tains to those subordinate nervous centres which lie scattered over the body, and are placed as guardians of the vegetative activity, such, for example, as the nervous ganglia of the heart and intestinal canal. It is only occasionally, under very exceptional circumstances, that painful news reaches the higher regions from these quarters; it is only in illness, or when an unusual storm of sensation is raging. such as fever, anxiety, and other passions, that any influence from above operates on the beating of the heart. It is worthy of notice that among the connecting threads which contribute to the weak dominion of the brain over the nervous centres of vegetative life, are particular cords which have the exclusive function of conveying counter-mandates against action. These are the so-called nerves of interception. These are capable of conveying such an irritation as to bring the heart to a stand-still.

Among the inferior nervous centres a division of the work into departments occurs, as has been shown by examples. One mass has to elaborate the sensations produced by light into vivid representations; another has to connect these with the sensation of touch; again, another has to do with speech; others arrange the movements of the various extremities; others the throbbings of the heart, and so on. Nothing decidedly analogous to this takes place in the supreme governing body-the cell-mass of the great cerebral hemispheres. Here every cell can participate in every opportunity which is afforded for the activity of the general cerebrum. Each part of this organ, larger or smaller, can set the other parts into action, especially since there is a definite relation between one great half of the brain and the other. These are positive facts which cannot be doubted. In fact, there are numerous pathological observations which show that though men have frequently, either by external injury or destructive disease, been robbed of the greater part of their cerebral hemispheres, yet it has never been remarked in such individuals that any mental power, such as speech or memory, according to the locality of the wound, had been lost. A man, with the greater part of his cerebrum destroyed, rejoices in the same clearness of consciousness and understanding as before. These observations alone would be enough to upset the idle speculations of "phrenologists," were that consummation not already attained by their unreasonable classification of the so-called "mental properties."*

The facts in question enable us to add one more observation worthy of notice. They show that the acuteness of the understanding, and generally the quality of mental power, does not depend upon the quantity of brain, which, however, is a view widely accepted. Nevertheless, the energy and unweariedness of mental activity seems to depend upon the mass of the brain. In our way * 66 'Seelenvermögen."

of looking at the question, it must be so, as a matter of course, since when only a small number of cells are at hand, each single cell must be more strained than when many are present to relieve one another. In the first case, the whole mass would speedily become exhausted.

Thus it is, that we find it an acknowledged fact, that the greatest men as a rule have very big heads. It is explained by the consideration that to illustrious actions belong not only activity, but also steady energy and endurance in their accomplishment, which qualities simply depend on the size of the cerebral mass. In the course of our observations, I must freely admit, in conclusion, we passed over an obscure point-namely, How is it that to us our own consciousness seems personal, whereas, according to the representations made above, it should be rather the united consciousness of a people? I know no solution of this problem, excepting a masterpiece of human wisdom from Kant's Critique on Pure Reason.' It is this:

"An elastic ball which strikes another divides with it its whole momentum, consequently, its whole phase of being. Suppose, then, an analogous case, in which bodies of like material are concerned, the one imparting to the other ideas: a whole series is easily conceived, in which any one which may be regarded as the first communicates to a second its conditions and the consciousness of them; the second acts similarly on a third, communicating, not only its own conditions, but those of the first also; whilst the third in like manner communicates the conditions of all the preceding ones together with its own, and their consciousness. The last body

would thus be conscious of all the phases of being of the bodies that had been modified before it, as well as of its own, because these phases of being were transferred to it together with their consciousness, and in consequence of this, would it not have been identically the same individual in all these phases of existence? "*

Is it not as though the great thinker had flashed forth the then undiscovered construction of the nervous system, with its cells sharing with one another their conditions. Verily, the veil is as yet but just touched. It still remains impenetrably thick over the secret depths of our inner selves, and so will remain to the end.

The utterances of great thinkers are ever suggestive. If we have a row of elastic balls touching one another, and give a blow to the first, it will impart its momentum to the second; that will affect the third, and so on, with gradually-diminishing intensity, until the last is impelled slightly forward from the rest. But modern physics teach us that each ball will have been affected in another way. If the force, the motive impulse, has diminished in its passage through the balls, a little heat will have been set up, in conformity with the law of the Conservation of forces.

Thus, when the divine truth or energy is conveyed into the mind of a man who stands at the head of a series of thinkers, it fires his brain; but he imparts the "momentum" to his neighbour, and the influence passes from mind to mind, probably with diminishing vigour, until it reaches the last mind--that which offers the least resistance; for there is none lower to whom it can communicate it; and so it is not fired, but moved a little forwards: that last mind is the mind of the masses.-EDITORS

VOL. III.

CHRONICLES OF SCIENCE.

