DISCOVERY OF TASMANIAN SKULLS.

1759 may at any time be run into by a comparatively noise- Highways Protection League was represented by counsel less vehicle the driver of which is in too great a hurry watching the case, and the matter is one in which such an to adhere to his proper course. In the case in which organisation can do much by stimulating the energy and Dr. Woulfe Flanagan gave evidence the injured men were not public spirit of individuals. ordinary pedestrians, and were not severely injured, but Mr. Curtis Bennett, in commenting on the risk attendant upon THE HUXLEY MEMORIAL LECTURE. passing on the wrong side of refuges, expressed himself as Professor Bateson, in his address on Mendelian Heredity fully alive to the prevalence of the practice, and announced which he delivered on Dec. lst last at Birmingham as the his intention to deal severely with those indulging in it if Memorial said that on such an occasion it Lecture, Huxley it were not discontinued. The danger is increased by the was natural to look back on the part which Huxley had ease with which a motor vehicle can be deflected from its played in the development of the theory of evolution. course without slackening its speed, a characteristic which an enthusiastic advocate of Darwin’s views Huxley renders it a far greater source of risk to the public than a Though had always retained an article of faith excluded from the horsed carriage or cart, and this may be observed not only orthodox Darwinian creed. To Huxley it had appeared that when a motor-car is dodging in and out of the traffic at a the importance of specific and discontinuous variationstreet refuge, but even more conspicuously when it turns a mutation, as it is now called-must be far greater than corner. Reckless and dangerous hurrying round corners may Darwin was disposed to admit. When, some years ago, be seen at almost every spot in London where streets intersect, Professor Bateson published evidence tending to support or lead into, one another. To take a well-known turning as the mutation theory, it had been no small encouragean instance, anyone who walks up the north side of Conduitment amongst much hostility to receive from Huxley a street on his way from Bond-street to Regent-street will find And now, said the letter of sympathetic approval. as he prepares to cross the end of George-street that motortime had provided abundant material justifylecturer, cabs and cars travelling towards Hanover-square from BondHuxley’s expectation-indeed, the doctrine of mutastreet are tempted by the angle, which happens to be greater ing tion had now more to fear from its uncritical adherents than than a right angle, to negotiate it at full speed closely from direct opposition. The change had come about chiefly shaving the kerbstone. It is quite easy and perfectly safe for through the recognition of Mendel’s work and the percepthem to do so, but extremely dangerous to the unwary pedestion of the processes of heredity and variation thus acquired. trian who may not have looked behind him and is unable to would undoubtedly regard Mendel’s discovery as check himself on the edge of the pavement. The mention Posterity one of the greatest contributions ever made to man’s knowof Hanover-square reminds us that a fatal accident took place of nature. The essential fact of Mendelism was that there on the night of Nov. 26th. The verdict of a coroner’s ledge the forms and qualities of living things can in numberless jury’has since exonerated from blame the driver of the taxibe proved to depend on the presence of definite cab which ran over and killed Mr. W. H. Stallard, a solicitor, examples elements or factors, and that those factors are distributed and we therefore only refer to the death as illustrating the among the germ-cells according to predicable systems, whioh danger of this class of traffic generally and because on this could be illustrated reference to a by variety of phenomena in occasion also a medical man, Dr. David Walsh, gave eviand man. From a animals, study of the peculiar mode dence as an eye-witness of the occurrence. It has additional plants, of transmission of colour-blindness and other "sex-limited" appositeness, because at the inquest Dr. Walsh informed the conditions, the conclusion was reached that the distinction coroner’s jury that his own care in crossing where the between the sexes was determined by Mendelian factors disdeceased met his death was in a measure due to the fact that tributed on a definite system. In another respect Mendelism a few weeks previously he had himself been run over, with bore on Huxley’s views. Huxley had ofcen pointed out that the result that he was still lame. His experience of personal the sterility of hybrids was a serious difficulty in the way of injury and of witnessing the death of another within a few Darwin’s theory. The Mendelian method was beginning to weeks from the same cause, combined with the statistics show the nature of this sterility, and further inquiry would published recently by the police with regard to street acciperhaps completely elucidate it. In certain cases it was dents and commented upon widely in the newspapers, to suggest the chemical nature of Mendelian factors should tend to rouse public opinion to the serious and possible with some confidence. Professor Bateson’s general conincreasing danger from the abuse of their privileges by clusion that with the progress of this analysis the oiological If a census of accident cases due motor-car drivers. sciences were passing into a new phase will be opposed by no to this cause now being treated in the London hospitals one. His word of warning against the too ready acceptance were to be taken it would add some instructive figures. of violent generalisation made by enthusiasts will be noted, On a recent date, we are informed, no less than nine beds for any attitude of reasonable criticism is sometimes were occupied at St. George’s Hospital alone by victims described by Mendelians as fossilised devotion to a scientific of the horseless carriage, while six more were to be found scheme laid down by Darwin. in the wards at Charing Cross Hospital. It is for the public to protect itself in the matter, and one way in which it can DISCOVERY OF TASMANIAN SKULLS. do so is to follow Dr. Woulfe ’Flanagan’s example and to aid Professor R. J. A. Berry, of Melbourne University, and the police in their difficult duty of regulating the traffic. We! often see charges of all kinds in our police courts criticised Dr. A. W. D. Robertson have made a very remarkable and skulls belonging to native as " resting on police evidence only," as if this showed that unexpected discovery of Tasmanians. Some 33 were of a ! trivial had the notice of or years agoLalla Rookh,"the last they character, escaped her and with her passed out of existence of but race, died, whose Members of the witnesses. any professional public the most civilisation but the most would before the are someonly primitive position carry weight magistrate times those most ready to blame both magistrates and police primitively constituted people that anthropologists have for affording inadequate protection to such as themselves ;; any knowledge of. Last year Sir William Turner made an yet they are the least willing to spend their doubtless valu- inventory of all the remains known of this race and was able time in rendering to the executive that support which able to compile a list of 79 skulls, by far the richest collecit would most gladly welcome. It was mentioned that att tion being in the museum of the Royal College of Surgeons the of the first case commented on above the3 of England. The many points of resemblance between the "

