4o8 



NATURE 



[July 24, 1919 



are therefore advised to make their hotel or lodg- 

 ing arrangements without delay. The local execu- 

 tive committee is doing everything in its power 

 to help them in this direction, and inquiries ad- 

 dressed to the Local Secretaries, Municipal Build- 

 ings, Bournemouth, will bring prompt and full 

 information on the subject. 



NOTES. 



The visit of the King and Queen lo the British 

 Scientific Products Exhibition at the Central Hall, 

 Westminster, on Tuesday, is a mark of Royal ap- 

 proval which will be highly appreciated, not only by 

 the British Science Guild, which is responsible for 

 the enterprise, but also by all who are working for 

 the advancement of science and the extension of its 

 industrial applications. Their Majesties, who were 

 accompanied by Princess Mary and Prince Henry, 

 were received by the Marquess of Crewe, president 

 of the exhibition, and several members of the 

 organising corrmittee. They remained in the exhibi- 

 tion for about an hour and a half, and took the 

 keenest interest in numerous machines, instruments, 

 and products displayed, particularly in the exhibits 

 of optical and laboratory glass and instruments, dyes 

 and fine chemicals, radium, high-speed telegraphic 

 printing, magnetos, Hadfield steels, potash salts from 

 blast-furnace dust, seed-testing, and frUit and vege- 

 table preserving. Both the King and Queen expressed 

 much satisfaction that so many objects in the exhibi- 

 tion represented things formerly obtained chiefly or 

 entirely from abroad, and congratulated the organisers 

 of the exhibition upon the educational and practical 

 value of this display of British productions. Their 

 visit was a most encouraging sign of Royal concern 

 for national activities which receive little official or 

 public attention, though they are of prime import- 

 ance ; and it will doubtless induce many people to see 

 for themselves what is really a stimulating display of 

 scientific and industrial achievement. 



A FUND is being raised in the medical profession to 

 present Sir Clifford AUbutt with his portrait. Sir 

 Clifford Allbutt has been, above all things, a great 

 clinical teacher, first in Leeds and, after his appoint- 

 ment to be Regius professor of physic in 1892, in 

 Cambridge. He was one of the first to show the 

 value of the ophthalmoscope in the diagnosis of 

 diseases of the nervous system, the kidney, and certain 

 other general disorders ; his volume on this subject 

 was published in 1871. During the years 1896-99 he 

 edited a great "System of Medicine," which had a 

 success so immediate that a second edition was almost 

 at once demanded. In the preparation of this, which 

 appeared at intervals from 1905 to 1910, he was asso- 

 ciated with Sir Humphry Rolleston. Sir Clifford Allbutt 

 was elected president of the British Medical Associa- 

 tion in July, 1914, and has retained that position 

 throughout the war. The council of the British 

 Medical Association, therefore, has taken the lead in 

 asking for subscriptions to the fund to present Sir 

 Clifford Allbutt with his portrait, to be painted by an 

 eminent artist. From the portrait it is intended to 

 commission a mezzotint engraving, which subscribers 

 to the fund will be able to purchase for their own 

 collections. Subscriptions, which are limited to one 

 guinea, should be made payable to the " Sir Clifford 

 Allbutt Presentation Fund," crossed London County, 

 Westminster, and Parr's Bank, and addressed to the 

 Treasurer of the British Medical Association, 429 



NO. 2595, VOL. 103] 



Strand, London, W.C.2. A large number of sub- 

 scriptions have already been received, and it is pro- 

 posed to close the fund at the end of this month. 



The council of the British Association recently 

 instructed a deputation, consisting of Prof. Arthur 

 Keith, Sir Edward Brabrook, and Prof. A. W. 

 Kirkaldy, to wait upon the Ministry of Pensions in 

 order to urge the utilisation of anthropometric and 

 kindred data collected by the disbanded Ministry of 

 National Service. The deputation was received on 

 behalf of the Minister of Pensions by Col. Arthur 

 L. A. Webb, Director-'General of Medical Services, 

 Ministry of Pensions, who explained that the medical 

 statistical department of the Ministry of National 

 Service, of which Dr. H. W. Kaye was in charge, 

 and the data collected by that department, had been 

 taken over by the Ministry of Pensions. Under the 

 Ministry of Pensions Dr. Kaye had not only to direct 

 the compilation of medical recruiting statistics, but 

 also to organise a special branch to deal with 

 medical data connected with the .Ministry of Pensions. 

 It was thus impossible for Dr. Kaye's department to 

 give its undivided attention to the preparation of 

 returns relating to the physique of recruits in the 

 various areas and trades of the country. At the 

 present time all the data relating to Grade IV. men 

 were being examined and compiled. Col. Webb also 

 explained that Dr. Kaye's department was endeavour- 

 ing to obtain data for comparison from Canada, New 

 Zealand, and the United States. The deputation, 

 before withdrawing, thanked Col. Webb, and urged 

 the early publication of results, which are now needed 

 by all who are studying problems connected with the 

 present physical condition of ovir population. 



The council of the Institution of Electrical Engineers 

 has issued a pamphlet on the Electricity (Supply) Bill, 

 1919, now before a Cornmittee of the House of 

 Commons. It is pointed out that great injury to the 

 national interest has resulted from ill-considered elec- 

 trical legislation in the past, and naturally electricians 

 are anxious about the future. The appointment of 

 Electricity Comnlissioners is welcomed provided that 

 these Commissioners give whole-time service and 

 appoint an Advisory Council, membership of which is 

 restricted to persons possessing expert qualifications. 

 The proposal that the Commissioners undertake and 

 promote research also is approved. There is opposi- 

 tion to the proposed terms for the purchase of 

 generating stations. Parliament is urged not to break 

 faith with those who have invested their capital on 

 the strength of the powers conveyed by earlier legisla- 

 tion. Having regard to the fact that practically every 

 industry in the country is concerned directly or in- 

 directly with electricity supply, it is more fitting that 

 the Electricitv Commissioners should be responsible to 

 Parliament through the President of the Board^ of 

 Trade, and should not be under the Ministry of Ways 

 and Communications. This point is strongly em- 

 phasised. 



The death is announced, at sixty-seven years of age, 

 of Prof. Emil Fischer, professor of chemistry in the 

 Universitv of Berlin, foreign member of the Royal 

 Society, and Nobel laureate in chemistry in 1902. 



The death is announced, in his seventy-fourth year, 

 of Dr. Elwvn Waller, who from 1885 to 1893 was 

 professor of analvtical chemistry at the School of 

 Mines, Columbia University. From 1872 to 1885 Dr. 

 Waller was chemist to the New York Health Depart- 

 ment. He was the author of several text-books on 

 chemistrv. 



