First Edition of Nature Magazine
First Edition of Nature Magazine
First Edition of Nature Magazine
Every need is a benefit, swiftly satisfied, swiftly re- A translation, to be worth anything, should repro-
fresh want is a new source of pleasure, duce the words, the sense, and the form of the
but she soon reaches an equilibrium. original. But when that original is Goethe's, it is
Every instant she commences an immense journey, hard indeed to obtain this ideal; harder still,
and every instant she has reached her goal. to know whether one has reached it, or only added
She is vanity of vanities; but not to us, to whom another to the long list of those who have tried to
she has made herself of the greatest importance. She put the great German poet into English, and failed.
allows every child to play tricks with her; every fool Supposing, however, that critical judges are satisfied
to have judgment upon her; thousands •to walk with the translation as such, there lies beyond them
stupidly over her and see nothing; and takes her the chance of another reckoning with the British
pleasure and finds her account in them all. public, who dislike what they call "Pantheism" almost
We obey her laws even when we rebel against as much as I do, and who will certainly find this
them; we work with her even when we desire to work essay of the poet's terribly Pantheistic. In fact,
against her. Goethe himself almost admits that it is so. In a
She makes every gift a benefit by causing us to curious explanatory letter, addressed to Chancellor
want it. She delays, that we may desire her; she von Muller, under date May 26th, 1828, he writes
hastens, that we may not weary of her. "This essay was sent to me a short time ago from
She has neither language nor discourse; but she amongst the papers of the ever-honoured Duchess
creates tongues and hearts, by which she feels and Anna Amelia; it is written by a well-known hand,
speaks. of which r was accustomed to avail myself in my
her crown is love. Through love alone dare we affairs, in the year 1780, or thereabouts.
come near her. She separates all existences, and all "I do not exactly remember having written these
tend to intermingle. She has isolated all things in reflections, but they very well agree with the ideas
order that all may approach one another. She holds which had at that time become developed in my
a couple of draughts from the cup of love to be fair mind. I might term the degree of insight which I
payment for the pains of a lifetime. had then attained, a comparative one, which was
She is all things. She rewards herself and punishes trying to express its tendency towards a not yet
herself; is her own joy and her own misery. She is attained superlative.
rough and tender, lovely and hateful, powerless and "There is an obvious inclination to a sort of
omnipotent. She is an eternal present. Past and Pantheism, to the conception of an unfathomable,
future are unknown to her. The present is her unconditional, humorously self-contradictory Being,
eternity. She is beneficent. I praise her and all underlying the phenomena of Nature; and it may
her works. She is silent and wise. pass as a jest, with a bitter truth in it."
No explanation is wrung from her; no present won Goethe says, that about the date of this composition
from her, which she does not give freely. She is of "Nature" he was chiefly occupied with compara-
cunning, but for good ends; and it is best not to tive anatomy; and, in 1786, gave himself incredible
notice her tricks. trouble to get other people to take an interest in his
She is complete, but never finished. As she works discovery, that man has a intermaxillary bone. After
now, so can she always work. Everyone sees her in that he went on to the metamorphosis of plants,
his own fashion. She hides under a thousand names and to the theory of the skull; and, at length, had
and phrases, and is always the same. She has brought the pleasure of seeing his work taken up by German
me here and will also lead me away. I trust her. naturalists. The letter ends thus :—
She may scold me, but she will not hate her work. "If we consider the high achievements by which
It was not I who spoke of her. No! What is false all the phenomena of Nature have been gradually
and what is true, she has spoken it all. The fault, linked together in the human mind; and then, once
the merit, is all hers. more, thoughtfully peruse the above essay, from which
So far Goethe. we started, we shall, not without a smile, compare
When my friend, the Editor of NATURE, asked me that comparative, as I called it, with the superlative
to write an opening article for his first number, there which we have now reached, and rejoice in
the
came Into my mind this wonderful rhapsody on progress of fifty years."
"Nature," which has been a delight to me from my Forty years have passed since these words were
youth up. It seemed to me that no more fitting written, and we look again, "not without a smile,"
on
preface could be put before a Journal, which aims to Goethe's superlative. But the road which led
from
mirror the progress of that fashioning by Nature of a his comparative to his superlative, has been diligently
the first-opened male heads no doubt fertilising the stigma almost a terra incognita when the unknown young assis-
from the next-opened hermaphrodite heads, and so on. tant-surgeon of the Rattlesnake looked upon i t ; but the
In this species the bracts are not cup-shaped, but nearly papers tell us that a reprint of the Fortnightly article has
flat; the stigmas hang out very much farther than in been the first instance of infringement of copyright in that
E. helioscopia; and the styles are perfectly straight. colony ; and when the learned anatomist was speaking at
The above observations are very imperfect as a series, Edinburgh he probably little thought that materialism
and I can only offer them as a contribution towards an would take its revenge on him by producing the following
investigation of the laws which govern the cross-fertilisation exercise in applied Biology :—
or self-fertilisation of winter-flowering plants. On com- T H E PHYSICAL BASIS OF L I F E .
municating some of them to Mr. Darwin, he suggested that Huxley's celebrated Essay on this subject is lectured oil
the self-fertilised flowers of Lamium album, and other daily, by
similar plants, may possibly correspond to the well-known W I L L I A M BARTON,
imperfect self-fertilised flowers of Oxalis and Viola; and who has made the matter a life study. It is also illustrated daily
that the flowers produced in the summer are cross-fertilised; at his tables, where the "physical basis" can be laid in from
a suggestion which I believe will be found correct, II to 3, iu the best cooked and most varied
H O T LUNCHEON
In conclusion, I may make two observations. The in the city.
