48 



NATURE 



[September 9, 1915 



due. He contributed many papers to the scientific 

 Press. Among them are the following: — "Action of 

 Permanganate of Potash and Acetic Acid on Bacteria 

 in Thames Water," " Bactericidal Properties of the 

 Emanations from Radium," "Volcanic Dust," "Photo- 

 graphs and Living Cultures of Bacillus Phosphor- 

 escens," " Metallic Colloids and their Bactericidal Pro- 

 perties." Of late years his time was occupied chiefly 

 in the analysis of the water supply of London and 

 several large towns in the provinces, particularly with 

 regard to their bacterial contamination. He was the 

 discoverer of a process for the preparation of stable 

 colloidal solutions of silver and other metals, the 

 valuable properties of which are now recognised by 

 the medical profession, and he was actively engaged 

 upon these researches and preparations up to the time 

 of his recent fatal illness. He will be greatly missed 

 in his particular sphere of activity. In 1883 he mar- 

 ried the daughter of the late C. E. Spagnoletti. Our 

 sincere sympathy is offered, to his widow, as well as 

 to Sir William and Lady Crookes for their great loss 

 at a time when they are naturally ill able to bear 

 the strain. 



Capt. T. p. Black, whose death in the Dardanelles 

 was announced in Nature last week, was the 

 eldest son of the late Mr. Geo. B. Black. Born at 

 Shotts, Lanarkshire, in 1878, he was educated at 

 Aberdeen and Darlington, gained a scholarship to 

 Durham University, and graduated B.A., with 

 honours, in 1898. At this time he visited the Dar- 

 danelles, Constantinople, Skutari, and the Crimea. 

 On his return he graduated M.A. and B.Sc, with 

 honours, at Durham, and researched on radio-activity. 

 He next held a science research scholarship at Strass- 

 burg, taking the Ph.D. for original work in physics 

 carried out under Profs. Braun and Zenneck. An 

 abstract from his doctoral dissertation, published in 

 the Annalen der Physik for January, 1906, bore the 

 title, " On the Resistance of Coils for Quick Electric 

 Oscillations." After being an assistant ^it Newcastle, 

 he became in 1906 lecturer and demonstrator in physics 

 at University College, Nottingham. While here he 

 was joint author of an "Introduction to Practical 

 Physics." He was justly valued as an able teacher, 

 and was deservedly popular with staff and students. 

 In 191 1 he accepted the registrarship of the college 

 and so passed to new successes in a wider sphere of 

 usefulness. Thus his soldier's death was but the 

 crowning glory of a strenuous life, rich in distinction 

 and promise. 



The first number of the Journal of the British 

 Science Guild, which has just been issued, contains a 

 verbatim report of the ninth annual meeting of the 

 guild, held on July i, and the address on "The 

 National Organisation of Science," delivered on that 

 occasion by Sir William Ramsay. It is hoped that 

 the publication of the Journal will serve not only to 

 keep members in touch with the results of the guild's 

 activities in many directions, but also will be the 

 means of securing increased support for its work. 

 The main purpose of the guild is the promotion of 

 scientific method and organisation in all national 

 NO. 2393, VOL. 96] 



affairs ; and there are sufficient sympathisers with this 

 aim to increase the membership a thousandfold. The 

 minimum annual subscription is only half a crown; 

 life membership is obtained for two guineas, and the 

 subscription for a life fellow is ten guineas. Any 

 British subject is eligible to join the guild, and all 

 who believe in the services which science can render 

 to the arts of peace as well as those of war should give 

 a practical sign of their conviction by becoming mem- 

 bers or fellows. The offices of the guild are at 199 

 Piccadilly, London, W., and the secretary will be 

 glad to send particulars of committees and of 

 publications upon application. 



In the Times of September 4 Mr. R. C. Shaw 

 announces the discovery at Caervoran, on the Roman 

 Wall three miles east of Gilsland, in Northumberland, 

 of a remarkable bronze measure of the Roman period. 

 Such officially certified measures are very rare. On 

 the present specimen the name of the Emperor Domi- 

 tian, in whose consulate in a.d. 90 the measure was 

 tested, has been obliterated, owing to the hatred felt 

 towards him after his death. The measure contains 

 17I sectarii, about 30 lb. of wine, or rather more than 

 two gallons, and 8 lb. have been allowed as the weight 

 of the material. Prof. Haverfield is uncertain whether 

 it was really certified under the order of the Emperor, 

 or whether it is a private venture, masquerading as 

 official. In any case, there is no question of the date, 

 and the discovery is of considerable antiquarian in- 

 terest. 



In Man for September Mr. R. Grant Brown dis- 

 cusses the modesty of Burman women. He points 

 out a fact familiar to all visitors to a religious fair 

 in northern India, that women when bathing manage 

 their scanty drapery with such dexterity that any 

 suggestion of immodesty is avoided. The principle 

 underlying this observance of propriety is that every 

 Burman lady believes herself to be under the watch 

 of twelve spirits, six of whom are good and six evil, 

 and it is supposed that any exposure of the human 

 form in their presence is a source of danger. Even in 

 the wearing of the scanty tamein, or waist-cloth, she 

 contrives to observe the laws of propriety. The only 

 case in which decency is violated is when a woman 

 really loses her head in the course of a quarrel with 

 a neighbour, and both combatants roll in the gutter 

 without any regard for decency. The explanation is 

 that they believe that in thus humiliating an opponent 

 they have vindicated the justice of their cause and 

 brought the enemy into contempt. 



A PAPER entitled "The History and Functions of 

 Botanic Gardens," by Mr. A. W. Hill, assistant 

 director of the Royal Gardens, Kew, was read by in- 

 vitation at the twenty-fifth anniversary celebration of 

 the Missouri Botanic Garden, October 15, 1914, and 

 has been reprinted from the Annals of the Missouri 

 Garden (Vol. il., pp. 185-240). This paper is mainly 

 devoted to an extremely interesting and valuable his- 

 torical summary of the founding of the various botanic 

 gardens of the world from about the year 10.00 B.C. 

 onwards, and is illustrated by nine plates, three of 

 which are remarkably fine collotype reproductions of 

 photographs taken in Kew Gardens. 



