56 



NATURE 



[October 25, 1917 



ture of a branch of astronomy which has been some- 

 what neglected in recent years. But some of the data 

 on which von Niessl's conclusions are based are old 

 and inaccurate. There is no doubt whatever that for 

 the trustworthy investigation of various difficult ques- 

 tions affecting' the subject more exact, modern, and 

 abundant observations are necessary. 



GEOLOGY OF THE WITWATERSRAND 

 GOLD FIELD. 



THE Rand mining field is geologically one of the 

 most interesting areas in South Africa, as well as 

 the most important economically. Its general structure 

 has been gradually unravelled by the work of the 

 geologists and miners of the Transvaal, and it has 

 now been investigated in detail by the Geological 

 Survey of South Africa. The results of this survey 

 are shown on an excellent map (Geological Map of 

 the Witwatersrand Gold Field, 3 sheets, 19 17) on the 

 scale of I to 5000, or almost an inch to the mile. It 

 has not been contoured owing to the inadequacy of 

 the topographic surveys, but as the mining fields are 

 on an area of high plains this deficiency is of little 

 practical inconvenience. The map is mainly the work 

 of Mr. E. T. Mellor, who has prepared also a short 

 explanation of 46 pages summarising the geology of 

 the mining field and including a bibliography of the 

 chief literature. The report classifies the rocks and 

 gold reefs of the Rand. The age of the rocks is so 

 uncertain that no precise correlation with those of 

 Europe is attempted. They are divided into three 

 systems with South African names. The youngest, the 

 Karroo, which includes the famous Dwyka glacial 

 deposits and the coal seams, has yielded many fossils, 

 so that its correlation is at least approximately known. 

 The Transvaal system includes the quartzites to the 

 north of the goldfield, a thick series of dolomites 

 and cherts', and the Black Reef series. The oldest 

 of the_ three, the Witwatersrand system, includes the 

 quartzites, shales, and conglomerates of the goldfield. 

 These two older systems are unfossiliferous, and 

 whether they are Lower Palaeozoic or pre-Palaeozoic 

 is uncertain. The author accepts the view that the 

 gold of the Rand is of alluvial origin, and abandons 

 the long popular theory that it was introduced by 

 infiltration as in ordinary lodes. The alluvial or placer 

 theory has been advocated by several geologists, while 

 the majority of the mining engineers have supported 

 the infiltration theory. Probably the most striking 

 feature displayed by the map is that strike-faulting is 

 far more important than had been suspected. The 

 author concludes that the unworked parts of the gold- 

 field are so extensive that the gold-mining industry 

 has elements of " comparative permanency not found in 

 many other goldfields and more akin to those of a 

 base metal district or a manufacturing centre." 



ORGANISED KNOWLEDGE AND 

 NATIONAL WELFAREA 

 'X'HE future of any nation is secure if it lives up to 

 ■*• its possibilities. The nation which does this is 

 bound to be a leader among nations and to command 

 world-wide respect. Its national problems will be 

 solved, and solved intelligently and thoroughly. The 

 greatness of a man is in part 'born in him and in part 

 the product of his environment. According to eminent 

 biologists, he is about two-fifths born and three-fifths 

 made. Similarly, a nation is great according to its 



<iLd}^''^''^f\x^^ "" ^<^<Vfss given on April 9 to the Associated Engineering 

 of September"''"' ''"' ^ * *^- ^""'"8- Reprinted from Science 



NO. 2504, VOL. 100] 



resources and according to its development of these 

 resources. And the development of those resources 

 may be accomplished only through organised know- 

 ledge. 



(i) The Function of Organised Knowledge. — Con- 

 sider for a moment two manufacturing concerns on an 

 equal footing as regards output, but of which one is 

 continually making progress through improvements in 

 manufacturing processes, developing new and valuable 

 products and investigating the fundamental principles 

 underlying all these processes. This firm will in time 

 outstrip the other in every way ; the balance, in fact, 

 is a very delicate one, since the results are cumulative. 

 In quite a similar manner, that nation will advance to 

 leadership in which the increase in organised know- 

 ledge and the application of that knowledge are 

 greatest. For this reason, interest in research should 

 be as wide as the nation and should cover the whole 

 gamut of problems from administration to agriculture, 

 from medicine to manufacture. For it is only through 

 the solution of individual problems that general prin- 

 ciples can be arrived at and the sum total of useful 

 organised knowledge increased. • 



It is essential that the wide field to be covered be 

 kept in mind, extending over not only physics, chem- 

 istry, engineering, and all their branches, but all the 

 biological and mental sciences as well. In the last 

 analysis an increase in knowledge in the field of the 

 biological sciences means more and better food, im- 

 proved racial stock, and improved public health, as 

 well as increased material welfare in all having to do 

 with plants and animals. Increased knowledge of the 

 fundamental principles of the mental sciences means 

 increased efficiency in administration, legislation, edu- 

 cation, operation, and research. I do not mean mere 

 book learning in psychology, but such a command of 

 the fundamental principles as will assist in the solution 

 of all practical problems. Increased knowledge of 

 chemistry means increased ability to utilise raw mate- 

 rials and an improvement in general health and living 

 conditions. One may almost say that the generalised 

 problem of chemistry is to convert the less expensive 

 raw materials, such as cellulose, petroleum, glucose, 

 various minerals and oils, starch, nitrogen of the air 

 and the like, into food, clothing, tools for our use, and 

 means for national defence. An application of the 

 fundamental principles of physics in the way of various 

 engineering problems leads to a fuller utilisation of 

 resources and of new products useful to man, makes 

 inventions possible and effective, and adds to the 

 general increase in operating efficiency in every way. 



The utilisation of organised knowledge in national 

 welfare comes about both through knowledge itself 

 and_ the incentive to apply that knowledge. Both 

 ability and incentive are essential to utilisation. So far 

 as knowledge went, we might have made dves and optical 

 glass many years ago in the United Sta'tes, but since 

 they could be bought so cheaply there was no incentive 

 to develop the manufacture of such articles. These 

 are cases of ability without incentive. On the other 

 hand, there has long been an incentive for the fixation 

 of nitrogen and for various mechanical devices, but 

 these have not been forthcoming for lack of sufficient 

 knowledge. 



In general, in normal times it is perhaps no exag- 

 geration to say that neither the average individual nor 

 the average nation approaches within 50 per cent, of 

 their possibilities. Nothing short of a war threatening 

 the national_ existence can shake a nation out of its 

 lethargy. Similarly, the average individual cannot be 

 induced to put forth his best efforts without the 

 strongest of incentives. It is unfortunate that this is 

 the case. However, with sufficient attention given to 

 the problem by trained experts in mental science, it is 