time of flowering of our common plants given in our text- T h e first feeling which comes to the mind after such
books is lamentably inexact; for the hazel, March and things as these is an unbounded belief in the wisdom of
April for instance! and for the white dead-nettle, May and those old teachers who kept esoteric and exoteric doctrines
J u n e ! according to Babington. Great care also should wide apart, and who laid bare the workings of their
be taken to examine the flowers the moment they are minds to trusted scholars only, and never to the vulgar
brought in-doors ; as the heat of the room will often cause gaze. W e begin fervently to wish that our illustrious
the anthers to discharge their pollen in an incredibly short biologist had not, by the dress and mode of his lecture, so
space of time. This is especially the case with the grasses. laid great biological truths before the public as to excite
A L F R E D W. BENNETT those especially ignorant of the science of life to try and
trample them under foot, and then leave them for a vulgar
tavern-keeper to hang up for a sign.
PROTOPLASM AT THE ANTIPODES Second—better—thoughts, however, remind us that men
'""P H E Protoplasm excitement seems to have died away in of science work not for themselves, or for their scientific
a great measure in this country ; and it is probably no fellows, but for mankind ; and that only mischief can come
loss to science that the matter has ceased to be a prevailing of it if they whose business it is to ask Nature her secrets
topic of conversation at dinner tables. W e learn, however, are hindered from telling the world all that they think
from the Melbourne papers, that the arrival'of the February they hear. It is impossible to separate science from other
number of the Fortnightly Review in the Australian colonies knowledge and from daily life : all new discoveries espe-
gave rise to an epidemic there of controversial science in cially must have ties with every part of our nature. It is
a very alarming form. T h e description they give of the not the business of the biologist to enforce on others what
intellectual condition of Melbourne in June and July last, he believes to be the consequences of his biological dis-
in fact, reminds us of that famous time at Constantinople, coveries ; but it is certainly not his duty to withhold his
when a cobbler would not mend a pair of shoes until facts from the common people because of the results which
he had converted his customer from a Homousian to a he thinks will follow.
Homoiousian, or vice versd. T h e Melbourne Daily Tele- And in regard to Australia in particular, we have this
graph is proud to think that a city which a few years back reflection, that the plough is needful for the seed; heavy
could only be stirred by a " J u m p i n g Frog,".is now agitated land wants well turning up. There are not wanting signs
by proteinaceous theories; and this, too, in spite of the fact that a national character is beginning to form among the
that they had previously been warned by the scientific inhabitants of that country; and we trust that scientific
correspondent of the Melbourne Leader of Mr. Huxley's zeal will be one of its chief features. W e hope that science
gross ignorance and sensational superficiality. It is per- even in a controversial form will never again give way in
fectly well known that at home here Mr. Huxley has been Melbourne to the vain delights of the " Jumping Frog ; "
refuted many more times than there are copies of his and that the protoplasm which Mr. William Barton so ad-
article; but in Melbourne he was refuted over again mirably cooks will reappear in the nerve cells of Australian
afresh. W e learn that the Rev. H. Higginson, " i n a brains, and give rise to that love of truth, apart from gold
singularly able discourse at the Unitarian Church, tore the or gain, which is the " m o r a l " basis of " n a t i o n a l " life.
theory to shreds in a way"—reports the Argus with We may add that we hope not without confidence ; for a
felicitous dubiety—" which showed the preacher to be as bright example of conscientious truthfulness appeared in
keen a humorist as he is a subtle logician." So able was the midst of this small biological tempest. Many of our
the discourse, and so humorous, that it was repeated readers may remember the abundant fervour with which
shortly afterwards as a lecture at the Mechanics' Institute. Prof. Halford, some years since, attacked Mr. Huxley's
Here, however, the lecturer stated that it was a mistake to " Man's Place in Nature." At the end of Mr. Higginson's
suppose that he had in the sermon either torn the theory lecture the talented Melbourne anatomist courageously told
to shreds or treated it in a humorous way ; and the report the meeting, that he had seen reason to change his
of the lecture lends great support to the statement. opinions. Every one here will rejoice to receive from the
It may be perhaps gratifying to Mr. Huxley, to think Antipodes a lesson of self-denial and moral daring, not too
that he has stirred men's minds in a place which was common amongst ourselves,
the sun was eclipsed, and did not travel with the moon—
THE RECENT TO TAL ECLIPSE OF THE SUN that the red prominences really do belong to the sun.
F our American cousins in general hesitate to visit our The evidence, with regard to the corona, was not quite
J little island, lest, as some of them have put it, they so clear; but I do not think I shall be contradicted when l
should fall over the edge ; those more astronomically in- say, that prior to the Indian eclipse last year the general
clined may very fairly decline, on the ground that it is a notion was that the corona was nothing more nor less
spot where the sun steadily refuses to be eclipsed. This than the atmosphere of the sun, and that the prominences
is the more tantalising, because the Americans have just were things floating in that atmosphere.
observed their third eclipse this century, and already I While astronomers had thus been slowly feeling their
have been invited to another, which will be visible in way, the labotirs of Wollaston, Herschel, Fox Talbot,
Colorado, four days' journey from Boston (I suppose I Wheatstone, and Bunsen, were providing them
am right in reckoning from Boston ?)on July 29, 1878 with an instrument of tremendous power, which was to
Thanks to the accounts in Silhiman's 7ourrnz/ and expand their knowledge with a suddenness almost startling,
the Philosoj5IlicaZ Ii.fagazine, and to the kindness of and give them previously undreamt-of powers of research.
