, 

 anthropometric research, etc., for which Dr. Galton is so well 

 known. The book must be read to be appreciated. It is 

 full of interesting anecdote : so much so that the present writer 

 simply had to read the volume through, although work on all 

 hands was pressing. As a sample of Dr. Galton 's methods, it 

 is worth noting that v\'hen quite a 3'oung man, engaged in 

 medical work, he endeavoured to get a practical acquaintance 

 of medicines by taking small doses of all that were included in 

 the pharmacopoeia, commencing at the letter 'A.' He nearly 

 reached the end of ' when he came to Croton Oil, and 

 ' foolishly believed that two drops of it could have no notable 

 effects as a purgative and emetic ' I Apparently he took the 

 rest of the pharmocopoeia as read ! 



A BOOT STORY. 



As illustrating the fact that different persons feel pain with 

 different degrees of acuteness, reference is made to a native of 

 New Zealand, where it was once the height of fashion for the 

 Maories to wear boots ' on great occasions.' ' A youth had 

 saved money, and went to a store a long way off, where he had 

 purchased a pair of these precious articles. On returning home 

 he tried to put them on, but one of his feet had a long pro- 

 jecting toe, which prevented it from being thrust home. He 



* ' Memories of My Life,' by Francis Galton, F.R.S., etc. Methuen & Co.^ 

 London. 339 pp. 10/6 net. 



1909 July I. 



Q 



