552 



NATURE 



[December 22, 192 



concerned. The mentality of the native was analysed, 

 and because of the lack of sublimation of the sex 

 instincts, such as occurred in the European, there 

 was not the same growth in ambition, idealism, and 

 general achievement. The trade union movement 

 among natives and their numerous religious bodies 

 were mentioned, and European philanthropic leading 

 was mentioned as being desirable. Location and taxa- 

 tion problems were discussed, and the co-operation 

 of all scientists desired in solving the many problems 

 connected with the native. 



Prof. W. A. Macfadyen spoke on " Observations and 

 Proposals for the Stabilisation of Money Values " in 

 his presidential address to Section F. Inflation and 

 deflation of currency were two of the greatest evils 

 resultant on the great war, and they affected every- 

 one. The stabilisation of money values and the pre- 

 sentation of such stability were shown to be the most 

 fundamental interests of commercial, industrial, and 

 democratic policies. National bankruptcy was de- 

 fined, and it was shown that international exchanges 

 had failed to act as bridges for commerce. The dis- 

 sipation of capital during the war led to inflation, and 

 the necessity for constant readjustment between wages 

 and prices led to constant strikes and labour unrest. 

 Legitimate trade and industry were replaced by specu- 

 lation. Economic bankruptcy of a nation meant re- 

 version to an archaic type of civilisation and the sacri- 

 fice for a time of all the artistic and professional 

 values of civilisation. Fluid permeation of gold was 

 shown to be necessary. The function of a central re- 

 serve bank was also discussed, and the. function of the 

 League of Nations in instituting an international cur- 

 rency reserve bank was indicated. The speaker sum- 

 marised his points thus : The international export and 

 investment of capital had woven the world into one 

 financial system. Such an international system 

 implied either a universal unit of account or an inter- 

 national banking system. The control of such a 

 general standard of value so as to preserve an in- 

 variable ratio between goods and money was the most 

 important of public and private interests. 



It is only possible to mention some of the many 

 papers read before the various sections, but most of 

 them will be printed in the journal of the Association. 

 In Section A an interesting paper on asphalt in 

 relation to road construction was contributed by Mr. 

 D. B. W. Alexander; Mr. R. J. Norris spoke on the 

 purification of sewage bv the activated sludge process, 

 and Mr. H. Clark gave notes on the occurrence of 

 even harmonics in .electrical current and pressure 

 waves. 



In Section B Mr. C. W. Petchell spoke on alcohol 

 fuels for internal combustion engines. Mr. C. 

 Williams gave notes on the chemical control of cattle- 

 dipping tanks, a ma'tter of much importance in South 

 Africa. Dr. B. de C. Marchand gave an account of 

 methods for the mechanical analysis of soils contain- 

 ing heavy minerals, and Messrs. Kloot and Hyman 

 gave a paper on the chemistry of condensed milk. 

 "in Section C papers were given by Miss H. Forbes 

 on the Natal species of Cassia and on the flora of 

 Isipingo. Dr. P. A. van der Bijl gave accounts of some 

 interesting and little-known South African fungi, and 

 of the fungi found in the air of sugar mills. Mr. 

 R. D. Aitken described the plant succession in a type 

 of midland tree veld in Natal, and Mr. G. W. Gale 

 discussed the aeration svstems of certain Natal plants 

 Prof. D. Thodav discussed the genus Passenna and 

 its distribution in South Africa, and Dr. Sim con- 

 tributed notes on the Bryophyta of Southern Rhodesia. 

 A most interesting paper was contributed by Dr. E. 

 Warren on the interspecific hybrid and back-cross of 

 the foxglove, the paper being followed by a useful 

 NO. 2721, VOL. 108] 



discussion. Two papers of special interest to agrict 

 turists were contributed by Mr. E. Parish on agrict 

 tural experiment, its design and interpretation, at 

 by Mr. A. O. D. Mogg on a method of veld estim^ 

 tion in relation to lamziekte. There was also 

 botanical excursion to Isipingo. 



In Section D there was a discussion on Sout 

 African Trematodes, in which papers by Dr. F. Gl 

 Cawston on Bilharzia cercariae, by Mr. F. W!l 

 FitzSimons on birds as possible carriers of snails, an'l 

 so as distributors of Bilharzia, and by Dr. Annii- 

 Porter on experimental researches on various speci* s 

 of Schistosoma and Fasciola were first considered. 

 Mr. J. Sandground gave a detailed account of the lifc- 

 histon' of species of Heterodera in South Africa, anl 

 Mr. R. H. T. P. Harris described the beetle, Ortalia 

 pallens. Mr. E. C. Chubb contributed a paper on thr 

 natural historv and geologv of Durban. Much interest 

 was aroused by the account given by Dr. H. B. Fant- 

 ham and Miss "Esther Taylor of the Protozoa found 

 bv them in some South African soils. Dr. Fantham 

 also described his further observations on parasitic 

 Protozoa In animals in South Africa. Dr. Lindsny 

 Johnson gave an interesting account of various methods 

 for screening light observed in the eyes of vertebrate-;, 

 beautiful lantern slides being shown. There was also 

 a zoological excursion for observations on the animal 

 life of Durban Bav. 



In Section E Mr. D. A. Hunter discussed Bantu 

 Industries, Mr. W. H. Tooke dealt with natives and 

 agriculture, and Mr. H. S. Kelgwin gave an account 

 of an educational experiment. Mr. S. S. Dornan 

 spoke of the heavenlv' bodies In South African mytho- 

 logv; Mr. W. Wanger dealt with two Ntu problems, 

 and Mr. A. J. Bryant gave an account of some native 

 marriage rites. Prof. W. A. Norton read papers on 

 the regiments of the house of Moshlsh, Sesuto praises 

 of the chiefs and the Bantu Idiomatlst, and Mr. 

 D. D. T. Jabavu contributed a paper on Bantu 

 literature. 



In Section F Mrs. Mabel Palmer discussed Irving 

 Fisher's proposals for stabilisation of the value _ of 

 monev. and Mr. G. Burgess dealt with the taxation 

 of land values. Mr. C. Graham Botha gave papers on 

 archival problems in South .\frica and on the pre- 

 servation of our national monuments. Dr. _ J. _E. 

 Hollowav spoke on decentralisation In university 

 education and research. An interesting paper on the 

 function of a school of art in the life of an urbnn 

 communitv was given by Mr. .O. J. P. Oxley, who 

 illustrated his remarks bv an exhibit. 



The next annual meeting of the Association will be 

 held in Julv, iq22, at Lourenco Marques, under the 

 presidencv of Dr. A. W. Rogers. H. B. F. 



University and Educational Intelligence. 



London.— Dr. R. H. Aders Plimmer has been 

 appointed as from Januarv i. iq22, to the Universitv 

 chair of chemistrv. tenable at St. Thomas's Hospita. 

 Medical School. "Since loiq Dr. Plimmer has been 

 head of the Biochemical Department of the Rowett 

 Research Institute of Animal Nutrition at the Lni- 

 versity of Aberdeen and North of Scotland College _ot 

 Agriculture, and research lecturer in applied bio- 

 chemlstn^ in the L'niversitv of Aberdeen. 



Mr H. H. Dodwell has been appointed as from 

 March i, 1922. to the Universitv chair of the historv 

 and culture of British Dominions in Asia with 

 special reference to India, tenable at the School ot 

 Oriental Studies. . , 



Dr Lewis Simons has been appointed as from 

 March i, 1922, to the University readership m 