Professors Winlock and Morton, who have sent me some I allude to the spectroscope, which was first successfully
exquisite photographs, I have a sufficient idea of the used to examine the red flames during the eclipse of last
observations of this third eclipse, which happened on the year. That the red flames were composed of hydrogen,
7th of August last, to make me anxious to know very much and that the spectroscope enabled us to study them day
more about them—an idea sufficient also, I think, to by day, were facts acquired to science independently by
justify some remarks here on what we already know. two observers many thousand miles apart.
A few words are necessary to show the work that had The red flames were " settled," then, to a certain
to be done. extent; but what about the corona?
An eclipse of the sun, so and yet so terrible to After I had been at work for some time on the new
the mass of mankind, is of especial value to the astronomer, method of observing the red flames, and after Dr. Frank-
because at such times the dark body of the moon, far out- land and myself had very carefully studied the hydrogen
side our atmosphere, cuts off the sun's light from it, and spectrum under previously untried conditions, we came to
round the place occupied by the and moon-eclipsed the conclusion that the spectroscopic evidence brought
sun there is therefore none of the glare which we usually forward, both in the observatory and in the laboratory, was
see—a glare caused by the reflection of the sun's light by against any such extensive atmosphere as the corona had
s.—Showing the solar with the principal Fraunhofer lines, and above it the bright-line spectrum of a prominence containing
magnesium, sodium, and iron vapour at its base.
our atmosphere. 1f then, there were anything surrounding been imagined to indicate; and we communicated our
the sun ordinarily hidden from us by this glare, we ought cOnclusion to the Royal Society. Since that time, I con-
to see it during eclipses. fess, the conviction that the corona is nothing else than an
In point of fact, strange things are seen. There is a effect due to the passage of sunlight through our own
strange halo of pearly light visible, called the corona, and near the ri-won's place has been growing
there are strange red things, which have been called red stronger and stronger; but there was always this consider-
flames or red prominences, visible nearer the edge of the ation to be borne in mind, namely, that as the spectro-
moon—or of the sun which lies behind it. scopic evidence depends mainly upon the brilliancy of the
Now, although we might, as I have pointed out, have lines, that evidence was io a certain sense negative only,
these things revealed to us during eclipses if they be- as the glare might defeat the spectroscope with an un-
longed to the sun, it does not follow that they belong to eclipsed sun in the coronal regions, where the temperature
the sun because we see them. Halley, a century and a and pressure are lower than in the red-flame region.
half ago. was, I believe, the first person to insist that The great point to be settled then, 9n America, was,
they were appearances due to the moon's atmosphere, What is the corona? and there were many less ones. For
and it is only within the last decade that modern instance, by sweeping round the sun with the spectroscope,
science has shown to everybody's satisfaction—by photo- both before and after the eclipse, and observing the pro-
graphing them, and showing that they were eclipsed as minences with the telescope merely during the eclipse, we
appearance in the part of the spectrum I generally study FtG. u-—Copy of a photograph of the Eclipse of August 7, obtained by
Prcfeosor Morton's party
when the iron vapour is thrown into the chromosphere.
Hence I think that I should always see it if the corona The Government, the Railway and other companies,
were a permanent solar aurora, and gave out this as its and private persons threw themselves into the work with
brightest line ; and on this ground alone I should hesitate marvellous earnestness and skill ; and the result was that
to regard the question as settled, were the new hypothesis
the line of totality was almost one continuous observatory,
less startling than it is. The position of the line is from the Pacific to the Atlantic. We read in SilUman's
approximately shown in the woodcut (Fig. i) near "There seems to have been scarcely a town of any
together with the other lines more frequently seen. considerable magnitude along the entire line, which was
It is only fair, however, to Professor Young, to whom is not garrisoned by observers, having some special astro-
due this important observation, to add that Professor nomical problem in view." This was as it should have
Harkness also declares for one bright line in the spectrum been, and the American Govdrnrnent and men of science
of the corona, but at the same time he, Professor Pickering,
must be congratulated on the noble example they have
and indeed others, state its spectrum to he also continu- shown to us, and the food for future thought and work
Qus, a remark hard to understand unless we suppose the
they have accumulated.
slit to have been wide, and the light faint, in either of which J. NORMAN L0cnYER
Since writing the above, I find the following inde-
cases final conclusions can hardly be drawn either way. pendent testimony in favour of Dr. Frankland's and my
So much, then, for the spectroscopic evidence with which own notion of the corona in the Astronomische Nacltric/z-
we are at present acquainted on the most important point. ten, from the pen of Dr. Gould. He says :—" Its form
The results of the other attacks on the same point arc varied continually, and I obtained drawings for three
equally curious and perplexing. Formerly, a favourite argu- epochs at intervals of one minute. It was very irregular
in form, and in no apparent relation with the protuberances
ment has been that because the light of the corona is on the sun, or the position of the moon. Indeed, there
polarised ; therefore it is solar. The American observers were many phenomena which would almost lead to the
state that the light is ,zo.t' polarised—a conclusion, as belief that it was an atmospheric rather than a cosmical
M. Faye has well put it, "very embarrassing for Science." phenomenon. One of the beams was at least 30' long."
Further,——stranger still ifpossible,—it is statedthat another
line of inquiry goes to show that, after all, Halley may be MADSEN'S DANISH ANTIQUITIES
right, and that the corona may really be due to a lunar A ntiquiUs ftrc1historiques dir Danemrrrck. By M. Madsen.
atmosphere. Folio, pp. 19, with 45 engraved plates, some coloured.
