February 25, 191 5] 



NATURE 



705 



the eminent French archeeologist, who was killed in 

 action on the Aisne on October 4 last, at the age of 

 fifty-three. His most important work was the 

 " Manuel d'arch^ologie pr^historique celtique et 

 gallo-romaine," which, unhappily, after the issue of 

 two volumes, remains unfinished. He also, in col- 

 laboration with M. E. Brassart, published "Les 

 peintures murales du Moyen age et de la Renaissance 

 en Forez." He was also the author of works on 

 "L'oppidum de Bibracte," "Les fouilles du mont 

 Beuvray," and "Vases c^ramiques orn^s de la Gaule 

 Romaine," for which he was awarded the medal 

 of the Academic des Inscriptions et Belles-Lettres, 

 and was appointed Chevalier of the Legion d'honneur. 

 The death of this indefatigable archaeologist, who 

 was Conservateur of the Musee de Roanne, is a 

 serious loss to French archaeolog}-. 



Although much of the activity of research labora- 

 tories has been curtailed by the war owing to the 

 patriotic action of the younger workers joining one of 

 the Services, there remain a number of men and 

 women carrying on research. In the subject of chem- 

 istry special difficulties have arisen because practically 

 all very pure chemicals have hitherto been made in 

 Germany. No .very large stock of chemicals of this 

 description is held by dealers, but researches either 

 completed or abandoned have left a considerable 

 amount in public and private laboratories in this 

 country. In an attempt to render these stocks avail- 

 able to workers, the chemical department of the Impe- 

 rial College, South Kensington, has started a bureau 

 of exchange. Circulars have been sent to most of the 

 university and college laboratories in the kingdom 

 asking for lists of chemicals which are not in imme- 

 diate use. Many lists have already been sent, and 

 workers who are in urgent need of fine chemicals have 

 been put into communication with those who have 

 some to dispose of. It is hoped that any chemist who 

 has not received the circular will communicate with 

 the bureau giving a list of the materials he has avail- 

 able and also his requirements. As a rule, chemicals 

 have been sold at cost price, but the financial arrange- 

 ments are left entirely to the buyer and seller. 



The Medical Committee of the British Science Guild 

 has done a good work by its resolution condemning 

 a notorious anti-vivisection advertisement. The object 

 of the advertisement was to prevent our soldiers from 

 being protected against typhoid fever. If it be asked 

 why any one of the many anti-vivisection societies 

 should behave in this way, we can only say with Dr. 

 Watts that " Satan finds some mischief still for idle 

 hands to do." Anti-vivisection since August has been 

 more or less short of work. Few of us are wanting to 

 hear Pasteur called a charlatan ; few of us are wanting 

 anti-vivisection lectures and shops. Everybody is 

 sure, who is capable of clear thinking, that our 

 men of science are neither cruel nor stupid. But anti- 

 vivisection cannot rest. It must find something to 

 attack, something to abuse. Happily, by mere vulgar 

 abuse, it does itself more harm than good ; and we 

 may well believe that quiet, level-headed, charitable 

 folk are mostly by this time sick of the ven,- name 

 Ten otfiC T7-r»T n/il 



of anti-vivisection. We hof>e that it will bs many 

 years before anti-vivisection emerges out of the 

 public disgrace which it has brought upon itself. The 

 resolution of the British Science Guild is fairly out- 

 spoken, though it might justly have used stronger 

 language. We hope that it will be very widely circu- 

 lated; half a million copies, distributed through the 

 countr\', would be none too many 



The second Indian Science Congress was held, under 

 the auspices of the .Asiatic Society' of Bengal, in 

 Madras, from Januarj- 14 to 18 la^j. There was a 

 large and representative attendance of delegates from 

 all parts of India, and the Hon. Surg.-Gen. Banner- 

 man, I. M.S., who is president, delivered an address. 

 According to the Pioneer Mail, the president insisted 

 on the importance of a knowledge of biology to 

 medical, sanitar>-, and scientific men working in the 

 tropics. In the course of an appeal to wealthy Indians 

 to endow medical research so that their poor but 

 capable fellow-countn,'men might have something to 

 look forward to as a reward for scientific toil, Surgeon- 

 General Bannerman said : — " There are plenty of sub- 

 jects for research which ought to be endowed, chairs 

 in our medical schools and universities that ought to 

 be established all over India. Indian universities are 

 at present mere skeletons. Will no one here take up 

 the role of beggar and tr>' to extract a few lakhs of 

 rupees from the hoards of his wealthy and aristocratic 

 friends?" Continuing, he said India wants to have, 

 not only more chairs and lectureships, but also research 

 scholarships or fellowships, established fellowships, 

 available for a student and research worker, so that 

 he may live in reasonable comfort and be able to devote 

 his whole energy to work, without anxiet\- for those 

 depending on him. In Madras a beginning has been 

 made in this direction, owing to the enlightened 

 liberality of the Raja of Pithapuram, who has pre- 

 sented 50,000 rupees for the expenses of an inquiry into 

 diabetes, the fell disease which has carried off so many 

 of the best brain workers in this part of India. 



The authorities of the Sheffield Public Museums 

 are to be congratulated on the attention thev are 

 devoting to the collection and classification of docu- 

 ments and other records relating to local historv. 

 The systematic collecting of such records, as we 

 learn from the report for the period from March, 

 1912, to March, 1914, was commenced at the High 

 Hazels Museum in 1901, and afterwards extended 

 to the establishment in Weston Park. The gift to 

 the Public Libran,- of the "Jackson Collection," rich 

 in documents relating to Sheffield, has largely added 

 to the value and interest of the series, which is now 

 very extensive. 



" Pigmy " stone implements form the subject of an 

 article, with two plates, by Mr. C. Hartley in Spolia 

 Zeylanica for December last (vol. x., pt. 36). Such 

 implements occur locally in many parts of the world, 

 including the British Islands, but they are nowhere 

 more common than in Ceylon, where they occur in 

 great profusion at Bandarawela. .\t least ten dis- 

 tinct types of these implements are recognised bv 

 the author, but axe-heads, together with saws, spear- 



