July 14, 1923] 



NATURE 



Current Topics and Events. 



We print as' a supplement to this issue a discourse 

 on muscular work by Prof. A. V. Hill, who will 

 shortly be added to the physiological strength of 

 University College, London. In it Prof. Hill shows 

 how the original work of Fletcher and Hopkins on 

 the production of lactic acid in muscles, the quantita- 

 tive relationships between glycogen and lactic acid 

 established by Meyerhof, and Prof. Hill's own elegant 

 measurements of heat production, can now be added 

 together into a coherent account of muscular con- 

 traction. The actual process which produces the 

 mechanical energy is an explosive decomposition of 

 glycogen into lactic acid, and the mechanism by 

 which shortening of the muscle is caused — though 

 this is of course speculative — is the neutralisation of 

 this acid by bases ; these are detached from their 

 combination with proteids, which thereby lose their 

 electrical charges and rearrange themselves in space. 

 This part of the process is anaerobic, and the oxygen 

 which is such a paramount necessity for the achieve- 

 ment of muscular work is needed not for the contrac- 

 tion but for the process of recovery. In this a 

 portion of the lactic acid is oxidised, and provides 

 the energy for the reconstitution of the bulk of the 

 acid to glycogen. It thus becomes clear how it is 

 possible for a man to do for short periods muscular 

 work of a severity which requires sooner or later 

 much more oxygen than he can possibly obtain 

 through his lungs while the work is going on. Hence a 

 man can for a short time run into debt for oxygen and 

 obtain what he needs after the work is finished. For 

 exercise of longer duration this shortage of oxygen 

 cannot be progressively increased, and a man's 

 capacity for it will depend mainly on his capacity 

 for taking in oxygen and circulating it quickly to the 

 tissues. Prof. Hill shows how well the actual record 

 performances for fiat racing over various distances 

 fit in with the theoretical considerations. Athletic 

 skill is also determined largely by dexterity in the 

 economical performance of muscular work. 



At the meeting of the Council of the Royal Society 

 on July 5, it was decided to use the larger part of the 

 income arising from Sir Alfred Yarrow's gift of 

 100,000/. for the endowment of research, which was 

 announced in February last, in the direct endowment 

 of research by men who have already proved that 

 they possess ability of the highest type for independent 

 research. To this end a number of professorships 

 will be founded, of type similar to the Foulerton 

 professorships which were founded by the Society 

 in 1922 for research in medicine. The professors 

 will be expected to devote their whole time to 

 scientific research, except that they may give a limited 

 course of instruction in the subjects of their research 

 to advanced students. There is at present a tendency 

 to regard scientific research as a secondary occupation 

 for men whose primary occupation is the teaching 

 of students. The intention of the Royal Society in 

 founding these professorships is to promote the 

 recognition of research as a definite profession. 



NO. 2802, VOL. I I2J 



The Royal Asiatic Society will celebrate its 

 centenary during the four days, Tuesday to Friday, 

 July 17-20, and the proceedings will be initiated by 

 a reception of the delegates from other societies and 

 bodies at the Royal Society's Rooms, Burlington 

 House, at 10.30 a.m. on Tuesday, when H.R.H. 

 the Prince of Wales has graciously consented to be 

 present. This will be followed by a luncheon given 

 by the Government to the delegates at Claridge's 

 Hotel, and at 3.15 the delegates will meet their 

 sectional chairmen at the Royal Asiatic Society's 

 House, 74 Grosvenor Street, for an important part 

 of the proceedings will be the reading of papers. 

 For this purpose, the whole field of the Society's 

 investigations has been divided into four sections : 

 (i) the Ancient Far East (China and Japan) ; (2) the 

 Ancient East (Babylonia, Assyria, Egypt, Palestine, 

 etc.) ; (3) India (including Persia and Ceylon) ; and 

 (4) Islam. On Wednesday, the morning sessions will 

 be devoted to papers and discussions thereon ; in the 

 afternoon a visit will be paid to the School of Oriental 

 Studies in Finsbury Circus, and the Lord Mayor has 

 kindly promised to hold a reception at the Mansion 

 House at 4 o'clock. Thursday and Friday mornings 

 will be occupied by sectional meetings and papers, but 

 the afternoons will be left free to permit the delegates 

 and other associates to make personal arrangements 

 as they may desire, taking advantage of their visit to 

 London. The proceedings will close with a banquet 

 at the Hotel Cecil at 7.30 p.m on Friday. Foreign 

 visitors may enrol themselves on Monday, July 16, 

 at the Society's House, and on Tuesday at the Royal 

 Society's Rooms. Meanwhile any further information 

 may be obtained from the Society's House. 



The list of honours recently issued contains the 

 names of the following men distinguished for their 

 scientific work or associations : — Baronet : Sir 

 Anthony A. Bowlby, president of the Royal College 

 of Surgeons. Knights : Dr. G. F. Blacker, dean of 

 University College Hospital Medical School ; and 

 Prof. W. M. Flinders Petrie, Edwards professor of 

 Egyptology, University College, London. C.B. : Mr. 

 R. J. Thompson, assistant secretary. Ministry of 

 Agriculture. 



Dr. T. Royds has been appointed director of the 

 Kodaikanal and Madras Observatories in succession 

 to Mr. J. Evershed, who retired on February 25 

 last. 



Sir Stewart Stockman, Chief Veterinary Officer 

 and Director of Veterinary Research to the Ministry 

 of Agriculture and Fisheries, has been elected president 

 of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons. 



At the Cambridge meeting of the Society of 

 Chemical Industry the following officers were elected 

 for the year 1923-24 : — President : Dr. E. F. Arm- 

 strong. Vice-Presidents : Dr. T. H. Butler, Mr. F. H. 

 Carr, Prof. G. G. Henderson, Mr. E. Mond. Ordinary 

 Members of Council : Prof. P. P. Bedson, Dr. R, T. 

 Colgate, Prof. A. R. Ling, Dr. J. Reilly. 