I think I have said enough to show that the question Price 36s. (London: Williams and Norgate.)
of the corona is by no means settled, and that the new HIS work contains forty-five carefully executed plates
method has by no means superseded the necessity of of Danish Antiquities belonging to the Stone age.
carefully studying eelipses ; in fact, their observation has The first represents the Shellmound of Fannerup; a diffi-
become of much greater importance than before ; and I cult subject, very faithfully rendered, as the present writer
earnestly hope that all future eclipses in the civilised area can testify. The three following plates give the common
in the old world will be observed with as great earnest- and characteristic objects of the Sheilmounds. Then follow
ness as the last one was in the new. Certainly, never ten plates devoted to tumuli and dolmens. These are
before was an eclipsed sun so thoroughly tortured with all admirably executed, those of the great chambered tumulus at
the instruments of Science. Several hundred photographs Uhy being particularly successful. Plates xv. to xx. give
L^^.^1
T H E M E R V S I L L E DU J O U R (Agricj>i$ a^rihna)
year. It was in 1830 that he was appointed Professor of presence in the air of a trace of oleliant gas, of the
Chemistry at the Andersonian University, Glasgow; and volume of the air being sufficient for the purpose. Still
it is said that his mother, who was on her deathbed, lived smaller proportions of some other vapours were found
to hear the glad tidings of his appointment. He was now capable of producing this same effect; spirits of turpentine
more favourably circumstanced for experimental labours, being particularly remarkable, as less than a quarter of a
and we find that the seven years spent at the Andersonian thousandth of its vapour with air was found sufficient to
University were years of great activity, prevent the slow oxidation of phosphorus.
In 1837 he was appointed Professor of Chemistry in OnanotheroccasionGrahaminvestigatedphosphuretted
the London University, now called University College, hydrogen, and made some remarkable observations
London, and he occupied that chair with great distinc- concerning the conditions of the formation of the
tion till the year 1855, when he succeeded Sir John spontaneously inflammable gas. One of these deserves
Herschel as Master of the Mint, which appointment especial notice in connection with the action of olefiant
may be considered an acknowledgment on the part of the gas, and in preventing the oxidation of phosphorus. He
Government of his scientific services and of his high found that phosphuretted hydrogen is rendered sponta-
character. neously inflammable by the admixture of a. very small
His numerous discoveries have been much quoted. proportion of an oxide of nitrogen, probably nitrous acid.
Some of their theoretical bearings claim a brief notice One of the most obscure classes of combinations are
here. . those which water forms with various salts. These bodies
His investigation of the phosphates is remarkable in are characterised by the chief peculiarities which belong
many ways. It was known that solutions of phosphoric to definite chemical compounds; but chemists are as yet
acid in water vary in their pro- unable to explain them.
perties; and chemists were sa- Water so combined is called
tisfied with giving a name to -water of crystallisation, and is
the changes without investigat- said to be physically, not che-
ing their nature. These solu- mically, combined. A very con-
tious contained phosphoric acid venient way of getting rid of a
and water, and were assumed to difficulty, by passing it on to our
have like composition. They neighbours.
were accordingly called isorneric. Graham examined the pro-
Graham observed that they differ portion of such water of crys-
from one another in the pro- tallisation in a considerable
portion of water combined with number of salts, and he more-
the acid, and constitute in rca- over examined the properties
lity different compounds. which it has when so combined.
He knew that water combines He found that some of the
with acids as other bases do, and water in an important class of
he showed that the various corn- suiphates is held far more firmly
pounds of phosphoric acid and than the remainder, and with
water constitute distinct snlts, force equal to that with which
each of which admits of its water is held in various chemical
hydrogen being replaced by compounds. He showed that
other metals without such firmly combined water can
of what we should now call the be replaced by salts in a definite
type. Thus, to use our present chemical proportion, in fact,
notation, the three hydrates he got fairly hold of the subject
PO4H,, P,O,H4, PO,H, corre- by chemical methods, and laid
spond to the following propor- the foundation for an explana-
tions of acid and water :— tion of it.
He discovered and examined
P,05 + 3H,O = 2P04H3 compounds of alcohol with salts,
P,O5 + 2H,O = P,07H4 and derived from them valuable
P,05 + H,O = 2P03H evidence of the analogy between
Graham observed that the hy- TH0OTA5 GRAHAM (from a recent Photograph) alcohol and water.
drate P04H3 is constituted like a On a later occasion he made
salt, inasmuch as its hydrogen can be replaced atom a series of important experiments upon the transformation
for atom by other metals, like sodium, potassium, &c., of alcohol into ether and water, by the action of hydric
forming such compounds as PO4NaH,, PO4Na,H, &c. sulphate. Liebig had endeavoured to explain the forma-
In order to appreciate duly the powers of mind of the tion of ether in this process, by representing it as due to
author of this admirable research, we ought to compare the decomposition at a high temperature of a compound
his methods of reasoning with those generally prevalent of ether previously formed at a lower temperature; such
among contemporary chemists, and on the other hand decomposition being due to the increased tension of the
with the methods of to-day. One would fancy that vapour of ether at the higher temperature.
