i6 



NATURE 



[March 3, 1910 



The Royal Meteorological Society held its first meeting 

 out of London on Wednesday, February 23, in the physical 

 laboratory of the Manchester University. Dr. Hopkinson, 

 the \'ice-Chancellor, expressed the gratification the Uni- 

 versity felt at receiving the fellows of the society. He 

 said that the history of the University showed that they 

 were not merely in expression, but in act, interested in 

 this branch of scientific work, as much had been accom- 

 plished in meteorology by the work initiated and supported 

 by Dr. Schuster. Dr. A. Schuster also welcomed the 

 society, and said that, although meteorology in itself 

 might be regarded by some as a small part of physical 

 science, yet it was intimately connected with a number 

 of other subjects, especially with one large subject which 

 he thought had received far too little attention in the 

 universities, namely, the whole physics of the globe. 



We learn from Science that the board of managers of 

 the National Geographic Society has adopted the follow- 

 ing resolutions : — " The National Geographic Society 

 believes that it is of importance to science that tidal, 

 magnetic, and meteorological observations shall be obtained 

 at or in the vicinity of Coats Land during the same period 

 that the British expedition under Captain R. F. Scott, 

 R.N., is making similar observations on the other side of 

 the Antarctic area, 1800 miles distant, and at the same 

 time that this recently discovered land shall be explored. 

 Th'at the society is ready to accept Mr. Peary's proposi- 

 tion that it shall undertake jointly with the Peary Arctic 

 Club an expedition to the Antarctic regions as outlined 

 above, provided that the board of managers, after consulta- 

 tion with the members of the society, finds that the project 

 will receive sufficient financial assistance to warrant the 

 undertaking." 



Dr. Charcot gives in the Paris edition of the New 

 York Herald an account of the scientific work accom- 

 plished by his recent Antarctic expedition. He says that 

 during the whole duration of the expedition, both while 

 in winter quarters and during the two voyages, the scien- 

 tific work was carried out unceasingly. During the whole 

 of the voyages oceanographic soundings were taken and 

 dredgings made. At the same time hydrographic and 

 meteorological observations were made, and natural-history 

 studies effected. These were also carried out while in 

 winter quarters. Very complete maps were made of the 

 regions seen from the coasts, and astronomical observa- 

 tions and studies in terrestrial gravitation were carried 

 out at numerous stations. The seismograph was at work 

 in the winter quarters and on Deception Island. Observa- 

 tions in meteorology, atmospheric electricity, and physical 

 oceanography, including numerous soundings, were carried 

 on almost continually while the expedition was in winter 

 quarters. 



The thirty-second annual general meeting of the Institute 

 of Chemistry was held on Tuesday, March i, Dr. George 

 Beilby, F.R.S., president, in the chair. In moving the 

 adoption of the report of the council, Mr. David Howard 

 alluded especially to the new requirement in the final 

 examination of a useful knowledge of French and German. 

 He believed that this addition would prove of great benefit 

 to chemists, and he knew that it could be left to the 

 examiners to apply the test of this knowledge humanely. 

 They did not want school, commercial, or legal French 

 and German, but a useful knowledge sufficient to enable 

 them to consult technical literature in those languages. 

 Dr. Beilby then delivered his address. He remarked that 

 the institute had undoubtedly influenced the teaching of 

 the universities and colleges, and had endeavoured to 

 -encourage the production of men who could not only talk 

 NO. 2105, VOL. 83] 



about chemistry, but were able to apply their knowledge 

 usefully. In moving a vote of thanks for the address. Sir 

 William Ramsay said he was inclined to think that the 

 tendency was to trust too much to the results of examina- 

 tions. He was of opinion that the aim of the examiners 

 should be to ascertain if the candidates could converse 

 freely and easily on their subject and put it into practice. 



A PRIZE of 3000 lire (about 120I.) is to be awarded by 

 the section of physical sciences of the Royal Academy of 

 Bologna. The competition is an international one, and 

 the prize is due to a generous donation to the section by a 

 corresponding member, Prof. Elia de Cyon. The object of 

 the competition is to further researches and studies in the 

 subjects which he took up with much success. The sub- 

 jects of the works submitted for the prize are to have 

 reference particularly to : — (i) the functions of the heart, 

 and especially of the nervous, cardiac, and vaso-motor 

 systems ; (2) the functions of the labyrinth of the ear ; 

 (3) the functions of the thyroid gland, the hypophysis, and 

 the pineal gland. The works submitted must be of recent 

 date, in the case of the present (the first) competition not 

 prior to March i, 1909. Memoirs may be written ir 

 Latin, Italian, French, German, or English. Competitors 

 may be called upon to repeat their experiments in the 

 presence of the three members of the adjudicating com- 

 mittee. The prize will not be divided, and may not bf 

 conferred more than once upon the same person. Th( 

 section of physical sciences reserves the right to publis? 

 the successful paper in its Transactions. No member o| 

 the section is eligible for the competition. Further par 

 ticulars may be obtained from II Segretario, Classe d 

 Scienze Fisiche, R. Accademia delle Scienze, Bologna. 



In our issue for December 23 last we recorded Mr. Ott< 

 Beit's munificent gift of 215,000/. for the foundation an< 

 endowment of medical research scholarships. The trustee 

 of the fund met on February 23, and awarded the first se 

 of the fellowships. Seventy applications were received- 

 fifty-eight from England, three from Scotland, one fron 

 Ireland, one from Wales, and seven from abroad. Th 

 following fellows were elected, and were authorised t 

 proceed with the researches mentioned after their names :- 

 Mr. G. H. Drew, the zoological distribution of cancer an 

 a systematic study of an experimental character on th 

 mode of origin of neoplasms (tumours) ; Dr. F. W 

 Edridge-Green, various problems connected with vision an 

 colour-vision, especially in relation to the correct readin 

 of signals on land and sea ; Mr. E. Hindle, the morpholog 

 and treatment of protozoic blood parasites, especiall 

 Spirochaeta duttoni and trypanosomiasis (sleeping sick 

 ness) ; Dr. T. Lewis, the mechanism of irregularities c 

 the heart ; Dr. G. C. McKay Mathison, (a) the nervou 

 control of respiration, and (b) the effect on respiration c 

 changes in the chemical composition of the blood ; (c) tl" 

 mechanism of biliary secretion .and its general effect i 

 digestive processes ; Dr. Otto May, clinical and exper 

 mental research on the lesions of peripheral nerves ; M 

 E. Mellanby, the significance of the large excretion ( 

 creatin in cancer of the liver and its diminished excretic 

 in cirrhosis of the liver, &c. ; Dr. F. P. F. Ransom, t\ 

 mode of action of caffeine, theobromine, and allied sul 

 stances on the muscular and nervous systems ; Dr. ! 

 Russ, the association of radio-activity with cancer ; D 

 Ida Smedley, the processes involved in the formation < 

 fat in the organism. The next election of fellows will 1 

 held about December 15 next. All inquiries should 1 

 addressed to the honorary secretary, Beit Memori 

 Fellowships for Medical Research, 35 Clarges Stree 

 Piccadilly, London, W. 



