654 



NATURE 



[February io, 191 6 



(hloriiu- is linked to nitrogen, has strong- germi- 

 cidal properties. It has the following structure : 

 CH, 



/\' 



i I 



SO,,Na:NCl 



and was first prepared in 1905 by Dr. Chattaway, 

 who, however, did not discover its antiseptic 

 action. It is most conveniently obtained by add- 

 ing sodium hypochlorite to toluene sulphonamide. 

 It is a colourless, crystalline substance, which in 

 the solid form is quite stable, and when dissolved 

 in water can be kept unchanged for many months. 

 It is without corrosive action, is non-toxic, and 

 does not coagulate protein. Its germicidal action 

 is, molecule for molecule, about four times that 

 of sodium hypochlorite. It is, however, less irri- 

 tating than the latter, and can be used at a con- 

 centration five to ten times as great. 



A report from Staff-Surgeon A. R. Fisher on 

 the use of chloroamine in the treatment of wounds 

 of the mouth and jaw appeared in the British 

 Medical Journal for January 15, and the cases 

 described, though few in number, are reported as 

 "distinctly encouraging," Finally, mention may 

 be made of the use of electrolysed sea-water for 

 the disinfection of hospital ships. The large 

 number of sick and wounded recently brought 

 home from the Near East in hospital ships made 

 the question of disinfection imperative. Though 

 the production of hypochlorite by the electrolysis 

 of salt solution for bleaching purposes, and the 

 powerful antiseptic properties of hypochlorite so 

 produced, have long been known, the idea of 

 electrolysing sea-water on the vessel which is to 

 be disinfected is a novel one, and due to Dr. 

 Dakin, who has successfully solved the problem 

 of disinfection in this simple, cheap, and effective 

 way. The apparatus consists of an electrolytic 

 cell, which, with a current of 65-75 amperes and 

 no volts, yields a solution of 2 parts per 1000 

 of hypochlorite in five minutes at a cost of about 

 3^. per 100. gallons. This solution, diluted with 

 an equal volume of sea-water, is suflficiently strong 

 to sterilise floors, decks, latrines, etc. It has 

 been used on the Aquitania on her last two 

 voyages, with excellent results. 



NOTES. 



Since we went to press last week the report of the 

 Committee on Retrenchment, which led the Govern- 

 ment to decide on the closing of museums, has been 

 published. We have not space here to analyse its argu- 

 ments, but this is the less necessary since they were 

 speedily countered in a letter to the Times of February 

 4 by "A Biological F.R.S." This seems to have 

 closed the newspaper discussion, and we are now 

 waiting to see the effect of to-day's deputation to the 

 Prime Minister, organised by the Museums Associa- 

 tion. Among the spyeakers will be Lord Sudeley, Sir 

 Ray Lanlcester, and the director of the National 

 Museum of Wales. The petition to be presented has 

 been signed by leading men in all parts of the country. 

 NO. 2415, VOL. 96] 



The provincial museums recognise that the action of 

 the Government is intended as an example for them to- 

 follow, and they fear that they may be subjected to 

 pressure through the Local Government Board. They 

 will not, however, submit without a protest, and that 

 protest will be made on purely patriotic grounds, for 

 the municipal and other museum authorities know 

 very well the admirable educational work that is being 

 carried on among all classes of the population by their 

 institutions. It is not only in London that our soldiers 

 are deriving pleasure and profit from the museums ; 

 at Colchester, for example, the presence of soldiers in 

 training has raised the annual attendance from 29,564 

 to 339,933, to which latter figure must be added some 

 18,000 for Sunday afternoons in the winter months. 

 Meanwhile, it is stated by the Neiie Freie Presse that 

 in Germany and Austria all libraries, museums, and 

 picture-galleries are open as usual, and the reasons 

 given for closing them in this country are regarded as 

 "a declaration of moral bankruptcy," more striking 

 than the economic weakness which so fatal and futile 

 a decision is held to reveal. 



At the annual general meeting of the Society of 

 Public x'Knalysts, held on February 2, Mr. G, Embrey 

 was elected president for the ensuing year. 



The Royal Swedish Academy of Science In Stock- 

 holm has elected Prof. E. B. Poulton a foreign mem- 

 ber as a token of Its appreciation of Prof. Poulton 's 

 work In zoology, and especially in entomology. 



The work of completing the laboratory building and 

 first range of plant houses at the Brooklyn Botanic 

 Garden Is now proceeding. We learn from Science 

 that the completion of these buildings at this time 

 has been made possible by the donation, by three 

 friends of the garden, of 20,oooZ. on the condition that 

 a like sum be appropriated for the same purpose by 

 the city of New York. 



At the meeting of the Chemical Society held on 

 February 3 the second of the series of lectures arranged 

 by the council to be delivered during the present 

 session was given by Prof. W. H. Bragg, who chose 

 as his subject, "The Recent Work on X-Rays and 

 Crystals, and Its bearing on Chemistry." Dr. Alex- 

 ander Scott, president, was in the chair, and the 

 meeting was largely attended. After the delivery of 

 the lecture, a discussion was held, in which Prof. 

 H. E. Armstrong, Mr. William Barlow, Lieut. Bragg, 

 and Sir William Tilden took part. 



The death of Prof. John Wyllle, emeritus professor 

 of medicine in the University of Edinburgh, occurred 

 on January 25 at the age of seventy-two years. Prof. 

 Wyllle held various appointments in Edinburgh hos- 

 pitals from 1868 to 1900, when he succeeded Sir 

 Thomas Grainger Stewart as professor of medicine In 

 the University, and occupied the position until 19 14. 

 His chief published work on the disorders of speech 

 was published in 1894. He was also the author of 

 a number of papers in medical journals. 



Mr. C. W. Beebe, curator of birds to the New York 

 Zoological Society, has sailed for British Guiana, 

 where he Intends to establish a tropical zoologicaf 

 station for observation and research. His primary 