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1760 ic remarkable people who inhabited Europe in palseolitihic n additional of which have been times-two examples recently discovered in France and largely discussed in thele popular press-and the native Tasmanians have made clear to anthropologists that much can be learned of the very y earliest inhabitants of Europe by studying the native races;s of Australia. Hence the importance of Professor Berry’s’s success in collecting from various sources-former burial grounds, private collections, and museums-42 additional Tasmanian skulls, all of which he has good reason too regard as authentic. The description of his collection will1 occupy some time, but there can be no doubt that the publication of his investigations will provide a valuable welcomee addition to our knowledge of a most interesting past race. -

RESEARCH DEFENCE SOCIETY. THE work of this society is now being widely extended by the formation of branch societies in all parts of the kingdom. The Brighton and Sussex branch have arranged1 for a public meeting to be held on Monday next, Dec. 13th,, at 3 o’clock in the Royal Pavilion, Brighton. Among the speakers will be the Earl of Cromer, President of the Society,, and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, President of the Brighton and1 Sussex branch. The patrons of this branch are the Duke ofe Devonshire and Lord Leconfield, and the branch has alreadyr a large number of members. We sincerely hope that the work of the Research Defence Society will continue to be well supported by members of the medical profession. The: society has already more than 2700 members and more than 100 associates, and is fulfilling a very useful purpose in bringing about a better condition of public opinion as to the objects and the character of experiments on animals, and as to the conditions under which they are made in this country, under the restrictions of the Act. ,