Graham had been acquainted with the modern doctrines Graham justly argued that if the decomposition were
of types and of polybasic acids, so clearly does he describe due to the tension of ether vapour, it would not take
the chemical changes in matter-of-fact language, and so place, and ether would not be formed, if the tension were
consistently does he classify the compounds by their not allowed to exert itself. He heated the materials in a
analogies. At that early period we find Graham considering closed tube, and proved that ether was formed, although
hydrogen, in various salts, as a basylous metal; an idea the tension of its vapour was counteracted by the pressure
which (in spite of its undeniable truth) some chemists of thus obtained.
the present day have not fully realised. The line of research which occupied-most of his atten-
Amongst minor chemical researches may be mentioned tion, and in which his results were perhaps the most im-
a series of experiments on the slow oxidation of phosphorus portant, was that of diffusion; and it would be difficult to
by atmospheric air. He discovered that this process (atd over-estimate the importance to molecular chemistry of
the faint light which accompanies it) is arrested by the his measurements, of the velocities of these
spontaneous motions of particles of matter, whether in those who had the privilege of hearing them. On the
the state of gas or in the liquid state. other hand, his Elements of Chemistry" is a masterly
It was known that i part by weight of hydrogen occupies exposition of the best known facts of the science and of
the same volume as i6 parts by weight of oxygen when chemical physics. It was translated into German, and
measured at like temperature, and under like pressure. afforded at that time the most philosophical account of
Chemical investigations prove that these equal volumes the working and theory of the galvanic battery.
of the two gases contain the same number of atoms. We In many of his ideas Graham was in advance of his
also know that the atoms in such a gas are in rapid motion, contemporaries, and it might be difficult to find a chemist
and resist the pressure to which the gas is at any particu- who has dealt more cautiously with general questions
lar time exposed, by striking against the surface which delicate experimental operations,—or one whose results, in
presses them together with force equal to that which presses each direction in which he has worked, may more safely
them together. be expected to stand the test of future investigations.
Thus a given volume of hydrogen is maintained against
the atmospheric pressure by an energy of atomic motion, A. W. WILLIAMSON
equal to that of the same volume of oxygen. Each atom
of hydrogen accordingly exerts a mechanical energy equal
to that of each atom of oxygen ; but we have seen that THE MEETING OF GERMAN NATURALISTS
the hydrogen atom is much lighter than the oxygen atom, AND PHYSICIANS AT INNSBRUCK, TYROL
and accordingly it must move with much greater velocity
than the oxygen atom.
Now Graham allowed hydrogen to escape through a F ROM the s8th to the 24th of September last the little
town of Innsbruck wore an air of unwonted bustle
very small hole in a plate of platinum; and allowed oxygen and excitement. Its population, already augmented by
to escape under similar circumstances. He found that the usual throng of summer tourists, was swelled by the
each hydrogen atom moves out four times as fast as each advent of somewhere about 8oo additional visitors—pro-
oxygen atom. His experiments were so arranged as to fessors, doctors, directors, men of all sciences, often with
enable him to measure the relative velocities of certain their wives and daughters, who had come from all parts
motions of the atoms—-motions not imparted to them by of Germany to attend the forty-third Meeting of the
any peculiar or unnatural conditions, but belonging to German Naturalists and Physicians. These meetings
them of necessity in their natural state. He found, resemble those of our own British Association, though
moreover, that heat increases the velocity of these atomic they differ in several very characteristic respects. One of
motions, whilst increasing the force with which a given the first contrasts to strike an Englishman is the entire
weight of the gas resists the atmospheric pressure. absence of private hospitality. Everybody, so far as we
The study of the condensation of gases by solids, and can learn, is in private lodgings or in a hotel ; and there
the combination of soluble compounds with membranes arc no such things as dinner-parties. Although our own
led him to discoveries which are likely to be of great customs in these respects are certainly very pleasant, there
value to physiologists in explaining processes of absorption can be no doubt that the German fashion leaves the
and secretion. visitors snore freedom, and allows them much more oppor-
Thus he found that oxygen is absorbed to a greater tunity of seeing and talking with the friends they most
extent than nitrogen by caoutchouc, and that when a hag wish to meet. With us it is no easy matter to get together
made of a thin membrane of this substance is exhausted a party of chemists, or geologists, or physiologists, to hold
by means of a good air-pump, the oxygen and nitrogen a social gathering after the labours of the sections are
diffuse through it (probably as condensed liquids), and over. We are all either staying with friends, or invited to
evaporate inside the bag in different proportions from dinner, or engaged in some way. But at the German
those in which they are present in air the oxygen rising
;
meetings such social reunions are one of the distinguishing
to over 40 per cent, of the diffused air. Again, a mixture of features. One o'clock in the day brings with it the
.
hydrogen and oxygen was separated almost completely by necessity for dining, and numerous dinner parties are im-
the action of palladium, which condensed the hydrogen in provised there and then; friends of like tastes, who have
very large quantity, and the oxygen very slightly. not met perhaps for a year before, adjourn to a restaura-
Perhaps the most remarkable substances discovered in tthn or kafee-Iiaus, and while eating the meal have a
the course of his experiments on diffusion,iwere the soluble pleasant opportunity of comparing notes, and discussing
modifications of tungstic and molybdic acids, ferric oxide, questions which have in the interval arisen.
