298 SCIENCE PROGRESS 



researches without pecuniary loss to himself. The State has recently been giving 

 large sums for medical investigation, and we think that a fraction of them should 

 be devoted to this purpose. Either by himself or as leader of several scientific 

 commissions, he has found the causes and modes of transmission of no less than 

 three important diseases — namely, Mediterranean Fever, Sleeping Sickness, and 

 the Tsetse-Fly Disease of cattle — thus having conferred an enormous boon on the 

 world, without any adequate pecuniary gain to himself. Genuine scientific 

 capacity is very rare ; not every young man who looks through a microscope 

 possesses it — as some recent, lamentable, and costly failures help to prove ; and 

 Sir David Bruce's great ability should not be lost to the world. 



Our " Recent Advances " 



The Literary Supplement of the Times complains that some of our " Recent 

 Advances " are little more than " meagrely annotated lists of papers." We are very 

 glad to receive suggestions, but may point out that this matter is one simply 

 of available space. Some subjects, which have few papers during the quarter, can 

 be more freely annotated than other subjects such as mathematics, for example, of 

 which the list of works is always enormous. The section of Recent Advances is 

 designed to help the man of science and the amateur who wish to keep in touch 

 with branches of science other than their own special branch, but who do not 

 subscribe to bibliographies or the literature of the former. Nearly half our space 

 (including reviews) is employed to meet this want ; but if each good paper is to 

 be fully annotated, the whole number would be required for the purpose. 



We may take the opportunity to state that articles are put into small print, not 

 because they are supposed to be of lighter or slighter quality, but because their 

 subjects are not purely scientific. We have also to consider exigencies of space ; 

 and small type is more suitable for mathematical articles. 



The School Science Review (D. 0. W.) 



This quarterly journal, edited by Mr. Adlam, of the City of London School, 

 and published by Mr. John Murray at is. net, forms the latest enterprise of that 

 very energetic body, the Science Masters' Association. It should satisfy the long- 

 felt need for a periodical in which science masters can discuss the problems which 

 abound and multiply so freely in science teaching. The appearance of the 

 Review is more especially opportune because, very largely as a result of the 

 efforts of the Association, science is becoming a compulsory part of the school 

 curriculum. The methods and syllabus of teaching at present generally used are 

 not such as will fill the masses of the younger generation with enthusiam or even 

 respect for science, and to achieve this result is surely the most important task 

 facing the teacher to-day. His responsibilities are very heavy. He has not only 

 to convince the examining authorities that a change in their syj!abuses is necessary, 

 he has also to devise for himself methods of teaching on tb/. lines of Science for 

 All, which, while retaining the full savour of the romance of science, must yet 

 contain something of the rigidity and logic of scientific method. This change will 

 not be an easy one for the average teacher ; the severe specialisation of the 

 honours course does not lead to the acquirement of the knowledge that is needed, 

 and the routine of everyday work leaves all too little time for reading and thought. 

 Thus it would seem to the writer that it is in the discussion of the problems of 