I. AGRICULTURE.

THE CATTLE PLAGUE.-This has continued the overwhelming interest of the past quarter in the agricultural world. Advancing for many weeks at a very rapidly increasing rate, and having attained a fatality of about 1,500 cases daily, it has latterly been stationary; and we hope it is at length feeling the influence of the means which have been employed for its prevention and restriction. The Cattle Plague Act requires the immediate slaughter of affected animals, and permits the local authorities to destroy those which, having been in contact with the plague, may be supposed to have become infected. The rapid breeding and spread of the poison are thus at length in some measure stopped; and we may hope with some confidence that the hitherto rapid extension of the plague has been checked. Every other method than the pole-axe for this purpose has hitherto been a failure. Vaccination, on which some hope had been built, was found to be no security whatever: and every published cure has hitherto, on sufficient test being applied, proved to be fallacious. Acids, alkalies, and salts have all been fairly tried, and all found wanting. Sulphuric acid, sulphates, and sulphites, hydrochloric acid, common salt, lime, salts of iron, sulphur, and a variety of drugs have all proved ineffectual, Mr. Worms, a coffee planter of Ceylon, who imagined the disease to be the same as he had often treated successfully in that island, confidently recommended onions and assafoetida in certain doses as a cure; and it has been largely tried, but without success. Baron Rothschild's herd at Mentmore was rapidly succumbing to the plague, notwithstanding Mr. Worms' treatment, when the experiment was at length cut short by the intervention of the law for slaughtering affected animals. Homoeopathic treatment seems, according to the published tables, to have achieved a larger proportion of success than any other. But everybody knows the extreme untrustworthiness of any general conclusion on this subject built upon an insufficient basis of examples. Meanwhile, the fatality of the disease, which, on its first appearance, was extreme, and is still extraordinary, has been gradually diminishing. The recovery rate, which was only 5 per cent. in October, and 6 per cent, in November, over the whole number of cases reported since the beginning, had risen to 11 per cent. in the third week in January, and stood at 12:146 per cent. on February 3, 12:364 per cent, on February 10, 12.680 per cent.

on February 17, 13,377 per cent. on February 24, and 13.956 per cent. on March 3. Since then the slaughter of all affected animals by law has, of course, hindered any further observation; but the plague was apparently obeying the law of other extraordinary epidemics, and gradually losing with extension the extremely fatal type which it exhibited at first. The above are the results of comparing, not one week with another, but the totals since the commencement of the attack up to the end of each successive week. The advance is very much greater if the experience of each successive week be examined by itself. The recoveries, which were only 848, or 4.8 per cent., at a time when there had already been 17,673 cases of the disease in the country, amounted to no fewer than 2,561, or 25 per cent,, during a single week in February, when 10,167 fresh cases occurred. We may, therefore, declare that, great as this burden on British agriculture undoubtedly is, some hopeful signs connected with it are at length appearing.

It is, however, certain that they depend very much upon the great fear which the disease has created, and the extreme care now taken in isolating diseased herds. In a lecture by Professor Simonds, before the Royal Agricultural Society of England, the greatest emphasis was laid on the need of this carefulness, as the only hope of preventing the extension of the malady. Labourers, travellers, dogs, cats, pigeons, even the wind, when the disease is general over a considerable area, can carry the poison; and if a particle of the morbific matter gains a lodgment in the system of a healthy animal, it will develop there. Hence, wherever the disease exists, it is of the greatest importance that we detect it early, not merely because the only chance of successful treatment depends on commencing with it at the outset of the attack, but also because the establishment of a complete isolation of the animal, before it has begun to exhale the developed poison, is absolutely necessary, Professor Gamgee's researches prove that the symptom which precedes all others is a slight exaltation of the temperature of the body. A thermometer inserted into the rectum or vagina indicates a temperature of from 2° to 5° Fahr. above the normal 100° in a day or two after the inoculation of the animal with the poison, and some days before the characteristic outward symptoms show themselves. And the examination of whole herds has proved that the natural development of the disease is indicated in the same manner. The misfortune, however, is, that this premonitory symptom is true of other diseases also, so that all that any stock-owner can declare with certainty, on finding that the internal temperature of his beast, ascertained in this way, stands at 103° to 105°, is that its health is disturbed. If he fears the cattle plague he may be disposed to believe that it has at length reached him; but of this he cannot be sure until the other more characteristic symptoms appear. Meanwhile the necessity is urgent

for the utmost care being maintained in disinfecting every person, place, or thing that has once been in contact with the disease wherever it has unmistakeably declared itself. Sheds, utensils, recovered animals, clothes, yards, manure, must be carefully disinfected or the plague will come again.

The disease has at length everywhere created fright enough to ensure the adoption of careful measures, and a wholesome public opinion having at length grown up, has declared itself in extremely stringent legislation, and we may therefore hope with some reason that we shall be able at Midsummer to report a diminution of the plague.

Among the other topics of agricultural interest which have arisen during the past quarter, we may name the first general attempt to collect the agricultural statistics of the country. Returns of the number of heads of various farm stock are being made this month by every occupier of land; and we shall soon know, with some degree of certainty, what are the numbers on which we depend for food, and what proportion to our actual stock is borne by the losses to which cattle plagues and other epizootics make us liable. A commencement having at length been made, we may hope that measures will by-and-by be taken for ascertaining and publishing from year to year the food-producing power of the country in the other important departments of its agriculture.

Mr. Alderman Mechi has read a paper before the London Farmers' Club on the tillage of the country, in which he declares its insufficient depth and general lack of efficiency in order to the full development of fertility. Plants go great depths for their food; and young crops are obviously benefited by hoeing and stirring the land during their growth. These are the two facts on which he bases his argument for the greater depth and thoroughness of tillage operations. The extension of cultivation by steam-power is one chief end to be desired, as being in itself the principal means to the attainment of such fertility as thorough tillage can develop.

Mr. Denton, C.E., and Mr. Grantham, C.E., have called attention to the great need of storing up in country places, for farm and village use, the drainage-waters of the neighbourhood. The want of water in many places, especially where either deep clay or deep chalk exists, is a very heavy agricultural burden and a great social calamity; and on both grounds the drainage-water, which is the very best available in such cases, ought to be stored in winter time against summer drought. The excessive rain-fall of the past season, following as it has two very dry summers, the difficulties arising from the drought of which will not soon be forgotten, makes the urgency of this question all the more apparent.

The Educational Committee of the English Agricultural Society have published the results of their first year's experience. No fewer