22 



NA TURE 



[November 6, 1902 



of preserving it and turning it to practical account in the economy 

 of nature. The population of the German Empire, so he 

 instanced, increases at the rate of one per cent, every year, yet 

 the quantity of nitrogen provided for our sustenance by the 

 ordinary channels remains constantly the same. We shall, 

 therefore, have to take advantage of the free nitrogen present 

 in the air, first to benefit the plants and indirectly to benefit the 

 plant-eating animals. It is known that small organisms, such 

 as the so-called nitrifying bacteria, are able to assimilate directly 

 the free nitrogen occurring in the atmosphere. The immense 

 importance of this economic question is understood upon realising 

 that in the German Empire an area of twelve-and-a-half million 

 acres is covered with lupins and other leguminous plants, culti- 

 vated for agricultural purposes, and that these maintain a close 

 touch (" symbiose") with the nitrifying bacteria. The nitrogen 

 of the air which these bacteria attract on such an area may 

 amount to five million quintals, representing at the current 

 market rate something like 300,000,000 marks. 



In the Section of Legal Medicine, the director of the Forensic 

 Institute of Graz spoke of the serum diagnostic of blood, and 

 pointed out the difficulties and responsibility involved. Tolles in- 

 sisted upon the importance of chemical examination of blood, 

 and explained some clinical apparatus which he has devised for 

 such purpose, viz. the ferrometer, the phosphometer and the 

 hasmoprometer. 



In the Botanical Section, Prof. Molisch, of Prague, in his paper 

 on the phosphorescence of meat, described the method by 

 which it is possible to obtain such with the certainty of a 

 physical experiment. It is invariably the same micro-organism 

 which causes the phenomenon, namely, the Microcoa us phos- 

 phorate, Cohn, a bacterium which has made itself at home all 

 over the continent, though it may be true that it came originally 

 from the sea. Prof. Pribram, Vienna, spoke of the new institute 

 for biological investigation in Vienna, in which it has been 

 made possible to observe an organism during several genera- 

 tions and of studying the piincipal question of biology, namely, 

 the transmission of acquired characters. Prof. Koehman, IJreslau, 

 showed that he had succeeded in keeping mice in the best of 

 health with food consisting of albuminates, carbohydrates and 

 salts mingled in a certain ratio. Prof. Exner, Vienna, with the 

 help of an "acousto-meter," demonstrated that the bad acoustic 

 properties of many public rooms are due in the main to the 

 existence of an echo. Police-Surgeon Dr. Schrank, in the 

 Section for Hygiene, advocated international legal proceedings 

 to prevent the spreading of venereal diseases. 



An important demonstration took place in the Section of 

 Mathematics after Prof. Klein, Giittingen, had finished his re- 

 port on the present condition of the " Encyclopaedia of Mathe- 

 matical Sciences." Prof. Molk, Nancy, added that this great work 

 is now being edited in common by German and French authors, 

 and that this is the first occasion since 1S70 that men of science 

 of either side of the Vosges have been brought into active co- 

 operation. In the Section of Astronomy, Prof. Archenholz, of 

 the Treptow Observatory, mentioned that in the determination of 

 the influence which sun spots have on our atmosphere, it is rather 

 the position of these spots and their size on the solar disc than 

 their number which enters into account. Prof. Hasslinger, of 

 Prague, in the Chemical Section, relates the results of his latest 

 experiments by which he has secured diamonds with Gold- 

 schmid's thermite method. By adding carbon in various forms, 

 such as that of finely suspended graphite to a fused mass, similar 

 to the South African mother stone Kimberlit, he succeeded in 

 obtaining true diamonds. This is not only an entirely new 

 method, but also corroborates the theory previously maintained 

 of the natural origin of diamonds. 



In the Section of Gynecology, the conservative treatment by 

 bath cures, mud poultices, hot baths, thermophor, &c. , was 

 forcibly advocated as yielding complete success and as well 

 qualified to substitute the radical operations, while pus-formation 

 can be stopped by incision only. Prof. Chroback, of Vienna, 

 pointed out that even so pronounced a radical as Prof. Martine 

 expressed himself in favour of the conservative method. Prof. 

 Kehr, of Halberstadt, gave a risumi of no less than 730 

 operations executed for the removal of gall stones. Where gall 

 stones were removed from the gall bladder, mortality was found 

 to be at the rate of 2 per cent., when the gall bladder was 

 removed with the stones it rose to 3 per cent., and when the stones 

 occurred in the hepatic duct to 6 "5 per cent. ; however, by con- 

 tinual practice he managed in the last 200 operations to restrict 

 mortality to only 1^ per cent. 



