Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1888-02-11
The American Autnropo,o9tss.


Washington, the capital OF the country, Is more
ani more becoming the capital OF science and the
ce-ter of scientific activity. The latest evidence
Of this fact appears before In the first voumc or
The Incr1cah Anti opol0giSt the Journal OF the
Archaeological Society OF this city. Founded In
1873, with tue object OF encouraging the study OF
The natural history Of man." the society has upon
It, rolls most OF the prominent scientific men OF
the city, While the honorary and corresponding
membership Include the names OF masy illust nous
sa' ants vi EUR DC. Especial interest attaches to
The enterprise, as our Washington society il the
OILY really active one In this country devoted ex-
clH>lNeiy 10 aDtnropOiOgy, and as this Journal Is
The only on- publ here which Is devoted ex-
Cli-fVey Ia scientific discussion. The pape = read
- Ihe meetings OF The society. GOVERN almost
The whole range OF anthTOpOlOgic inquiry, have
been published from time To time IN the form OF
prOcee iings which have been exclusively dssem-
mated IN this country and abroad. Feeling the
med OF a more adequate and regular means OF
recOrd and communication. the society has inauy-
uTdJei the new enterprise Though In Large
measure deSig.-t To b. the organ OF the soci.ty
II = Intended tnat the Journal shall cover much
wiier Isd than tue mere recording OF the sOcietys
VI communication between students OF anthro-
poloxy oyrr the whole OF this country and TO a
ceTtdin extent. Of Europe also.
Inc hrSt number, now before ua, contains four
articles or unusual interest and value, three OF
winch are by well-known residents OF this city,
The nfst article l. a scholarly essay BY Jane, C.
welding, president OF columbian University, on
'THE LAW OF AALTHUs"
After stating the fundamental doctrine OF NAL
thus to be THAT population has a tendency TO null
tiply itself beyond the conditions OF subsistence
The writer proceeds to point out some OF the mis-
taken ideas which writer's have enterta, con-
CerSfnZ the doctrine, for which Nautilus Is In no.
Wis responsible Especially does he point out
That the nrst edition Of Nautilus book conIal ned
many errors which the author afterward apollo
N1Eed for and corrected In subsequent editions
Yet notwithstanding this fact IL l. 10 this edition
which the 1nressoning opponents OF the theory
nave turned for controversial material
According 10 DIR. yelling. the great mistake OF
~ m mot rlvs
sufficient effect OF the various factors OF civiiza-
lion In Increasing the iood supply and In supplying
means Tor us INSTITUTION lar beyond the possible
The writer thinks that today, in all civilized
lands OF The world, the greatest pinch OF the NAL
msthods OF food production as In unproductlve
nethods Of food consumption and unsclentinc
taxes optimistic view of the situatt0n Citing
The computation OF DIR. Ernst Engel upon the
steam-power OF the world in eject that the total
steanpower Is equal to 1.99, 900 living horses
or 4',ill,osoOOO laboring men, he shows tnat
taxing the population OF al civliized nations each
Individual would have at command a working
power equ i 10 III men, II the power were used 10
the FULLEST possible extent, and II 1t was equally
Col +. A seely contributes a valuable paper on
The DEVELOPMENT OF TINE KEEPING
IN Greece an Rome, which Is In the nature of n
study OF the growth OF the common clock There
are three primitive forms of time keepers-the sun
ciaLclepsydra, or water clock and the graduated
IN n
Us many forms. Il aScribed to BdbylOnia or Char
dea- and Is OF unknown date. The sun dial OF the
Creeks was mere staff, without gradu ted dill
Tor indicating hours or definite fractions OF q "
shadow OF certain length Indicated the hour for
bathing, another the hour for supper ami 10 on
However perfected the sun-iaI 4. OF ilmItet ca
pdciIS, Useless al night o. on cloudy days. Hence
a demand, as tiI4S went On, Tor a more perfect
iAeans VI recording tae Passage OF time, which
was the water Cock, the fOTerunner OF tie modern
time piece, Col Seey riuds the s.inul,,t form OF
this device In the hands Of the Malay pirates the
shape O bucket OF water and a perrOra ed CO.
COanut-shel through which the wafer enter, ana
Ills the nut until IL stnxs In southern India n he
nut becomes copper bowl, upon which the at
tendaht strikes the IOur The next step In the in
vention - found ia China, where the water cIo,S
Was developed into something more resembling an
Instrument OF precision. here the device was
composed Of three yess-la.-tn upper one from
winch watsr escaped, at a regular rate, through
an orinee into a second, thus maintaining cOnst mt
LeAa N the second. from which II passed into a
thlI1 marked upon the inside with grauuatlons
and having q floating Index. Thus 10 the water
modern cock. VIZ: q motor In the form or water
acted on by gravity true pement in the form
OF TIE pertoratlon, whiie the noat answers 10 the
slocK hands The Introduction OF the water clock
Ia,o Zone and Athens and the methods OF It's use
are taAsn up, and the nnal steps discussed which
resulted IN the coDmon clock.
AxrHkoPoLoGIcAL MITES on THE HUMAN HAND
give Dr. Frank Baker opportunity to discuss some
Nery curious supersIitions regarding the hand OF
the dead Most OF Us probably are prepared 70 be
surprised 20 be tod that there many De sons In
our nast who have Implicit faith In the curative
properties or the hand OF a dead persyn when an
plea ~ al Aoicted part. DR.. Baker nnds also nat
ven among cultivated and Intelligent people
there ID belief that the nnu le OF chlract. r NAV
tv inierIec from an Inspection OF the hand which
ueIei reads 10 a easy step 70 a faith Ia palmi,lry
pure and simple, q step actually taken in the mol
Sfn revival Oh eheironAncy upon OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
.eaA nue reJeetins the pueriIiIes and aesuriI-
De . rationAl paysiognomy OF the mana NOM =
htuoy OF Sh.ch may De deduced a certain amount
~ lnLoI NATION respecting the natural dspo,Itlon
time. - 'uo
A learned paper on the Channe- AbaI uour
phA, completes the number "N'