December 30, 1915] 



NATURE 



485 



The funeral of Sir John Rhys, principal of Jesus 

 ' ollege and professor of Celtic in the University of 

 »xford, was attended by a large and representative 

 -athering of Welshmen, members of the University, 

 and others. We learn from the Times that among 

 the representatives of learned institutions and other 

 public bodies present were Dr. Bradley (the British 

 Academy), Principal Griffiths (the University of Wales 

 and University College, Cardiff), Mr. D. Lleufer 

 Thomas (Junior Deputy Chancellor, University of 

 Wales), Sir Vincent Evans, chairman, and Mr. Ed- 

 ward Owen, secretary (Royal Commission on Ancient 

 Welsh Monuments), Mr. W, Edwards and Mr. J. M. 

 Edwards (Central Welsh Educational Board), Prin- 

 cipal Roberts (University College, Aberystwyth), Prof. 

 Morris Jones (University College, Bangor), and Prof. 

 E. Tyrrel Green (St. David's College, Lampeter). The 

 University of Oxford was represented by the Vice- 

 Chancellor (the Dean of Christ Church), Sir Herbert 

 Warren, many heads of houses, professors, and other 

 members. 



A MEMORIAL service for the late Sir Henry Roscoe 

 was held on December 22 at the Rosslyn Hill Unitarian 

 Chapel, at which the Royal Society was represented 

 by the president — Sir J. J. Thomson — Prof. Arthur 

 Schuster, Sir Edward Thorpe, and Prof. Smithells; 

 University College (University of London) by the 

 Vice-Chancellor, Sir Alfred P. Gould, Sir Thomas 

 Barlow, Prof. M. J. M. Hill (chairman of the Academic 

 Council), and Dr. Gregory Foster (the Provost) ; the 

 Victoria University of Manchester by the Vice-Chan- 

 cellor, Sir Henry Miers, and Prof. H. B. Dixon; the 

 Chemical Society by Dr. Smiles and Prof. J. C. 

 Philip (secretaries), and Lieut. -Col. A. W. Crossley 

 (foreign secretary); the Society of Chemical Industry 

 by Sir Boverton Redwood and Mr. Watson Smith, a 

 former demonstrator in the Owens College, and late 

 editor of the Journal of the Society of Chemical In- 

 dustry ; the National Physical Laboratory by Dr. Glaze- 

 brook and Dr. Harker; the Lister Institute by Dr. 

 Harden ; the Royal Commissioners for the Exhibition 

 of 185 1, Mr. Evelyn Shaw. Among others present 

 were : — Lord and Lady Courtney, Lord Ashton of 

 Hyde, Viscount Iveagh, the Master of Peterhouse, 

 Sir A. W. Ward and Miss Ward, Sir Joseph Larmor, 

 Dr. Emerson Reynolds, Sir William Tilden, Prof. 

 Millar Thomson, Mr. Frank Scudder (late scientific 

 a-^sistant to Sir Henry Roscoe), Dr. HoraceT. Brown and 

 Miss Brown, Dr. Beilby, Dr. C. A. Keane, Dr. H. G. 

 Colman, Dr. F. G. Ogilvie (director of the Science 

 Museum, South Kensington), Mr, Gilbert Redgrave 

 (secretary. Royal Commission on Technical Instruc- 

 tion), Dr. Aubrey Strahan (director of the Geological 

 Survey of Great Britain), and Mr. J. S. Parkin, of the 

 Castner-Kellner Alkali Co. The interment took place 

 on December 23 at the Brookwood Cemetery, in pre- 

 sence of the immediate relatives, a few intimate 

 friends, and representatives of scientific bodies. Among 

 those who attended were Sir Edward Thorpe, Prof. 

 Schuster, Prof. Perkin, Prof. Smithells, Dr. Harden, 

 Dr. Keane, Dr. Colman, Mr. Chas. Cresswell, Mr. 

 Reid, and Mr. Evelyn Shaw. 

 NO. 2409, VOL. 96] 



The Local Government Board has issued an Order 

 entitle;! "The Public Health (Measles and German 

 Measles) Regulations, 1915," applying throughout 

 England and Wales a system of notification of these 

 two diseases, and enabling local authorities to under- 

 take measures for the care of patients suffering from 

 them. The Order, which comes into force on 

 January i, 1916, provides for notification of cases of 

 measles and German measles to the medical officer of 

 health of the district by medical practitioners, or by 

 parents or guardians, or any other person in charge of 

 the patient ; these maladies are thus brought into line 

 with several other diseases which have long been 

 notifiable. Notification has been introduced^ mainly 

 with a view to the control of the spread of infectious 

 diseases, but has hitherto not been generally applied 

 to measles, bQcause the disease is infectious at an 

 early stage, and before it can be definitely recognised. 

 The powers provided by the present Order may tend 

 to limit the spread of the disease, but they will prol^ 

 ably be found much more useful in reducing mortality 

 from it. On an average about 11,000 deaths from 

 measles occur in a year in England and Wales, and 

 these are confined chiefly to children under five years 

 of age. Measles itself is not a fatal malady, death 

 being due to complications — principally bronchitis, 

 pneumonia, diarrhoea, and convulsions — which are 

 largely brought about by undue exposure and in- 

 efficient nursing during the illness. As a result of 

 notification the medical officer of health can adopt 

 measures to reduce the proportion of fatal cases by 

 rendering advice and providing nursing assistance to 

 the poorest families. 



We regret to announce the death, in his ninety- 

 second year, of Dr. H. Debus, F.R.S., formerly pro- 

 fessor of chemistry at the Royal Naval College, Green- 

 wich, and lecturer on chemistry at Guy's Hospital. 



The death is announced of Mr. W. Rupert Jones, 

 who was for forty years assistant librarian of the 

 Geological Society of London, and for a long period 

 prepared the society's valuable annual record of geo- 

 logical literature. He was born in 1855, the eldest son 

 of the late Prof. T. Rupert Jones, and retired in 1913. 



Sir H. Evelyn Oakeley, whose death is announced 

 at eighty-two years of age, was the author of a treatise 

 on algebra and geometry, a collection of mathematical 

 problems, and many reports on educational subjects. 

 At Cambridge he graduated as tenth Wrangler in the 

 Mathematical Tripos of 1859, and was elected to a 

 fellowship at Jesus College in the Midsummer term, 

 i860. From that date he continued in residence as 

 fellow and mathematical lecturer until he vacated his 

 fellowship by marriage in September, 1862. He was 

 appointed H.M. Ins'pector of Schools in 1864, and 

 Chief Inspector of Training Colleges in 1885. 



The Glasgow Herald of December 21 reports that 

 a strong earthquake was felt on December 19, at 8.5 

 a.m., at Arrochar and Tarbet, the former being at 

 the head of Loch Long and the latter at the head of 

 Loch Lomond. The shock, which was of intensity 5 

 (Rossi-Forel scale) at Arrochar, is regarded as the 

 strongest of those felt during the present century in 