NO. I/23, VOL. 67] 



From these short notes it will be seen that there was abundant 

 material of a very varied character brought under the notice of 

 the Congress, and dealt with in a manner to make the latter a 

 not unworthy successor of its precursors. Science generally has 

 distinctly gained by its transactions. The next Congress is to 

 beheld September 21, 1903. F. Schuman-L eclercq. 



UNIVERSITY AND EDUCATIONAL 

 INTELLIGENCE. 



Oxford. — The 240th meeting of the University Junior 

 Scientific Club was held on October 31. Dr. A. D. Darbi- 

 shire, Balliol, showed an interesting case of reversion. 

 The offspring of an albino pet mouse and a Japanese " waltzing " 

 mouse bears many resemblances to a common house mouse, and 

 does not " waltz." 



Mr. H. M. Hartley, Balliol, read a paper on "Jons Jakob 

 Berzelius." 



Mr. W. K. Spencer (Magdalen) has been elected to the Bur- 

 den Coutts' scholarship in geology. 



The Chemistry School suffered a heavy loss at the 

 beginning of the present term in Mr. Vernon Harcourt's 

 resignation of the Lee's readership, which he held for 

 forty-three years. Mr. Harcourt was a Balliol undergraduate, 

 and in 185S was placed in the first class in the Natural Science 

 School. During the next year he was elected to the Lee's 

 readership at Christchurch. In addition to his research work, 

 he took an important part in the teaching of chemistry. He 

 did not merely train his pupils in the ordinary curriculum 

 required for the schools, but imbued them with the ambitions of 

 the researcher, and it is a striking testimony to his efforts that 

 the best experimental work by Oxford men of the present 

 generation has come from those who were his own pupils or 

 worked under his influence. His departure from Oxford will 

 be greatly regretted by very many friends both young and old, 

 and he will leave behind him a place which it will be very hard 

 adequately to fill. 



Cambridge. — In the combination room of Peterhouse on 

 Wednesday of last week, Lord Kelvin unveiled a portrait of the 

 late Prof. P. G. Tait, honorary fellow of the college, who was 

 senior wrangler and first Smith's prizeman in 1852. The 

 portrait, which was subscribed for by the master and fellows of 

 Peterhouse, was painted by Sir George Reid, president of the 

 Royal Scottish Academy, and it will be hung in the hall of the 

 college by the side of the portraits of Lord Kelvin and the late 

 Dr. H. W. Cookson. The Times reports Lord Kelvin to have 

 said, in the course of his remarks, that he valued most highly the 

 privilege of being allowed to ask the master and fellows of 

 Peterhouse to accept for their college a portrait of Prof. Tait. 

 He felt specially grateful for this privilege as a forty-years' 

 comrade, friend and working ally of Tait. The master of 

 Pembroke (Sir George Stokes) spoke of Prof. Tait as an 

 intimate friend, and said all who knew him must have been 

 impressed with his great ingenuity and the versatility of his 

 genius. 



Mr. F. C. Kempson, Caius, has been appointed a demon- 

 strator of anatomy. 



The following are the examiners for the natural sciences 

 tripos:— Physics: Prof. L. R. Wilberforce, F.R.S., and T. C. 

 Fitzpatrick ; chemistry: C. T. Heycock, F.R.S., and H. 

 McLeod, F.R.S.; mineralogy: A. Hutchinson and G. F. 

 Herbert Smith ; geology : H. Woods and Prof. T. T. Groom ; 

 botany: Prof. Ward, F.R.S., and D. H. Scott, F.R.S. ; 

 zoology : J. S. Gardiner and Prof. Graham Kerr ; physiology : 

 VV. B. Hardy, F.R.S., and E. H. Starling, F.R.S. ; anatomy : 

 N. B. Harman and Dr. A. Keith. 



Dr. W. H. R. Rivers, University lecturer in experimental 

 psychology, has been elected a fellow of St. John's College. 



Mr. H. O. Jones, Jacksonian demonstrator of chemistry, has 

 been elected a fellow of Clare College. 



Dr. R. H. Aders Plimmer has been appointed Grocers' 

 Company research student at the Jenner Institute of Preventive 

 Medicine. 



Sir George Kekewich, who has been secretary to the 

 Board of Education since 1890, has resigned his appointment 

 and has been succeeded by Mr. R. L. Morant. 