&c., and the process by which these bodies were obtained Another feature of contrast is in the length of time
was, perhaps, the most instructive part of the result; devoted to the sitting of the sections. At the British
proving, as it does, that in their salts, these bodies have Association the sections open their sittings at eleven in the
properties different from those which they normally forenoon ; and the work goes on steadily all day without
possess in the free state and retain them when the other
;
intermission till four or five o'clock in the afternoon.
constituent is removed by a sufficiently gentle process. But, in Germany, the sittings commence sometimes as early
Another remarkable fact which bears on a most important as 8 A.M., and are frequently over by ten or eleven O'clock,
theory, is the separation effected by Graham of potassic leaving the rest of the day for some short after-dinner
hydrate and hydric sulphate, by diffusion of potassic sul- excursion, or for general miscellaneous intercourse among
phate in aqueous solution—a fact which requires us to the members. In fact, the German meetings are designed
admit that the solution of the salt in water contains those less for the purpose of bringing forward new scientific
products mixed with one another; just as much as the work, than with the view of affording to men Of science
experiment of diffusing air through a porous clay pipe, opportunities of becoming personally acquainted with
and getting its constituent in a different proportion from each other, and of discussing the value and bearing of
that of the original air, proved that air is a mixture and recent contributions to knowledge. Hence, the papers
not a compound of the two gases. which are brought before the sections, contain,, to a large
In his later researches Graham was assisted by Mr. extent, outlines, summaries or notices of recetit researches,
W. C. Roberts, and cordially acknowledged the zeal and exhibitions of books, maps, memoirs, specimens,
and efficiency displayed by that able young chemist. experiments, &c., which have recently attracted notice.
Graham's scientific influence extended beyond his re- In our British Association gatherings, there is probably
searches ; for, on the one hand, his lectures for i8 years at more hard work than in those of our German brethren,
University College were remarkable for logical accuracy and I daresay there is as much opportunity for sociality
and clearness of exposition, and were lughly valued by as suits our national temperament. For our Association
Relations to Cholera and Typhus" (Boden und Grundwasser in Cambridge : Notes on some Spiders and Scorpions from St.
ihren Beziehungen zu Cholera mid Typhus) in which he developes Helena, with descriptions of new species.—The Secretary : On
at length his views. To many these are probably now well additions to the Menagerie during June, July, August, and
known, but still, it may be perhaps as well to state that they are September.—Mr. W. T. Fraser : Letter received from, respect-
somewhat as follows. ing the Existence of the Rhinoceros in Borneo.
The phenomena of Cholera result from the introduction into
the animal system of a cholera poison, which is possibly an MANCHESTER.
organic being, and which we may call z. Now, z is non-repro- Literary and Philosophical Society, October.—Mr. E. W.
ductive ; does not of itself multiply or spread. But there is Binney, F.R.S. in the Chair. The following extract of a letter
another distinct thing, the cholera germ (originating in India), from Dr. Joule, F.R.S., dated Southport, October 5th, 1869,
which we may call x. x of itself will not produce cholera and addressed to the Chairman, was read :—" I enclose a rou^h
symptoms. It may remain, and probably may multiply in the drawing of the appearance of the setting sun. Mr. Baxendell
human body, and be carried in or on the body from place to noticed the fact that at the moment of the departure of the sun
place without of itself producing cholera. Cholera symptoms below the horizon, the last glimpse is coloured bluish green.
can only be brought about by z, and x can only give rise to On two or three occasions I have noticed this, and also near
cholera, indirectly, by generating z. But x, in order that it may sunset that just at the upper edge, where bands of the sun's
generate z, must come in contact with and act upon another disk are separated one after the other by refraction, each band
substance, which we may call y. That is, x cannot germinate becomes coloured blue just before it vanishes."
into z unless it meets with the substratum y; or we may use
the idea, thrown out we believe by Dr. Farr, and imagine x and PARIS.
y to be the male and female parents of the offspring z, which is Academy of Sciences, October 25.'—M. L. Pasteur
either sterile, or can only reproduce x. communicated a note relative to the dispute which has arisen
between him and M. Thenard on the subject of his patented
Thus, then, x originating at certain times in India,'and meeting
with y at once gives rise to z, and an outbreak of cholera is the process for preserving wines by the application of heat A
result. The quantity of z is probably more than sufficient to paper was read by M. Phillips on the Movement of similar
account for all the cases that occur; the surplus may even solid Elastic Bodies, supplementary to a memoir on the equili-
perhaps be carried about, and so spread the epidemic ; but there brium of such bodies, read in January last.
being no reproduction of z, the stock would soon be exhausted. A memoir on the fundamental Equations of the mechanical
With 2, however, a quantity of x is also carried about, more theory of Heat, by M. F. Reech, was presented by M. Regnault.
particularly by the excrement; x, in fact, clings to its products In a note on the illumination of transparent bodies by polarised
just as yeast cells cling to a fermented liquid. And whenever x Light, M. A. Lallemand described some new experiments with
meets with fresh y, it generates fresh z ; and so the epidemic transparent solids. On passing a ray of polarised light horizontally
travels on, x making itself felt by z whenever it falls upon a through a polished cube of glass in a direction perpendicular to
store of y. For the existence of y, certain things are necessary, two of its faces, the maximum of illumination is horizontal, the
to wit:— light emitted is white, is entirely polarised in a horizontal plane,
1. A soil which, like alluvium, is permeable to air and water and gives the principal lines of the solar spectrum. When viewed
for several feet deep. vertically, the illumination is nil, unless the glass be fluorescent.
