;48, 



NATURE 



[July 4, 19 18 



Hitherto all methods have failed in one or other 

 of these essentials. The report before us, however, 

 contains a large body of accurate experimental 

 evidence which goes to show that complete success 

 can now be attained without risk to the workers 

 and without damage to the material disinfected. 

 The main feature of the process is a pre- 

 liminary treatment in which material is submitted 

 to the action of a warm solution of soap and water 

 containing alkali, followed by squeezing through 

 rollers. This causes softening and disintegration 

 of any infected blood-clots, and the spores are laid 

 I)are for the subsequent destroying process, which 

 io carried out by a warm solution of formic alde- 

 hyde. The material, after being again squeezed 

 through rollers, is then dried and kept for a short 

 time as an extra safeguard. According to the 

 testimony of practical people the hair and wool are 

 not injured by the process, and it is computed that 

 ten million pounds of infected wool can be effec- 

 tively disinfected for something less than 0*824 

 penny per pound weight. 



The report is a brilliant instance of how preven- 

 tive measures in medicine must be based on 

 scientific inquiries, and it is not too much to expect 

 that "wool-sorter's disease" may soon disappear 

 from the list of the fatal maladies of man. 



NOTES. 



The Bellahouston gokl medal has been awarded bv 

 the University of Glasgow to Dr. R. T. Leiper, of the 

 London School of Tropical Medicine, whose researches 

 on Bilharzia disease in Egypt are well known. 



The David Syme research prize for 1918, consisting 

 of a medal and looL for any scientific research in 

 Australia during the last five 3ears, has been awarded 

 to Dr. T. Griffith Taylor for a thesis based on the cor- 

 relation of Australian physiography, meteorologv, and 

 climatology, with special reference to the control of 

 its settlement and industrial development. 



-\Ik. William Perren Maycock, who died on 

 June 2y, was the author of many text-books and 

 popular works on electrotechnics. Some of his works, 

 as, for instance, his treatise on "Electric Lighting 

 and Power Distribution," ran through many editions. 

 Mr. Maycock took endless pains to present the subject 

 dearly and correctly, and always welcomed criticism. 

 He practised as a consulting engineer, and had been 

 technical editor to the Westinghouse Companies' 

 publishing department in Europe. 



Canon Rawnsley, in a letter to the Times for 

 June 28, stated that the War Office contemplated the 

 draining of Wolmer Pond, near Liss, Hampshire, 

 'in order to grow wheat on its sandy bottom." The 

 pond is a natural feature of great interest, and it is 

 closely associated with the natural history observa- 

 tion of Gilbert White of Selborne. We are glad to 

 learn, therefore, in reply to an inquirv at the War 

 Office, that it has been decided not to proceed with 

 the draining of the pond. The Selborne Society has 

 received the same intimation from the Secretary of 

 State for War in reply to a petition submitted bv the 

 council of the society. 



SfR J. J. Thomson, Prof. W. H. Bragg, and Dr. 



W. Coolidge have been elected honorary " members of 



the^ Rontgen Society. The following officers of the 



society have been elected for the ensuing year :— 



NO. 2540, VOL. lOl] 



President: Dr. G. B. Batten. Vice-Presidents : Mr_ 

 J. Hall Edwards, Prof. A. W. Porter, and Dr. Dawson 

 Turner. Members of Council: Mr. C. A. Clarke, Mr,- 

 N. S. Finzi, Mr. W. Hampson, Mr. C. Howard Head, 

 Mr. C. R. C. Lyster, Dr. J. Metcalfe, Prof. J. \\\ 

 Nicholson, Dr. G. H. Rodman, Mr. W. E. Schall, 

 Mr. E. S. Worrall, Mr. E. P. Cumberbatch, and Dr. 

 V. E. A. Pullen Honorary Treasurer: Mr. Geoffrey 

 Pearce. Honorary Secretaries : Dr. Robert Knox and 

 Dr. .Sidney Russ. Editor of the Journal: Mr. W. F. 

 Higgins. 



Lord Hylto.n announced in the House of Lords on 

 July 2 that it 'is proposed to recommend to the King 

 that a Royal Commission should be appointed at an 

 early date, consisting of members of both Houses of 

 Parliament and other persons with .special qualifica- 

 tions, to consider the question of the desirability or 

 otherwise of making a change in our coinage system. 

 The terms of reference will be to consider the pro- 

 posal embodied in the Bill which was recently- intro- 

 duced by Lord Southwark in the House of Lords. 

 The Commission, if it decides in favour of a change, 

 may either adopt the proposals contained in the Bill 

 or make any other proposals. It will be able to put 

 forward its recommendations in the .form of a draft 

 Bill. 



In connection with the Food Economy (Plants) Ex- 

 hibit at the Natural History Museum, South Kensing- 

 ton, an explanatory leaflet has been prepared giving. 

 I an outline of the basal principles of nutrition and the 

 j characteristics of the common foodstuffs. The in- 

 formation is conveyed in simple terms now familiar 

 to the general public, and should add greatly to the 

 educational value of the exhibit. In a .popular exposi- 

 tion of scientific knowledge on this subject it is im- 

 possible to avoid a certain degree of looseness of 

 expression, which the physiologist or agricultural 

 chemist might feel disposed to criticise. It is scarcely 

 correct, for instance, to describe malt as " fermented 

 barley." On the whole, however, the information is 

 correct and in accordance with current scientific 

 teaching, and in no case can it be described as actually- 

 misleading. 



The list of pensions granted during the year ended 

 March 31, 1918, and payable under the provisions of 

 the Civil List Act, includes the following names : — 

 Mrs. Mann, in consideration of the valuable services 

 of her late husband, Mr. R. F. Mann, to science and 

 medicine in the development of radiography, in the 

 course of which he received injuries which resulted in 

 his death, 120L ; Mrs. Judd, in consideration . of the 

 services of her late husband. Prof. J. W. Judd, to 

 geological science, 75/. ; Mrs. Rippon,, in consideration 

 of the valuable services rendered by her late husband, 

 Mr. R. F. H. Rippon, to natural history and science, 

 50L ; Miss Bertha Couch, in consideration of the 

 scientific eminence of her late father, Dr. Jonathan 

 Couch, naturalist, ichthyologist, and author, 40L - 

 Mrs. Vaughan, in consideration of the scientific 

 eminence of her late husband, Dr. Arthur Vaughan, 

 geologist, 40Z. ; Mrs. Coffey, in consideration of the 

 value of the researches and writings of her late hus- 

 band, Mr. George Coffey, curator of the Dublin 

 Museum on Irish archaeology,. 30/. 



A group of botanists in the United States has 

 arranged for the publication of a monthly journal of 

 botanical abstracts, botany to be interpreted in its 

 broadest sense. The prime purpose of Botanical 

 Abstracts is to supply prompt citations and abstracts 

 of all papers dealing with botanical subjects, wherever 

 published, as soon as possible after they appear. The 

 editor-in-chief is Dr. B. E. Livingston, Johns Hopkins 