removed

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the modified milk mixture, the. milk was was peptonised, and finally boiled, but none of these changes made the slightest difference in the production of the rash. The rash at first appeared with perfect regularity about 15 minutes after milk touched the skin, and lasted at first an hour. Then its duration gradually diminished until after 21 days it ceased to appear. The rash Sometimes it was sharply was bright red and not raised. circumscribed ; at others it faded with a pink edge to th& normal skin. It corresponded exactly to the area touched by the milk. It never resembled urticaria or appeared to Dr. Steele does not attempt to explain this cause itching. curious effect of the application of milk to the skin. It evidently was due to idiosyncrasy to some normal ingredient It could not have been due to an abnormal of the milk. ingredient, for cow’s milk from any source produced it. The gradual acquisition of immunity seems to us of considerable interest, and due to the ingestion of the milk. Evidently the administration of the offending ingredient, gradually produced tolerance. Dr. A. T. Schofield has recorded in our columns a case of idiosyncrasy to white of 1 egg in which tolerance was similarly induced. The patient was a boy, aged 13 years, who could not eat egg in any form without the production of salivation and profuse He was given doses of egg so minute urticaria. that they produced no symptoms, and the dose was. gradually increased until complete tolerance was established to eggs in any quantity. Dr. Steele’s case differs from this. in the fact that the idiosyncrasy was a local reaction due to local application, not a general reaction due to internal, administration. Idiosyncrasy of the former type is much the rarer. Some years ago we discussed a peculiar eruption due to contact of arterial blood with the skin during operations described by Mr. Marmaduke Sheild, which he termed "blood erythema."2 We concluded that the erythema was an example of idiosyncrasy and was similar to the urticaria produced in some persons by the application of yelk of egg to the skin. The analogy of blood erythema with the milk erythema is obvious.

ERYTHEMA DUE TO THE APPLICATION OF COWS’ MILK. IN the Yale Medical Journal for November Dr. H. M. Steele has reported a case in which the application of cows’ milk to the infant skin produced a curious effect. The NOVEMBER AT HOME AND ABROAD. was a female 6 months. a twin She was child, aged patient IF the figures given below are compared with those for whose sister had died from marasmus in the fourth month. She was nursed by the mother for six months, during which November which were published in THE LANCET a year ago, she did well except for an attack of mastitis and otitis media it will be seen that at all the places represented in the table in the fifth month, from which she completely recovered. As except those in Italy the mean temperature was lower than the mother was worn out from the twin sister’s illness and during the corresponding month of 1908. The divergence wasdeath and had two attacks of influenza, this child was considerable nearly everywhere, and at Biarritz it amounted’ partially weaned, although she was doing well and had to as much as 8°. In these islands the weather was gained 12 ounces in the preceding two weeks. She was cold for the time of year and also remarkably dry and put on modified fresh cows’ milk, which was obtained from sunny, the records of sunshine in many localities being about a model dairy. After taking about an ounce a bright red 50 per cent. above the average, and at a few places in the rash appeared about the mouth, and on the cheeks where south of England nearly 100 per cent. above. Such a bright had been accidentally spilled. A November has not been enjoyed in some parts of the some of the milk little later she vomited, but she seemed ill in no kingdom for at least 30 years. In central Ireland and a other way, and the rash disappeared within an hour. Herlarge part of Scotland the frost experienced between thefather took some milk from the bottle in which the milk was15th and 20th of the month was the most severe ever ] in November in those localities, and the records go delivered and rubbed it on the baby’s forehead. The samerecorded rash was produced in about the same time, but lasted only back 1 to nearly 40 years. In the central and eastern counties, half an hour. Dr. Steele had the milk analysed, but received (of Scotland the thermometer exposed on the grass descended, t about zero, or a few degrees below it, and at Balmoral the the report that its constituents were in the proper proportion to and that it contained no preservatives. On his own skin it screened E instrument four feet above the ground fell to within. no effect and t three produced inquiry among many patients taking degrees of zero. London and England generally were-

the

milk did not show any similar case. On the follow- milder than Paris, Berlin, and Brussels, and also less rainy, i rash the was both of the 1 as ing day but, is usually the case in November, the South of France produced by application same milk and of milk from another dairy, but not by the milder than the mildest part of the United Kingdom, ’i was mother’s milk. The rash was not produced by ingestion while v the southern half of Italy was milder still. At Malta,. of milk, but only when the milk was spilled andAlgiers, and Palma the mean temperature was almostcame in contact with the face. There was only slight 1 THE LANCET, March 7th, 1908, p. 716. of milk 2 THE LANCET, March on this regurgitation 20th, 1897, p. 821. day. The lactose was same