2. A rise and fall of sock-water. A soil which is permanently The light observed in a vertical direction in the latter case is
dry, or one which is always filled with sock-water, are equally more or less coloured, is neutral to the polariscope, and gives
unfavourable for the development of v. The change of level of none of the lines of the solar spectrum. The author noticed
water is absolutely necessary. the behaviour of various other substances, such as crystal, fhtor
3. The presence of organic and mineral matters on which the spar, Iceland spar, &c, M. Dumas communicated a letter from
variations in the amount of sock-water may act, and out of them M. P. Volpicelli on the Heat of the Lunar Radiation containing
produce;)/. an historical sketch of the researches upon this subject, and showing
that both Melloni and Herschel have demonstrated the calorific
4. A temperature suitable for such processes of organic action of the Moon. M. H. Marie Davy, whose previous state-
evolution. ment (September 20, 1869) that the calorific effects of the Moon's
All these points and many others are fully discussed in a rays were inappreciable called forth M. Volpicelli's remarks,
series of chapters with such headings as " Porous and Compact now communicated a note onjthe Calorific Power of the Lunar
Soils" ; " T h e Soil and the Immunity of Wirzburg" ; "Influ- Rays, in which, after noticing that Melloni was the first to demon-
ence of drinking Water on Cholera epidemics"; " Considerations strate the existence of such a power, and that his results had been
on the Cholera epidemic of 1866 in East London, in reference confirmed by Prof. Piazzi Smyth ; he goes on to describe his own
to Soil and Sock-water conditions"; " Apparent evidences against recent experiments, in which, by the employment of the thermo-
the 'Soil and Water theory' and for the theory of 'Contact electric pile, he has been able to obtain a series of results perfectly
and Idiosyncrasy,'" &c. &c. It concludes with a series of aphor- confirmatory of those of his predecessors. He found that the heat
isms, " O n the Origin and Spread of Cholera"; " O n the furnished by the moon is quite appreciable, and that its amount
Influence of Variations in Sock-level on the Enteric Fever of increases rapidly as it advances towards the full. M. C. Dareste
Munich" ; and, " On the Causes of the Immunity of Lyons." communicated a memoir on the notion of Type in Teratology,
and on the distribution of monstrous type in the division of
vertebrate animals; the argument of which is, that the type of
SOCIETIES AND ACADEMIES. monstrosities is correlated with the type of organisation, so that
Zoological Society.—The first scientific meeting for the if uniformity of type occurs in monstrosities throughout any wide
session will be held on Thursday the n t h inst, when Prof. range in all classes of the vertebrata, for example, the origin of
Flower, F.R.S., will read a paper on the Anatomy of the Aard- such monstrosities dates from a very early period of embryonic
Wolf [Protdes cristatus). The following communications have development, and the more limited the range of a monstrosity,
been received since the last meeting :—Dr. J. Anderson : Letter the later in the life of the embryo will be its origin. A paper was
received from, describing a living specimen of the Pigmy hog oi read by M. P. P. Deherain on the influence exerted by dif-
Terai {Porcula salvania).—Mr. P. L. Sclater : Remarks on the ferent luminous rays upon the decomposition of carbonic acid and
condition of various Zoological Gardens on the Continent recently the evaporation of water by leaves. The author states that,
visited by him, and on new and rare animals observed in those with equal intensity, the yellow and red rays act more energeti-
establishments.—Dr. B. Simpson. Notes on Ailm-us fulgens.— cally than the blue and violet rays, both in producing evaporation,
Mr. John Brazier : Note on the Egg of a species of Megapodius and in causing the decomposition of carbonic acid ; in the latter
from Bank's Islands.—Surgeon Francis Day : Remarks on fishes respect he found that the leaves of Potamogeton crispus emitted
in Calcutta Museum.—Mr. John Brazier: Notes on the Localities 26'2 cub. cent, of gas under yellow light; they gave off only
of two Species of Land-Shells.—Mr. R. B. Sharpe : Additional 5'8 cub. cent, in the same time under blue rays of equal intensity.
Notes on the genus Ceyx.—Dr. George Bennett: Letter received M. E. Decaisne communicated some remarks on the various con-
from, on the habits of the Wood Hen of Lord Howe's Island.— ditions of the production of goitre ; M. Landrin, a note on the
Dr. J. E. Gray : On the Guemul or Roe Buck from Tinta, South physiological action of Chloral ; M. Jaliwski, an account of a
Peru.—Dr. A. Giinther: Report on two collections of Indian process for bronzing iron ; M. Delaurier, a note on the manufac-
Reptiles.—Mr. Morton AUport: Letter received from, on the ture of manganate of calcium, and M. Mehay, a note on the
introduction of Salmon into the Australian Colonies.—Rev. 0, P. Infinitesimal Calculus.
BOOKS RECEIVED.
ENGLISH.—Chemistry: Prof. Attfield (Van Voorst).—Scenery of England
and Wales: D. Mackintosh, F.G.S. (Longmans).—Practical Chemistry:
Harcourt and Madan (Clarendon Press).—The Three Kingdoms of Nature :
R. S. Haughton (Cassell).—Flora of Middlesex : Trimen and Dyer (Hard-
wicke).—Natural Philosophy in Easy Lessons: John Tyndall (Cassell).—
Vegetable Physiology: Dr. Lankester (Cassell). — Our Bodies : E. A.
. Earth at San Davidson (Cassell).—Scientific Chemistry : F- S. Barff (Groombridge).—
HfHp Francisco, Science of Heat: T. A. Orme (Groombridge).—Mechanical Philosophy : R.
Wormell (Groombridge).—How Crops Grow (Macmillan).—Travels in Central
C. Sending pen. I. Receiving pen, Africa : Mr. and Mrs. Petherick (Tinsley).—New Tracks in North America :
W. A. Bell (Chapman and Hall).—Intelligence of Animals : E. Menault
SAN FRANCISCO CHRONOGRAPH. (Cassell).—Picture Natural History (Cassell).—Gold Fields and Mineral Dis-
tricts of Victoria : R. Brough Smyth (Triibner and Co.).—The World of the
wire, to m y relay E, which relieves the armature F , a n d the Sea: A. Fredol (Cassell).—Prehistoric Times: Sir John Lubbock, Bart.
