Septembkr 20, ii>94] 



NA TURE 



501 



lubt, niucli to be learnt before we can say with cer- 



nty that we are dealing with mountain ranges pure 



,1 simple ; but, as Prof. Campbell says, this hypothesis 



I good one to work upon. The e.xplanation, which 



-sunies the presence of clouds, does not, as previously 



iiinted at, seem to be any longer tenable, for would not 



permanent clouds (as these must necessarily be) at a 



considerable )ieight mean land at a high altitude, and 



therefore mountains? 



Those making measures of the positions of projections 

 on the Martian terminator may find the following method 

 of procedure, recommended by Prof Campbell, service- 

 able : — " Marth's valuable ephemeris of .Mars gives the 

 ' position angle of the greatest defect of illumination.' 

 With the micrometer wires set to that position angle, 

 place the fixed wire tangent to the upper limb and bisect 

 the projection with the movable wire. Again, place the 

 fixed wire tangent to the lower limb, and bisect the pro- 

 jection with the movable wire. The diameter of the 

 planet should also be measured, without changing the 

 position angle of the wires. Irradiation caused by the 

 l3right polar cap is liable to increase some of the distances 

 measured, especially with small telescopes." 



iJefore concluding this brief summary, a few words 

 may be added wiih respect to a recent note which ap- 

 peared in these columns (p. 319), entitled "A Strange 

 Light on Mars.' The note in question was based on a 

 telegram issued by the International Bureau, and referred 

 to an observation made at the Nice Observatory. The 

 " strange light " alluded to was regarded by the writer as 

 referring to something quite exceptional, and not to the 

 well-known prominences which during iSij2 were so often 

 seen, and which during this present period of opposition 

 have been observed and measured several weeks before 

 the telegram was dispatched. 



\V. ]. S. LOCKVER. 



NOTES. I 



The funeral of Prof, von llelmholtz took place on Sep. ; 

 t -inber 13, at Charloltenbarij. Among the nunierouj tributes 

 of admiration were magnificent wreaths from the German 

 I'.cnperor and the Empress Frederick, both of whom •vere 

 '^presented at the ceremony. Most of the learned societies of , 

 ills capital and m.ir.y of the Universities and scienlitlc bodies in 

 other parts of the Empire also sent representatives. Among those 

 present at the funeral nere Baron von Marschall, the Secretary 

 of State for Foreign Affairs, Count Eulenhnrg. Dr. Miquel, 

 Dr. von Btitticher, Herr von Schelling, and Herr Thielen. 



We are glad to learn that the Technical Education Board 

 have made a grant of ^503 to Bedford College (for Women), 

 10 aid in ihe full equipment of .the laboratories of that 

 institution. 



The Z(j//ft-/ states that the trustees of the late Mr. Richard Ber- 

 lidge have, with the consent of the Attorney-General, now handed 

 to the liritish Institute of Preventive Medicine the residue of 

 the legacy, amountingtoover ^20,000, for the purposeof building 

 and endowing a laboratory for the chemical and bacteriological 

 examination of water-5up|)ly and the investigation of processes 

 of sewage purification. The permanent laboratory is now in 

 course of erection on the site secured by the Institute at 

 Chelsea, but, pending its completion, a temporary laboratory 

 has been fitted up in order that the work may be at 

 once proceeded with. Mr. Joseph Lunt, formerly as- 

 sistant to Sir Henry Roscoe, has been appoinled by the 

 Institute to carry on this work under the director's supervision. 

 The Institute is now, the Lancet understands, prepared to 

 undertake the bacteriological and chemical examination of any 

 samples of water which may be submitted. In addition to thi.-, 



NO. 1299, VOL. 50] 



the Institute will give expert assistance in the bacteriological 

 or pathological diagnosis of any pathological material. The 

 demand for this kind of work has greatly increased, so much so 

 that, although Dr. KufTer will still ret-iin charge of this depart- 

 ment, a specially trained bacteriologist has been appointed to 

 work under his direction. Particulars may be obtained by 

 writing to the director at the temporary offices of the Institute, 

 loi Great Russell .Street, London, W.C. 



According to the British Rtedical Journal, a Clinical Re- 

 search Association has been formed, under the patronage of 

 Sir James Paget, Dr. Wilks, Mr. Jonathan Hutchinson, Sir 

 W. H. Broadbent, Sir George Humphrey, Dr. Clifford Allbutt, 

 and others, with the object of assisting medical practitioners in 

 the investigation and treatment of disease by furnishing trust- 

 worthy reports upon excretions, tumours, and other morbid 

 products. A laboratory has been fitted up, and will be under 

 the direction of Dr. J. Galloway and Messrs. J. H. Targeti and 

 F. G. Hopkins. Further particulars of the Association can be 

 obtained from the secretary, Mr. C. II. Wells, 5 Denman 

 Street, S.E. 



A Medical School for Women is to be established by the 

 Russian Government at St. Petersburg. This step, which is said 

 to be due to the influence of Prince Wolkowski, acquires aidi- 

 tional importance from the fact that only a few years ago the 

 Ministryof Instruction was strongly opposed to every movement 

 favourable to the higher education of women. The fate of the 

 new institution will, we hope, be happier than that of the one 

 established by Prof. Gerie, which was closed in 18S4. 



An international Congress of Chemistry and Microscopy will 

 he held in Vienna during the last week of the present month. 

 Dr. E. Ludwig is the president of the committee of arrange- 

 ments, and thei secretary is Dr. Hans Heger, I. Kolowrating, 

 Pestalozzigasse 6, Vienna. 



We notice that in the Universal Exhibition to be held in Paris 

 in 1900, there are to be sections devoted tohygiene, military and 

 naval hygiene, and medicine and surgery. 



Information has been received respecting an Exhibi- 

 tion of Industry which is to be held at Kioto from .A.pril I to 

 July 31, 1S95. The exhibition is the fourth of the kind 

 organised by the Japane-e Government, and will be divided 

 into classes under the following heads : — Manufactures, Fine 

 Alts, Agriculture, Waste I'rjducts, Education, Mines and 

 Mining, and Machinery. 



We have on several occasions referred to the great landslip 

 at Gohna, and on July 5 printed an illustrated abstract of the 

 report upon it by Mr. T. H. Holland. The dam, as readers 

 of our notes for August 30 are aware, burst on .\ugust 26, and, 

 as a consequence, very considerable destruction of property 

 ensued. Further information respecting the occurrence has now 

 reached England, and the Times of Saturday last published the 

 following interesting details received from a correspondent : — 

 "On August 24, at 8 o'clock in the morning, an automatic 

 hell, placed within a foot of the top of the dam, sounded the 

 first note of alarm. The warning was communicated through- 

 out the whole of the threatened territory almost instantaneously 

 by means of telegraphic messages, bonfires, rockets, the beat- 

 ing of drums, and other signals, and the people immediately 

 fled, with all their cattle and personal belongings, into the hills. 

 In this way ample warning was given and the apprehended 

 loss of life averted. Three hours after the first signal the 

 water reached the lowest point of the ridge, and the officials 

 thought it expedient to block the passage through which the 

 torrent would first escape, so that the lake should not overflow 



