October 6, 1898] 



NATURE 



549 



part of the trade, though there is now keen competition among 

 the best makers to secure a high place in the report which is 

 annually issued. 



In the opinion of the committee the principles which underlie 

 the proposal for the establishment of a national physical labor- 

 atory have been tested on a comparatively small scale at the 

 Kew Observatory with the most satisfactory results. 



In addition to the physical constants and numerical data 

 needed in connection with standards, there are numerous facts, 

 a knowledge of which would be of great value to science and in- 

 dustry. The determination of such data usually involves an 

 investigation as to the method of making the determination, and 

 a considerable expenditure of skilled labour in carrying out the 

 iletermination. The committee are of opinion that, although 

 the former part of this work will in general be initiated by in- 

 dividual experimenters of great skill and originality, it may in 

 special cases be usefully undertaken by a public body. It is 

 rather to the improvement in the details of the method of making 

 the determination that they think that the work of a public 

 institution will for the most part be directed. This cannot 

 usually be carried out by private investigators on account of the 

 expense and the length of time over which the experiments must 

 extend. The scientific reputation to be gained is often incom- 

 mensurate with the labour involved ; and even when the results 

 are of industrial importance in many cases they cannot be pro- 

 tected by patents. 



There is evidence that many questions of this nature are par- 

 tially investigated for technical purposes by private persons, the 

 results being not infrequently kept >secret. More complete in- 

 vestigations carried out at a public institution and freely pub- 

 lished would often be of great service to industry, and there is 

 reason to believe that a large part of the cost of such work 

 might be defrayed by the persons directly interested in the 

 results. 



One difficulty in connection with a scheme for the determination 

 of constants and data arises from the fact that the number of sub- 

 jects which might be pressed for investigation would be very large. 

 The opinion was, however, generally expressed by the witnesses 

 that a strong governing body would have no difiiculty in select- 

 ing those branches of work which were the most important, and 

 that it would be possible to confine the work of tlie proposed 

 institution, if established, within moderate limits. Nearly all 

 the witnesses, also, have expressed the opinion that those inter- 

 ested in industry as well as persons devoted to the study of pure 

 science would be willing that the Royal Society should be ulti- 

 mately responsible for the management of the proposed institu- 

 tion, provided that industry' were adequately represented on the 

 governing body, and that the choice of the members of that 

 body, though nominated by the Council of the Royal Society, 

 were not confined to Fellows of the Society. 



After consideration of the evidence the committee have come 

 to the conclusion that an institution should be established for 

 standardising and verifying instruments, for testing materials, 

 and for the determination of physical constants. Work useful 

 both to science and industry could therein be performed for 

 which no adequate provision is at present made, either in this 

 country or at the Bureau International des Poids et Mesures. 

 Such work could not, or, at all events, in all probability would 

 not, be undertaken by individual workers, or by institutions 

 primarily devoted to education. In the opinion of the com- 

 mittee the proposed institution should be established at the 

 national expense on lines similar to, though not at present on 

 the scale of, the Physikalisch-technische Reichsanstalt referred 

 to above. The possibility of future extension shoifld, however, 

 be kept in view from the first. 



To secure the efficient performance of the work, the com- 

 mittee are of opinion that the director of the institution should 

 be a man of liigh scientific attainments, and should act under a 

 governing body containing representatives of both science and 

 industry. The director should not be called upon or allowed to 

 undertake work not connected with the institution except with 

 the consent of the governing body. He would require the 

 support of an adequate staff. As regards locality, while it is 

 desirable that the institution should be near London, it is 

 necessary that the site be free from mechanical and electrical 

 disturbance. 



Among the most important questions considered by the com- 

 mittee was whether the proposed institution should be founded 

 independently or should be a development of an existing institu- 

 tion. The duties of the Board of Trade, as custodian of certain 



NO. 1510, VOL. 58] 



standards, are defined by statute, and the committee consider 

 that it is undesirable to alter existing arrangements in this 

 respect. They are of opinion that the proposed laboratory if 

 established should be managed by a governing body constituted 

 and appointed as hereinafter described, and should not be under 

 the direct control of a Goverrtment department. They recom- 

 mend that the Board of Trade, as custodian of the standards, 

 should be placed in close connection with the said governing 

 body. 



The character of the work done at the Kew Observatory- 

 suggests that all that is really necessary might be attained by 

 the development of that institution. 



Reco\lmendations. 

 (i) That a public institution should be founded for standardiz- 

 ing and verifying instruments, for testing materials, and for the 

 determination of physical constants. 



(2) That the institution should be established by extending 

 the Kew Observatory in the Old Deer Park, Richmond, and that 

 the scheme should include the improvement of the existing 

 buildings, and the erection of new buildings at some distance 

 from the present observatory. 



(3) That the Royal Society should be invited to control the 

 proposed institution, and to nominate a governing body, on 

 which commercial interests should be represented, the choice of 

 the members of such body not being confined to Fellows of the 

 society. 



(4) That the permanent secretary of the Board of Trade 

 should be an ex officio member of the governing body ; and 

 that such body should be consulted by the Standards Office 

 and the Electrical Standardising Department of the Board of 

 Trade upon difficult questions that may arise from time to time 

 or as to proposed modifications or developments. >^ 



NOTES. 



In connection with the forthcoming conference upon ait. 

 International Catalogue of Scientific Literature, a reception 

 will be held at the Royal Society on Monday next, October lo. 

 A dinner has been arranged by the President for Fellows of the 

 Society and their friends who are interested in the subject of 

 the Catalogue, It will take place at the Hotel Metropole on. 

 Tuesday, October ii. 



In connection with the opening of the winter session of the 

 Charing-cross Hospital Medical School on Monday, Prof. 

 Rudolf Virchow, Director of the Berlin Pathological Institute, 

 delivered the second of the Huxley lectures, his subject being 

 •' Recent Advances in Science, and their Bearing on Medicine 

 and Surgery." Lord Lister, President of the Royal Society,, 

 occupied the chair, and a large number of members of the 

 medical profession, and distinguished men of science were 

 present. Prof. Virchow was most cordially received, and his 

 address, printed in another part of this number, was followed 

 with deep interest and attention. 



Mr. T. Mei.lard Reade informs us that the gypsum, 

 boulder, weighing at least thirteen tons, found in the Boulder 

 Clay of Great Crosby, and described in a previous number of 

 Nature (p. 132), has been presented to the District Council 

 by Mr. Peters, and is now being moved from its original bed 

 with the intention of erecting it in an open space in Liverpool 

 Road, Great Crosby. A concrete platform has been prepared 

 to receive the boulder. From the depth of the clay pit in which, 

 it lay, and its great weight and irregular form, the lifting, 

 carriage and setting up of the boulder is one of considerable 

 difficulty. The boulder will be protected with wrought-irorv 

 railings, and no doubt will prove an object of abiding interest 

 to the neighbourhood and to geologists generally. 



News has been received from Sitten (Canton Valais, Switzer- 

 land) that, on Monday, Captain Spelterini attempted the 

 passage over the Alps in his balloon the Vega. He was 

 accompanied by Prof. Heim, of Ziirich, Dr. Mauer, director of 



