NOTES 127 



histology are requested to communicate to any of the above-mentioned 

 collaborators such new techniques as they may have invented, and such 

 older techniques as are not included in the 1913 edition, but which they 

 consider shovild be printed in the coming edition. 



The National Union of Scientific Workers, 19, Tothill Street, S.W.i, held 

 a pubhc meeting at Birkbeck College on April 28, under the chairmanship 

 of Mr. H. G. Wells. Professor F. Soddy, of Oxford, gave an address on 

 " The Public Support of Scientific Research." 



Mr. Wells gave a characteristic speech of somewhat revolutionary type. 

 He deplored the neglect of science under the present political system, and 

 said that unless some change took place everyone should hope and work for 

 revolution, which could not do harm to the present status of scientific men. 

 He drew attention to the great debt the world owed to science, and pointed 

 out that scientific workers had never had any reward — they had established 

 neither great families nor country seats. He declared that politicians of to-day 

 were wasting the money provided by science. Mr. Wells bitterly attacked 

 the present system of endowments, and said that politicians had their own 

 friends to look after before they could attend to such matters as scientific 

 endowments. 



Professor Soddy, who received a great welcome from the audience of 

 scientific men and students, gave a fine address, pointing out the far-reaching 

 and beneficial changes introduced by science. During the war the ignorant 

 politicians squealed to be saved by sciences. He pointed out that one great 

 discovery might change human destiny. Without pure science a nation 

 must decline. Professor Soddy condemned the short-sighted policy which 

 believed that everything in science should be delegated to economic and 

 money-making purposes — one could not have fruit without the tree. He 

 mentioned, among several of the great debts owed by the world to science, 

 the work of Ross on malaria : in a detailed manner he explained the im- 

 perfections of the present system of Research Endowments and the manner 

 of their dispensation. He mentioned the peculiar circumstance of the 

 appointment of an unqualified foreigner as head of the Glass Research 

 Association. 



He stated that the ordinary scientific worker was less well organised than 

 the land-labourer. To make the world safe for democracy scientific men 

 should make themselves master in their own house. 



Folio-wing this speaker there were several addresses by members of the 

 audience. Professor Sir William Bragg advocated a cautious policy, and took 

 exception to some of Professor Soddy 's remarks on the Research Association. 



We feel sure that by far the majority of scientific workers, while not 

 hoping for a change in our present constitution, will agree that there is room 

 for a great deal of improvement in the status of the scientific research man, 

 whether he be in a Government Medical Service or in a University. We 

 would like to see proper recognition and rewards for discovery, and adequate 

 remuneration for the scientific workers of this country. 



We regret to record the death of a well-known parasitologist and 

 authority on tropical diseases. Ever^'one who has worked on any branch 

 of tropical medicine is acquainted with Castellani and Chalmers's Textbook 

 on Tropical Medicine. Dr. Albert J. Chalmers was a very assiduous and 

 successful student of tropical medicine ; he became Director of the Patho- 

 logical Laboratory at Khartoum, wliich has become famous for the splendid 

 work which has emanated from that source. 



Dr. Chalmers died at Calcutta at the age of fifty years. He formed one 

 of a band of Englishmen, many of whom are still with us, who worked en- 

 thusiastically without adequate remuneration and recognition, and whose 

 observations have brought great benefit to mankind. 