(Williams and Norgate).—De la Rue and Co.'s Red Letter Diaries for 1870.
local circuit is broken ; the helix G deprived of its electricity and —Natural History of British Moths : E. Newman (Tweedie).
the magnet of its magnetism, relieving t h e armature H , which is
AMERICAN.—The Mississippi Valley: J. W. Foster. — Production 01
drawn away b y a spring, and the pen I makes t h ; record on the Precious Metals: W. P. Blake.—Parsons on the Rose.—System of Mine-
revolving cylinders of the chronograph. These two pens are on ralogy: Dana and Brush.—Guide to the Study of Insects: A. S. Packard,
the same horizontal line. Our experiments show that it took (Through Triibner and Co.)
0 8 7 of a second to traverse the above circuit. I also made FOREIGN.— Echinides : Cotteau etTriger (with atlas). -Ueber Batrachier :
experiments through to Buffalo, Chicago, Omaha, Cheyenne, Keferstein. — Protozoe Helvetica: W. A. and C. von F. Ooster.—Die Ellip-
Salt L a k e , and Virginia, and back. All successful. A s this tischen Functionen : Hattendorfif.—Lecons de Chimie : Alfred Riche.—Der
Cultur-Ingenieur : vol. ii. pan 2.—Die Chinacultur auf Java : van Gorkom.—
experiment was not contemplated by the programme of the longi- Handbuch der Edelsteinkunde : Schrauf.—Die Internationale Einigung durch
tude experiments, I have the satisfaction of seeing my ingenuity das metrische System : C Bopp.—Landwirthschaftliche Zoologie : Giebel,
successfully proved." —Bibliotheque des Sciences naturelles (Zoologie): Gervais et Sauvage.—
Erratische Bildungen im Aargau : Miihlberg.—Bergbaukunde (2 vols,):
Prof. Kirkwood has communicated through Mr. Chase a discus- Lottner (posthumous).— Zur Kenntnissder Bryozoen : Nitsche.—Viertelj ahrs*
sion of the periodicity of the Sim's spots. W e shall return to schrift fur offentliche Gesundheitopflege : vol. i. part 3.— Dictionnaire tech-
this communication. nologique: Kumpf et Mothes (vols. i. lii). (Through Williams and Norgate :
Asher and Co.).
Mr. Dubois presented a specimen a n d analysis of silver ore,
accompanied with the following note from the Assay Office,
United States Mint :— CONTENTS.
' ' I n the Report of the British Commission on International GOETHE: APHORISMS ON NATURE. By Prof. HUXLEY, F.R.S. . . 9
Coinage, lately published, w e find an extract from the jfournal des ON THE FERTILISATION OF WINTER-FLOWERING PLANTS. By A. W.
Debats, of November 13, 1866, stating that the German assayers BENNETT, F.L.S. {With Illustrations) n
r
had found the average fineness of French gold coins of that year PROTOPLASM AT THE ANTIPODES 3
to be 898 thousandths, and a fraction. I t adds that this is an THE RECENT TOTAL ECLIPSE IN AMERICA. By J. NORMAN LOCKYER,
F.R.S. {With Illustrations.) • • M
unworthy source of gain to Government, whose ambition it MADSEN'S DANISH ANTIQUITIES. By SIR J. LUBBOCK, BART., F.R.S. 15
should be to have the coins correct. T h e Monileur of Novem- NEWMAN'S BRITISH MOTHS. By W". S. DALLAS, F.L.S (With
J
ber 20 (official organ) replies, that this is as near to standard as Illustrations) o
OUR BOOK SHELF *7
can b e expected from the defects of practical operation; and SCIENCE-TEACHING IN SCHOOLS. By the REV. W. TCCKWELL . . . 18
that it is the duty of Government to prevent these ' ill-founded THE LATE PROFESSOR GRAHAM. By Prof. WILLIAMSON, F.R.b.
criticisms.' O u r own assays, for many years, have proved a (With Portrait) . . 20
deficiency in the French coins, averaging about one-thousandth. MEETING OF THE GERMAN NATURALISTS AND PHYSICIANS AT INNS-
BRUCK. By A GEIKIE, F.R.S =2
T h e apology of the Monitcur has no just foundation. Both TRIASSIC DINOSAURIA. By Prof. HUXLEY, F.R.S 23
at this Mint, and at S a n Francisco, the gold coins a r e kept CORRESPONDENCE:—The Suez Canal. T. LOGIN, C.E 24
s
close to the mark, scarcely varying t h e tenth of a thousandth ; NOTES ; • * |
as is proved by annual assays, and by foreign reports. British ASTRONOMY.—Astronomical Congress at Vienna . . . . . . . . 20
coinage is equally exact. CHEMISTRY.—Abstracts of Papers by Bettendorff, Paterno, Peligot, &c. 27
2
PHYSICS.—Magnus on Heat Spectra 8
" T h i s fact pffbrds an argument against the project of PHYSIOLOGY.—Pettenkofer on Cholera, &c 28
z
International Coinage. If we work to 900, a n d France to 899 SOCIETIES AND ACADEMIES 9
DIARY 3°
or less, and both pass alike, the difference is against u s , " BOOKS RECEIVED 3°