520 



NATURE 



{April I, 1879 



through which was passed the current from sixty- four large 

 Bunsen elements. A little sulphide of carbon was introduced 

 into the inner tube, and the air having been driven out by vapour 

 forming at ordinary temperature, the tube was closed and fixed 

 in position, and steam was sent through the space round it. 



When the whole tube had taken the temperature of boiling 

 water the glass plates and the sulphide of carbon vapour within 

 became quite transparent. A beam of light rectilinearly 

 polarised by a Nicol was now sent through, and a Nicol at the 

 other end extinguished it. The current of the sixty-four ele- 

 ments being now allowed to flow, a distinct brightening of the 

 field was observed. The brightening became still greater when, 

 after closing the circuit, the foremost Nicol was turned to dark- 

 ness, and the current then reversed with a commutator. The 

 rotation of tie plane of polarisation occurred, as was to be ex- 

 pected, in the direction in which the positive current passed 

 through the wire coils. 



To test whether the rotation might not be due wholly or in 

 part to the glass plates closing the inner tube, the experiment 

 was made without any sulphide of carbon in this tube. A weak 

 rotation, due to the glass, was indeed observed, much smaller 

 than in the other case. To avoid this, however, as much as 

 possible, the wire coils next the glass plates were shut out from 

 the circuit. The four coils now traversed by the current were 

 so far from the plates that their influence must have been very 

 small, indeed the plates then gave no perceptible rotation. 

 Sulphide of carbon having been again admitted, and the experi- 

 ment repeated, there was a well-marked brightening as before, 

 when the current passed. The amount was roughly estimated 

 at half a degree. 



It is thus proved that saturated sulphide of carbon vapour at 

 about 100°, in the magnetic field, rotates the plane of polarisa- 

 tion of light. 



Sulphuric ether was tried in the same way, but gave no effect. 



The authors consider it can hardly be doubted that, with suit- 

 able arrangements, the rotation may be demonstrated in the case 

 of unsaturated vapours and gases. They are engaged in making 

 an apparatus which will enable them to examine permanent 

 gases at very high pressures in the magnetic field, in order to 

 prove the rotation in their case, and, if possible, to measure the 

 phenomenon. " It would be specially interesting," they remark, 

 " to ascertain whether oxygen rotates the plane of polarisation in 

 the same direction as other gases." 



UNIVERSITY AND EDUCATIONAL 

 INTELLIGENCE 



A BROAD and liberal scheme has been published by the 

 Cambridge Syndicate on the affiliation of local Colleges to the 

 University as suggested in various Memorials. They have taken 

 a large amount of evidence and have had interviews with depu- 

 tations from Nottingham and Sheffield. They have also 

 held conferences with a Committee of the Hebdomadal 

 Council of the University of Oxford, with whom they find them- 

 selves in general agreement. The Syndicate recommend that 

 application be made to the University of Cambridge Commis- 

 sioners for the powers required to enable the University to affiliate 

 local Colleges, and that the following conditions of affiliation 

 be established by grace of the Senate. Any educational institu- 

 tion within the British dominions, in which the majority of the 

 students are over seventeen years of age, may be admitted on 

 condition that it be incorporated by Royal Charter, or 

 established on a permanent and efficient footing ; that the Uni- 

 versity shall be represented on its Governing Body, and under- 

 take the general conduct of its Examinations ; and that the 

 connection between the University and an affiliated College shall 

 be established and shall be terminable by a grace of the Senate, 

 or by a resolution of the Governing Body of the College. 

 Persons who have completed an approved course of three years 

 at an affiliated College, passing satisfactorily the Examinations 

 connected with that course, will be entitled to receive a Uni- 

 versity Certificate, and if they obtain honours in the final Examina- 

 tion connected with that course, shall be excused the previous 

 Examination ; and provided they obtain a degree by one of the 

 Tripos Examinations will be permitted to take their degree after 

 only six terms' Residence at Cambridge. In each College there are 

 to be three examinations yearly, the Annual College Examination, 

 the First and the Second Examinations, the Annual College 

 Examination is to be held in subjects taught with the sanction of 

 the University, in the College, and be open to those students 



noly who have satisfactorily attended the teaching in these 

 subjects. To pass the Eirst Examination every candidate will 

 be required to satisfy the Examiners in (i) Arithmetic; (2) 

