March 15, 1917^ 



NATURE 



57 



As the invitation of the council is being rather 

 widely extended, a word of caution may not be out 

 of place at this point. In the case of institutions not 

 in a position to give serious support to research, it 

 would evidently be inadvisable to appoint research 

 committees. It is quite possible, however, that the 

 strong moral support which could be given by a com- 

 mittee, even if it were unable to command large 

 financial aid, would justify its formation. Indeed, it 

 is scarcely conceivable that a research committee really 

 in sympathy with the objects we have in view could 

 fail to secure valuable material assistance to com- 

 petent investigators. 



Each research committee will doubtless discover its 

 own best method of procedure, adapted to the cir- 

 cumstances of the case. The following suggestions 

 as to possible lines of work may nevertheless be of 

 service in organising the committees : — 



(i) Prepare a survey of the research already in pro- 

 gress in the institution in question. 



(2) Assist in the preparation of a national census of 

 research indicating the equipment for research, the 

 men engaged in it, and the lines of investigation 

 pursued in Government bureaux, educational institu- 

 tions, research foundations, and industrial research 

 laboratories. 



(3) Increase the supply of suitably trained men to 

 carry on research work. The tendency towards narrow 

 specialisation, so common at present, should be 

 counteracted by developing more interest in science 

 as a whole. Lectures on the history of science, and 

 broad courses on evolution, covering its various aspects 

 from the constitution of matter and the evolution of 

 stars and the earth to the rise of man and the develop- 

 ment of civilisation, should be widely encouraged. 

 From the purely educational point of view such courses 

 may be expected to produce a more favourable in- 

 fluence and leave a more lasting impression than 

 routine discussions of the minutiae of the various 

 branches of science, though the lattei are obviously 

 essential in the training of the investigator. 



(4) Develop a wider appreciation of the part which 

 men of science may play in researches bearing both 

 on industrial progress and national defence, including 

 those of ship design, aeronautics, the fixation of nitro^ 

 gen, and many other subjects. 



(5) More general co-oper£.tion and co-ordination in 

 research, within each educational institution and in 

 alliance with other workers outside, is another im- 

 portant subject for consideration. 



(6) Interchange of research workers, es{>ecially to 

 secure for the smaller institutions the stimulus given 

 by leaders of research, should be strongly encouraged. 



(7) Establishment of a large number of research 

 fellowships, each yielding one thousand dollars or 

 more annually. 



(8) Establishment of research professorships and re- 

 search endowments. 



(9) Encouragement of the spirit of research, and the 

 development of a sympathetic atmosphere in which the 

 investigator can work to the best possible advantage. 



Central Committees on Research. 



The National Research Council, with the co-opera- 

 tion of the American .Association for the Advancement 

 of Science, the American Chemical Society, the 

 American Physical Society, the American Mathe- 

 matical Society, and other national scientific societies, 

 has established a series of central committees to 

 organise research in tne various branches of science. 



The purpose of these committees may be outlined 

 as follows : — 



(i) To join in the preparation of the national census 

 of research. This will be taken by the census com- 



NO. 2472, VOL. 99I 



miltee of the Research Council, of which the chair- 

 men of the various central committees are members. 



(2) To prepare reports embodying comprehensive 

 surveys of the hrger possibilities of research in the 

 various departi».:^nts of pure science, suggesting im- 

 portant problems and favourable opf>ortunities for 

 investigation. 



(3) To survey the economic and industrial problems 

 of the United States, and report on possible means 

 of aiding in their solution by the promotion of re- 

 search in the fields represented by the various com- 

 mittees. (In co-operation with the council's com- 

 mittee on the promotion of industrial research.) 



(4) To indicate how investigators in each com- 

 mittee's field can aid in the solution of research 

 problems involved in strengthening the national de- 

 fence. (In co-operation with the military committee 

 of the National Research Council.) 



(5) To point out opportunities, national and inter- 

 national, for co-operation in research, and to assist 

 in the co-ordination of the various agencies already 

 established for this purpose. 



(6) To keep in touch with the research committees 

 of educational institutions, and to supply research 

 problems, suggestions, or thesis subjects when re- 

 quested to do so. 



(7) To serve as a national clearing-house of informa- 

 tion regarding research problems in each committee's 

 field which arise from scientific, industrial, and other 

 sources, and are communicated to the council by local 

 research committees or other agencies. 



(8) To promote research by such ether methods as 

 may prove advisable, including the encouragement 

 of such courses of instruction in educational institu- 

 tions as are best adapted to develop greater breadth 

 of view, a wider understanding of the methods of 

 research, and a more general perception of the 

 national importance of all forms of research, both 

 in pure and applied science ; the more effective use 

 of existing research funds; the establishment of re- 

 search fellowships, rerearch professorships, and re- 

 search endowments. 



UNIVERSITY AND EDUCATIONAL 

 INTELLIGENCE. 



B1RMINGH.A.M. — Prof. R. Saundby having resigned his 

 post as professor of medicine in consequence of ill- 

 health, the following resolution has been passed by 

 the University Council : "That in accepting the resig- 

 nation of Prof. Robert Saundby the council records 

 its great regret that circumstances of health have 

 rendered this step necessary. It desires to thank him 

 for his long and distinguished services to the medical 

 school in Mason College and the University, and 

 takes this opportunity of expressing Its appreciation 

 of the invaluable assistance which he has rendered to 

 medical education during the twelve years in which 

 he has represented this University on the General 

 Medical Council." 



The work of Mr. John Humphreys, M.D.S., in 

 connection with the Odontological Museum of the Uni- 

 versity of Birmingham has been acknowledged by the 

 council in the following resolution : "That the council 

 desires to express its keen appreciation of the ability, 

 zeal, and generosity with which Mr. John Humphreys, 

 M.D.S., has prosecuted for so many years the forma- 

 tion, in the University, of the Odontological Museum; 

 and now that the catalogue of the sf>eclmens In the 

 museum prepared by him has been published by the 

 council, it takes the opportunity of congratulating 

 him on the completion of the task. .As a further 

 mark of its gralltude to Mr. Humphreys for his life- 



