credible that all this can take place each summer in the same way in Grinnell Land, at 82 deg.  N., especially as the access to food must be more limited than it is with us.  The development of the humble-bee colony must surely be quite different there.  If it is not surely proved that the humble-bees occur at so high latitudes, one would not, with a knowledge of their mode of life, be inclined to believe that they could live under such conditions.  They seem, however, to have one advantage over their relatives in the south.  In the Arctic regions none of those parasites are found which in other regions lessen their numbers, such as the conopidae among the flies, the mutillas among the hymenoptera, and others.”—­Psyche.

[Footnote 2:  Nordenskioeld, A.E., Studien und forschungen veranlasst durch meine reisen im hohen norden.  Autorisirte ausgabe.  Leipzig, Brockhaus, 1885, 9 + 581 pp., 8 pl., maps, O. il.]

* * * * *

A YEAR’S SCIENTIFIC PROGRESS IN NERVOUS AND MENTAL DISEASES.

[Footnote:  Volunteer report presented to Nebraska State Medical Society, May, 1885, at Grand Island, Neb.]

By L.A.  MERRIAM, M.D., Omaha, Neb.,

Professor of the Principles and Practice of Medicine in the
University of Nebraska College of Medicine, Lincoln, Neb.

The records of the Nebraska State Medical Society show that the only report of progress on nervous and mental diseases ever made in the history of the society (sixteen years) was made by the writer last year; and expecting that those appointed to make a report this year would, judging by the history of the past, fail to prepare such a report, I have seen fit to prepare a brief volunteer report of such items of progress as have come to my notice during the last twelve months.  I have not been able to learn that any original work has been done in our State during the past year, nor that those having charge of the insane hospital have utilized the material at their command to add to the sum of our knowledge of mental diseases.

Last year I said:  “There is a growing sentiment that many diseases not heretofore regarded as nervous (and perhaps all diseases) are of nervous origin.”  This truth, that all pathologico-histological changes in the tissues of the body are degenerative in character, and, whether caused by a parasite, a poison, or some unknown influence, are first brought about by or through a changed innervation, is one that is being accepted very largely by the best men in the profession, and the accumulation of facts is increasing rapidly, and the acceptance of this great truth will prove to be little short of revolutionary in its influence on the treatment of the disease.  This is the outgrowth of the study of disease from the standpoint of the evolution hypothesis.  Derangements of function precede abnormalities of structure; hence the innervation