Tie Mediterranean Ratiralist 
H flDontfol^ IRcview of natural Science. 
Yol. II., No. 20. MALTA, JANUARY 1st. 1892. 
f 4/— Per annum 
\ By post 5/- 
CONTENTS. 
Page 
1 The Natural History of certain Fevers occurring in 
the Mediterranean— Surg. Capt. Louis Hughes 
A.lvI.S. 299 
2 On the Miocene beds of Western Algeria— Prof. 
Jules Weisch. 301 
3 A ramble through Emtahleb. 302 
4 The Flora of Northern Germany during the Middle 
Ages. 305 
5 Science Echoes: -A British Coal-mine —Electric rain. 
— Poisonfrom eggs.— Intermittent lakes.— Archeo- 
logical streets.— The problem of origins.— Cancer 
in fish.— Rock to Plantfood. — Romance of Scotch 
science.— An Australian remedy.— Electric heat 
for plants,— How the coal is burning.— A lake of 
ink.— Great ice-bergs.— A new form of carbon. — 
Distribution of spiders, etc. etc. 305 
6 The relationship of the structure of rocks to the con- 
ditions of their formation. — H. J. Johnston-Lavis 
M. I)., B. Sc., F. G. S„ etc. 309 
7 The collection and preparation of foraminifera— E. 
Halkyard, F.R.M.S. 311 
8 Geological notes of Acireale.— G. Platania. 312 
9 Notes and News : — Birds v. Insect s in Malta. —Legis- 
lation for the protection of birds in the Colonies. 
—Olive oil.— A dromedary parcel post.— Infection 
among the Maltese clover.— Mediterranean vine 
industries.— A horned toad. etc. etc. 313 
NOTICES, 
The Mediterranean Naturalist is published 
on the 1st ref each month. Annual subscription 4s. 
By post 5s. ( In advance ) 
Subscriptions: — Cheques or Postal Orders should be 
made payable to J. H. Cooke, The Lyceum, Malta. 
Subscriptions are now due. 
Special Notice. 
Back numbers may be had price one 
shilling each. 
Contributors may have duplicate copies 
of their papers upon application to the 
Editor. 
To Correspondents. 
AH corn m uni cations intended for insertion should 
be. mntten on one. side of the paper only ; and should 
reach, the Editor on or before the 12th of the month. 
Wh eneri r an answer is required, through the post, 
a st , raped and di rected envelope should be enclosed. 
Communications for the Editor should be ad- 
dressed to Highland House, St. Julians, Malta. 
The attention of subscribers is invited to the 
notice oh page 5 of the covers. 
20 
The Natural History of Certain Severs 
occuring in the Mediterranean. 
By Surg. Capt. M. Louis Hughes, A. M. S. 
There is a branch of microscopical natural 
history which is day by day becoming of more and 
more practical importance to mankind and at which 
eminent scientists are hard at work all over the 
civilized world. I allude to the so-called science 
of bacteriology, a science so interesting to the 
biologist, for situated as it is on the -border-land 
between the animal and vegetable kingdoms, its 
discoveries have helped to ellucidate many of those 
difficult problems connected with the origin of life 
and species. By his discovery of the causes of 
fermentation and putrefaction, of silk-worm’s 
disease and anthrax, Pasteur alone has added 
greatly to the wealth and prosperity of France. 
For the Physician this science has cleared up 
many moot points in the pathology of disease 
and to the Surgeon it has made possible many 
operations scarcely dreamt of before. It is how- 
ever in the department of Public Health and 
Preventive medicine that this study may be said 
to be of vital importance, for it is by a scientific 
knowledge of this branch alone that we are able 
successfully to cope with those frightful diseases 
which as pandemics upset the commerce of conti- 
nents, as 'severe epidemics have been known to 
decimate armies, mid depopulate large tracts of 
country; which even in milder form not only 
cause great expense to governments and municipal 
bodies, but loss of life, labour and money to families 
and individuals. 
Though Yellow Fever keeps away, and cholera 
but varely visits us, yet here in the Mediterranean 
we have present at all times three common forms 
of fever, so closely allied that often they have been 
confounded with one another. Bacteriology has 
at last placed their specific nature beyond doubt 
^nd will help in the future, in preventing thei 
