5'6 



NATURE 



[February 28, 19 18 



ties, but the chief sufferers have been the faculties of 

 commerce and science, which show reductions to 33 

 and 37 per cent, respectively of the figures for 1913-14, 

 whereas the corresponding strengths of the faculties 

 of arts and medicine are respectively 69 and 81 per 

 cent. It is noteworthy that in the faculties of science, 

 arts, and commerce, taken together, women constitute 

 68 per cent., and in the faculty of medicine 41 per 

 cent. The reports show that the University is taking 

 its share in the application of science to war purposes, 

 and that steps are being taken to bring the faculty of 

 science into closer contact with the industrial world. 

 In the concluding part of his report the Principal deals 

 with after-war conditions. He says: — "One of the 

 many problems which must press for attention after 

 the war is the closer linking of science with industry — 

 in other words, a more determined attack on practical 

 problems and an application to useful purposes of what 

 is known. But it will behove us in the University 

 vividly to remember that pure science must precede 

 applications of science, and that unless pure science is 

 cultivated in universities it is not likely to be pursued 

 with adequate attention anywhere. . . . We must have 

 faith that all real knowledge, as soon as it becomes 

 familiar, can be made useful by those who have oppor- 

 tunity to apply it. For it is im;possible for a university 

 to pursue knowledge for its own sake with adequate 

 resources unless the community recognises this as its 

 duty, and has faith enough in the ultimate outcome 

 to be willing to make provision, even lavish provision, 

 for its pursuit without expectation of an immediate 

 pecuniary result. . . . Nevertheless, demands are likely 

 to be made upon us, as now during the war, . for 

 specific research into problems arising in design and 

 manufacture. Up to a point this is quite proper and 

 to be encouraged, for such problems are often inform- 

 ing, and their solution may lead to fresh developments. 

 .Science and its applications interact on each other, 

 and a sharp dividing line is neither feasible nor wanted, 

 but as a rule universities should specially cultivate pure 

 learning of every kind." 



London.— The following doctorate in science has 

 been conferred by the Senate : — D.Sc. in Botany, Mr. 

 Cyril West, an internal student, of the Imperial Col- 

 lege (Royal College of Science), for a thesis entitled 

 "A Contribution to the Study of the Marattiaceae. " 



The Senate has appointed the following fellov^-s of 

 University College and King's College respectively : — 

 University College : Mr. Wedgwood Benn, Mrs. Elsie 

 Blackman, Dr. Harriette Chick, Dr. E. M. Cowell, 

 Dr. C. A. Lovatt Evans, Dr. David Heron, Mr. W. H. 

 Lister, Mr. E. K. Martin, and Mr. E. T. Paris. King's 

 College : Prof. Arthur Dendy, Mr. F. Lydall, and Mr. 

 L. J. Robertson. 



The report of the Military Education Committee of 

 the University of London for 19 17 has been presented 

 to the Senate. The number of commissions in the 

 Army and Navy granted to cadets and ex-cadets of the 

 University O.T.C. up to the end of 1917 was 3618, 

 and, in addition, 308 graduates and students of the 

 University obtained commissions in the early months 

 of the war upon the recommendation of the com- 

 mittee, making a total of 3926 officers. Of the 3618 

 former cadets of the University of London O.T.C. who 

 have proceeded to commissions, 440, whose names are 

 recorded in the report, have fallen in the war, and 

 £;o8 have gained distinctions, including: — V.C., 3; 

 M.V.O., i; D.S.O., I.';; Military Cross, 292 (includ- 

 ing 3 with two bars and 7 with one bar) ; Distinguished 

 Service Cross, 3; Croix de Guerre, 8; Mddaille Mili- 

 taire, i; other foreign Orders, etc., 7; mentioned in 

 despatches, 291 {mentioned thrice, 4; twice, 21). The 

 number of distinctions gained by former cadets is 663. 

 The strength of the University O.T.C, as given in the 



NO. 2522, VOL. 100] 



report, shows some decrease on the strength in the pre- 

 vious year, due mainly to the reduction of the age 

 for military service in the Army from nineteen to 

 eighteen. In consequence of this, the committee states 

 j " the resources of the University, which were so freely 

 drawn upon in the earlier years of the war for the 

 education and military training of future Army officers, 

 cannot under present conditions be fully used for the 

 same purpose." Particulars are given in the report a; 

 to the conditions at present in force for enrolment in 

 the University O.T.C. 



Manchester. — The University has recently benefited 

 by the foundation of new scholarships and prizes. 

 Amongst these are industrial research scholarships 

 intended to enable graduates and others to obtain 

 training in the methods of research with the object of 

 rendering them better qualified to enter industry.* The 

 first of these scholarships was instituted in organi 

 chemical research by Messrs. Levinstein, Ltd. The 

 firm of Messrs. Simon-Carves, Ltd., has now insti- 

 tuted a second • scholarship in inorganic chemical 

 search. The scholarships are of the value of looL per 

 annum, tenable in the first instance for one year. The- 

 work of the scholar is determined by the professor 

 concerned with the subject of research. During the 

 tenure of the scholarship the scholar is required to 

 devote his whole time to research. 



A prize has been founded by Mr. Ernest A. Knight, 

 of Knutsford, to be known as the Knight prize and 

 intended for the encouragement of the study of the 

 part played by psychological factors in the develop- 

 ment of the symptoms of mental disturbance. The 

 prize will be of the value of 50L, and offered 

 annually. It will be open to the competition of per- 

 sons who have entered upon the course for the diploma 

 in psychological medicine of the University. ' 



Under the will of the late Mrs. Selina Mary Bright 

 a scholarship in physical science has been instituted, to 

 be called the Samuel Bright scholarship. ' The course 

 of study pursued by the scholar is not to include vivi- 

 section. The regulations for the scholarship are not 

 yet finally approved, but a-ill be published shortly. 



Mr. Fisher's Education (No. 2) Bil! to make furlhtr 

 provision with respect to education in England and 

 Whales, and for purpose^! connected therewith, was pre- 

 sented formally to the House of Commons on Monday, 

 February 25, and was read a first time. 



Prof. D. Drummond has been elected president of 

 the University of Durham College of Medicine in suc- 

 cession to the late Sir G. H. Philipson, and the Chan- 

 cellor has appointed him pro-Vice-Chancellor of the 

 University. 



The Morison lectures of the Royal College of 

 Physicians of Edinburgh will be delivered on March 4, 

 6, and 8 by Dr. J. J. Graham Brown, who will take as 

 his subject certain disorders of the sympathetic and 

 paras}'mpathetic systems. 



It is reported in the Revue scientifique, on the 

 authority of the Temps, that the excavation of the ruins 

 of the University of Louvain, destroyed by the Ger- 

 mans, has been commenced under the direction of a 

 committee including MM. Oehler, Bersy, Lemaire, and 

 Vingerhoedts. The excavation of the ruins of the 

 library, in which the historic books and manuscripts 

 were housed, has led to the recovery of nothing of value. 

 It is feared that the bibliographical treasures are irre- 

 trievably lost. 



By the will of Sir Edgar Sebright, his estate is 

 charged with " such a sum as will produce a clear 315Z. 

 a year and expenses for the foundation of a scholarship 

 at Eton College for a deserving scholar or Oppidan 



