NOTES 289 



the arguments appear to be of the kind which confounds hypothesis with fact. 

 Many people seem to think that theories are true simply because they happen 

 to "flash" into their own minds, and then proceed to expound them in 

 essays tricked out in the most extraordinary " philosophical " vocabulary. 



We have received an entirely undated paper by Andrew Norman Meldrum, 

 I.E.S., published by Humphrey Milford, principally discussing the origin of 

 the atomic theory, and maintaining that John Dalton was anticipated by 

 William Higgins. The author also shows how much Newton's work on a 

 " simple elastic fluid " inspired both writers. 



Dr. Charles Singer, of Oxford, the well-known specialist on Medical History, 

 read a very interesting address before the British Academy on January 28, 

 1920, on "Early English Magic and Medicine," containing many amusing Anglo- 

 Saxon superstitions. It is singular how the Anglo-Saxon mind continues to 

 indulge in this kind of thing, but nowadays, instead of white, blue, yellow, 

 and green venoms, we deal with ghosts, clairvoyance, telepathy, and similar 

 tales. 



Towards the end of 191 9 the War Office published Observations on Malaria 

 by Medical Officers of the A rmy and Others, edited by Colonel Sir Ronald Ross, 

 Consultant in Malaria, War Office. This valuable book gives the results 

 of the treatment of large numbers of men by various methods advocated 

 by doctors for many years past, and mostly shows that, while almost any form 

 of quinine treatment can cure attacks of malaria temporarily, scarcely any 

 of the vaunted methods can cure it permanently. Apparently the best 

 method depends upon the continuation of small doses of quinine for several 

 months. The book also contains important papers on quinine, on the out- 

 breaks of indigenous malaria in England during 19 17 and 1918, and the 

 prevention of malaria at Taranto in 191 8. There is also a paper showing that 

 two divisions which were heavily infected in Salonika were brought into 

 France, and sent into the firing-line, completely cured, after three months' 

 quinine treatment. 



In the House of Lords, March 3, 1920, Lord Sudeley called attention to 

 the considerable waste of money and resources now incurred at museums, 

 galleries, and other similar public institutions, owing to the neglect to utilise 

 them to their fullest extent in aid of education and general national interests. 

 The discussion will be found in the Parliamentary Debates, vol. xxxix. No. 9, 



Notes and News 



The Honours list published on the King's Birthday contained only the 

 following names of interest here : — Baronet : Mr. P. J. Mackie, who financed 

 the Mackie Anthropological Expedition to Uganda ; Knight : Mr. W. B. M. 

 Bird, founder of the Salter's Institute of Industrial Chemistry ; Dr. H. H. 

 Hayden, Director of the Geological Survey of India; and Prof. J. B. Henderson. 

 Professor of Applied Mechanics at the Royal Naval College, Greenwich. 



Sir Douglas Mawson, Dr.T. M.Lowry, F.R.S., and Prof . P. F. Frankland, 

 F.R.S., have been made Officers of the Order of St. Maurice and St. Lazarus by 

 the King of Italy; while the King of the Belgians has conferred the following 

 honours : — Order of the Crown: Commander, Prof. W. Sommerville ; Officer, 

 Dr. E. J. Russell, F.R.S. ; Chevalier, Mr. C. E. Fagan, Mr. A. R. Hinks, F.R.S., 

 and Mr. T. McRow. Order of Leopold II : Commander, Dr. W. R. Dunstan, 

 F.R.S. , and Prof. G. H. F. Nuttall, F.R.S. 



The Rt. Hon. H. A. L. Fisher and Sir James G. Frazer have been elected 

 Fellows of the Royal Society on the ground that they have rendered " con- 

 spicuous service to the cause of science." 



The Rumford Premium of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences 

 has been awarded to Dr. Irvine Langmuir, of the General Electric Company, 

 for his work on thermionic and allied phenomena. The Barnard Medal of 

 Columbia University goes, this year, to Dr. Albert Einstein. 



