I i6 



NATURE 



[November 23, 191 1 



FOOT-AND-MOUTH DISEASE. 



Appointment of a Committee of Investigation. 

 n"'HE recurrence of this disease in England during 

 •*• the present year has been a source of grave 

 concern to all engaged in agricultural and live-stock 

 industries. It is, however, a matter for congratula- 

 tion to the Board of Agriculture, and its veterinary 

 department in particular, that the disease has been 

 stamped out again with such a comparatively small 

 loss. There have been eighteen outbreaks this year, 

 with 467 animals affected, an approximate average 

 of 26 animals in each outbreak. This is truly re- 

 markable considering that foot-and-mouth disease is 

 probably the most rapidly contagious of all epizootics. 



During the four years immediately preceding the 

 present year, there were five outbreaks with 127 

 animals affected, each outbreak being suppressed in 

 little more than a week, at a total cost of a few 

 thousand pounds. This has only been possible as the 

 result of early diagnosis and the immediate slaughter 

 of all affected and contact animals. The importance 

 of drastic and immediate action can be well realised 

 by noting some of the latest Continental returns. In 

 •Germany during August alone there were 37,737 out- 

 breaks of foot-and-mouth disease; in July 12,385 were 

 recorded in Holland, 4,097 in Belgium, and 16,027 '" 

 France, where it has been estimated that the loss will 

 amount to more than fifteen millions sterling. 



The new Minister for Agriculture has therefore 

 taken a very wise step in appointing a committee, as 

 announced in Parliament last week, " to inquire into 

 the circumstances of the recent outbreaks of foot-and- 

 mouth disease and to consider whether any further 

 measures can be adopted to prevent their recurrence." 

 The committee of twelve is to be presided over by 

 Sir Ailwyn Fellowes, and includes the members of 

 Parliament for South Wilts, St. Patrick's Division of 

 Dublin, Barkston Ash, Carmarthen West, Newmarket, 

 and North Bucks, together with Major E. M. Dunne, 

 Mr. R. Carr, Mr. E. E. Morrison, Mr. E. P. Nunne- 

 ley, and a member of the Central Chamber of Agricul- 

 ture. They are to be assisted by the veterinary and 

 administrative officers of the Board. 



Of^ greater importance, however, is the proposal to 

 appoint an expert scientific committee to proceed to 

 India, where the disease is unfortunately very rife, to 

 investigate the special characteristics of the disease, 

 its etiology, the means by which it is contracted and 

 spread, and practicable means of prevention. It is to 

 be hoped that tangible results will be attained, so that 

 we can continue to enjoy the markets of the world for 

 our live-stock, as the result of the freedom of these 

 islands from such animal scourges. 



DR. W. SUTHERLAND. 

 ] T is with regret that we have observed the report 

 ■*• of the sudden death, on October 4, of Dr. William 

 Sutherland, at his residence, Stawell Street, Mel- 

 bourne, as recorded in The Melbourne Age. Dr. 

 Sutherland was born in Scotland in 1859. At the age 

 of ten he went with his parents to live in Melbourne. 

 He obtained a Government exhibition, and finished his 

 preliminary education at Wesley College. From there 

 he went to the University, where he took his Master 

 of Arts degree, obtaining the highest honours each 

 year in mathematics. The winning of the Gilchrist 

 scholarship in his final year enabled him, under the 

 terms of the exhibition, to go to London University 

 College. He was then only twenty years of age'. 

 Three years later he returned to Australia, having 

 obtained a degree in science. 



From that time until his death Dr. Sutherland de- 

 NO. 2195, VOL. 88] 



voted himself entirely to original scientific research. 

 He contributed papers to scientific periodicals in 

 America, England, and on the Continent. His ti--' 

 line of thought led him to inquire into the mol< 

 constitution of matter in its various phases of I14 

 and solids. Later he devoted attention to the subjtc 

 of viscosity. His papers, which appeared mainly i; 

 The Philosophical Magazine, arc well known to th 

 scientific world. They are distinguished by great widt; 

 of reading in the latest phases of the subjects Ij- 

 treated, combined with very bold speculation alwa\ 

 brought into ample comparison with experiment', 

 knowledge. His greatest success was the discovery, ii, 

 1893, of the relation connecting the viscosity of a gas 

 vc-ith the temperature ; the result of a very ingenious, 

 though not quite demonstrative, theoretical argument, 

 and amply confirmed by all subsequent work. His writ- 

 ings were copious in all problems connected with mole- 

 cular physics, whether they conqprned laws of attrac- 

 tion between molecules, the nature of emulsion in its 

 physiological ramifications, the application of electrons 

 and of electrochemical ideas to the properties of 

 matter, the molecular structure of water, or many 

 other subjects. His generalisations were, indeed, so 

 numerous that it was often a difficult task to try to 

 estimate their value. Although Dr. Sutherland had 

 thus contributed a large number of papers to various 

 scientific journals, he never published anything in 

 book form. He preferred to devote his energies 

 entirely to original work and research. For a period 

 he discharged the duties of professor of physics at the 

 Melbourne University during a temporary absence of 

 the occupant of the chair; but in the main he pre- 

 ferred freedom and control of his time. His relations 

 with the University staff were cordial and intimate. 

 He was an examiner at the University and at the 

 College of Pharmacy, and was also connected with 

 the scientific work of the School of Mines. 



J. L. 



NOTES. 

 We are informed that Dr. Glazebrook, the director 

 the National Physical Laboratory, who has been serious^, 

 ill since the end of September with enteric fever, is not 

 making satisfactory progress. After so long an attack 

 fever his recovery must necessarily be somewhat slow, ar 

 it may yet be some little time before he can be regarde 

 as convalescent ; but there is good reason to hope that t\ 

 recent marked improvement may be maintained. 



The case of the Hawke and Olympic collision, which 

 now before the Admiralty Courts, is directing considc 

 able attention to the influence of passing vessels upon eac_ 

 other, particularly when those vessels are travelling in th« 

 same direction at speeds not differing greatly from eacm 

 other. Experiments are now being made at the Williai 

 Froude Tank of the National Physical Laborator}s wit 

 models of the Hawke and Olympic, to test whether sue 

 an influence was present and acting at the time of 

 collision. The president of the Admiralty Court and 

 various counsel paid a visit to the experiment tank 01 

 Saturday last and witnessed a large number of experiment 

 with the models. These were of wax, and were towe 

 from the carriage, or bridge, which spans the large waterJ 

 way of the tank. The general theory of the influence of| 

 passing ships upon each other is the outcome of 

 "stream-line" theory of the late Prof. Rankine ; and wi 

 hope to give a fuller account of this shortly. 



An earthquake of unusual strength was felt oOj 

 November 16 at about 9.25 p.m. (Greenwich mean time) 5 

 in the south of Germany, throughout Switzerland, and in^ 