 Euclid, Books I., II., and III. ; and Algebra, to Quadratic 

 Equations inclusive ; (3) One of the following languages : Latin, 

 Greek, French, Italian, German. Candidates will be at liberty 

 to take up more than one language, and one or more additional 

 subjects, including Heat, Experimental Mechanics, Chemistry, 

 Botany, and Mathematics. 4. The Second Examination shaU 

 include four groups : (i) Ancient and Modern Languages, 

 two to be taken. (2) Mathematics, one higher .'-ubject, 

 pure or applied, being required. {3) Natural Science. 

 Candidates pass in Elementary Chemistry and Physics, and also 

 in one of the following : — Higher Chemistry, Higher Physics, 

 Animal and Vegetable Physiology, Comparative Anatomy with 

 selected portions of Zoology, Vegetable Anatomy and Physio- 

 logy with Classificatory Botany, Geology and Physiography, 

 Mineralogy. Candidates to pass in (i) English Constitutional 

 History and (2) Political Economy or Logic, and subjects 

 connected with History, Literature, and Philosophy. A pass 

 in one group will give a pass in this second examination, and 

 honours may be obtained on the minimum number of subjects. 

 The Syndicate think it desirable to avoid if possible increasing 

 seriously the severe strain caused by the outside work of the 

 University. The sections and groups of the senior and higher 

 local examinations are in general correspondence with the scheme, 

 and the lectures at the centres are under the superintendence of 

 the Syndicate for conducting local examinations and lectures. 

 Thus there is machinery in existence which may, with some 

 modifications, be conveniently and properly used. It is thought 

 desirable that the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge should, 

 as far as practicable, act in concert in conducting this great 

 scheme of affiliation. It is recommended that the scheme be so 

 administered as to be self-supporting. 



The Cambridge Council of the Senate propose to repeal 

 entirely the few unrepealed provisions in the will of Dr. Wood- 

 ward relating to the Professorship of Geology, and to frame a 

 new statute on a plan already approved for the Professorship of 

 Chemistry. The same plan is likely to be followed with regard 

 to the chairs of Anatomy, Botany, and Mineralogy, the nomina- 

 tion of half the Electoral Board in the case of anatomy falling 

 to the Board of Medical Studies and in the other professorships 

 named, to the Board of Natural Science Studies. 



In consequence of the greater importance to be given in 

 future to the first part of the Cambridge Natural Sciences Tripos, 

 held in June, a practical and oral examination is to be held then, 

 two extra days being allowed lor this. 



The Higher Senior Class of Mathematics in University 

 College, London, which had been conducted by the late Prof. 

 Clifford, has been intrusted during the summer term of the 

 present Session to Mr. M. J. M. Hill, M.A., Fellow of the Col- 

 lege, and fourth \vrangler and bracketed equal Smith's prizeman 

 this year at Cambridge. 



Dr. Wittrock, the well-kno\^Ti algologist of Upsala, has 

 been appointed lecturer on Botany, and curator of the botanical 

 section of the museum at Stockholm. 



The commission of the Chamber of Deputies proposes to 

 establish a compulsory system of education in France. Parents 

 neglecting to comply wi' h the provisions of the law are to be 

 fined, and in certain cases to be sent to prison for a certain 

 period. The expenses required for enlarging school accommo- 

 dation and adding to the ntmiber of teachers are to be supported 

 by the National Exchequer. 



SCIENTIFIC SERIALS 



American Journal of Science and Arts, March.— In the opening 

 paper Prof. Norton contends that under varying conditions the 

 ultimate molecules of bodies are subject to changes in the 

 intensity of their attraction or repulsion, at a given distance of 

 neighbouring molecules (temperature and chemical constitution re- 

 maining constant). Evidence of this is found in the phenomena of 

 permanent distortion of materials after temporary subjection to 

 a force of stress ; in observed changes in the mechanical proper- 

 ties of materials, through tension, pressure, heat, &c. ; change 

 of mechanical properties of a body through presence of 

 minute quantities of other substances; and certain facts in 

 chemical physics (phenomena of solution, allotropy, the na-'cent 



