New-York tribune., 1922-12-30
Scientists Elect
DECD. WOlcOtt
AS President
American Association Sc
lecis Smithsonian Secre-
iary as Leader for 1923;
Is Noted PaleoniOlogisi
Life on Mars Discussed
Prof. Brues, of Harvard, Pre-
diets Infantile Paralysis
May Soon Renew Menace
sr,elal pl,pateh % ~ rrhsns


colt. secretary Of the Smithsonian In
stitution OF Washington, was elected
president OF the American Association
for the Advancement Of Science FOR the
year 1929 at a meeting Of the council Of
The association.
DR.. Waleott is one Of the leading sci
entists Of America and has been seere-
tary OF the Smithsonian Institution
since 1907. Because OF his geological
work, especially on fossils in the rocks
formed during the time known geolog-
ieally 81 the Cambrian, he has interna-
tlonal prominence as a palcontologist.
He discovered bacteria in the rocks Of
tho Algonkian period. the earliest time
when signs Of life on this earth are
evident. From 1894 10 1907 he was di-
rector Of the United States Geological
Survey and from 1902 TO 1907 he was
also the first director Of the Reelama-
tion Service. he is president Of the
National Academy Of Sciences, a 'nem-
Der OF the National Research Council
and chairman Of the National Advisory
Committee for Aeronautics.
How Martians Live
The palm beach" OF Mars il az the
equator. where Martians enjoy balmy
temperatures Of from 6S 20 n during
the day. At night they pile on The
blankets, for II gets much colder. Ju-
piter. on the other hand, Is cold plan
et where temperatures hover around i30
degrees below zero. Saturn u some 36
degrees warmer than Jupiter. Venus
!. much warmer than the earth.
These temperatures have been esti-
mated at the Lowell Observatory, In
Arizona. By instruments so delicate
that they could detect The heat OF a
tallow candle many miles away.
The astonishing results obtained by
these instruments were described to-
dav By Professor Donald y. Mcneil, Of
Princeton University.
The chief instrument Is thermo
couple, which Is essentially two sub
stances, both electrical conductors
loined together and attached to q high
Isl sensitive device for measuring elec-
trieal current. A very slight increase
In temperature is enough 10 set up an
electrical current ~ the point Of con
tact between the two substances and
this current Is measured and compared
with other data.
MaRniaes Heat Rays
The heat fS,m a planet is focused
on the instruments by means Of
telescope as heat rays are magnihed
in the same way ns light waves. An
enormous number Of corrections must
be made IN the figures 40 hrst obtained
and computations OF astonishing In
trieacy must be calculated.
The conviction that poliomyelitis, or
infantile paralysis, is spread by rats
and heas Just as the bubonie plague IS
spread was expressed by Professor
Charles T. Brues OF the Busy Institu
tion, Harvard University, In an ad-
dress to-day before the medical sci.
cnce section. He indicated that there
may be another serious outbreak in
the United States soon, possibly dur
ing 1929.
Dr.. Brues eombated with statistical
charts the theory that a severe out
break immunizes the susceptible pop
ulation through an enormous number
OF slight. unacceptable, or what we
may most appropriately term smbu-
latory cases" He went on 10 show
that rural communities are almost in
yariably harder hit by the disease than
cities. and that even in New York dur
ing 1915 the more densely populated
boroughs Of the city were the least Sc
ycrely affected.
Epidemic Follows Rats
at will be noted that while the cpl
demic severity, even in the parts Of a
larQe city, does not vary with the
density Of the human population, It
does appear TO follow the rat popula-
ton" said DR.. Brues.
Showing a map Of the lower East
Side Of New York, "the most crowded
part OF the city. where any disease
spread by contact should become ram
pant he said that the incidence rate
there was lower than that Of any en-
tire borough in the city. and showed