2=;o 



NA TURE 



ANUAKY 



1903 



james w/ ms Hurst, f.r.s. 



"\XTE regret to have to announce the death of Mr. 

 »* James Wimshurst, F.R.S., which occurred at his 

 resiJence on Saturday, January 3. Mr. Wimshurst was 

 born in London in 1832 and was therefore in his 

 seventy-first year. He was for a long time a surveyor 

 with Lloyds', both in London and in Liverpool, finally 

 becoming principal shipwright surveyor to the Board of 

 Trade, which appointment he held until a few years ago, 

 when he retired under the age rule. 



Mr. Wimshurst was devoted to scientific pursuits, in 

 which he spent the greater part of his spare time. At 

 his private house at Clapham, he had a laboratory and 

 woikshop, which he had himself fitted up with the 

 assistance of his two sons. It was here that he worked 

 out the new designs in influence machines which have 

 made his name familiar to every student of science. 

 His attention was first turned to this subject about 1S81, 

 when he constructed a machine of the Holtz pattern, but 

 embodying several important improvements. After about 

 a year's work, he designed an influence machine with 

 oppositely rotating glass discs bearing metal sectors on 

 their outer faces, which he called a "duplex" machine, 

 but which has been universally known since as 

 "Wimshurst's machine." For many years, he continued 

 perfecting this pattern of electrostatic generator, building 

 larger and more efficient machines. These machines 

 have displaced all other generators of static electricity 

 on account of their possessing the property of being self- 

 exciting under any atmospheric conditions ; they are very 

 largely used for experimental, X-ray and electromedical 

 works. 



In 1890, Mr. Wimshurst designed a machine capable of 

 producing rapidly alternating charges of electricity. In 

 the same year, he was elected a member of the council of 

 the Physical Society. In 189S, he was elected a fellow of 

 the Royal Society ; he was in addition a member of 

 many other scientific societies, including the Institution 

 of Electrical Engineers and the Rontgen Society ; he 

 was also a member of the board of managers of the 

 Royal Institution. 



All Mr. Wimshurst's scientific research was done for 

 pure love of the work, and he persistently refused to 

 accept any pecuniary benefit from it. His advice and 

 assistance were always at the service of those interested, 

 and his long experience with influence machines made 

 his advice invaluable and in frequent requisition. 



NOTES. 

 We are authorised by Prof. J. J. Thomson to contradict the 

 announcement that he has accepted the chair of physics in 

 Columbia University, U.S.A. 



The Geological Society of London will this year award its 

 medals and prize funds as follows : — Wollaston medal to Prof. 

 Heinrich Rosenbusch, of Heidelberg, Murchison medal to Dr. C. 

 Calloway, Lyell medal to Mr. F. W. Rudler, Bigsby medal to 

 Dr. H. M. Ami, of Ottawa, Prestwich medal to the Right Hon. 

 Lord Avebury, Wollaston fund to Mr. L. L. Belinfante, 

 Murchison fund to Mrs. Gray, and Lyell fund to Mr. George 

 Edward Dibley and Mr. S. S. Buckman. 



In a letter to Wednesday's Times, Sir Norman Lockyer 

 states that several months ago he discussed with Mr. Shaw, the 

 secretary, of the Meteorological Council, the desirability of 

 obtaining information regarding barometric pressures from ships 

 crossihg the Atlantic, by utilising wireless telegraphy. It now 

 seems probable that this idea will soon be practically realised, 

 for in reply to an ethergram from Mr. Marconi, Sir Norman 

 Lockyer asked for help in this matter, and on January 13 

 received the foil owing message: — "By wireless telegraphy.— 



NO - l 733- vol- 6 7] 



Thanks for suggestion, hope to be able to do so soon, big 

 westerly gale here Monday. — Marconi." Sir Norman remarks 

 that all friends of Science will be grateful to Mr. Marconi for 

 such generous and invaluable assistance which will undoubtedly 

 be of enormous advantage to British meteorology. 



The article by Dr. J. C. McVail in another part of this issue 

 (p. 254) directs attention to the present unsatisfactory position 

 of the law relating to vaccinal ion in England, and the need for 

 educating and organising public opinion in support of a new 

 Vaccination Act. At the end of the present year, the Vaccination 

 Act of 1898 will have run its experimental course of five years, 

 and the opportunity should then be taken to ensure the intro- 

 duction of a new measure based upon scientific principles. It 

 is to render assistance in this direction that the Imperial 

 Vaccination League has been formed. A deputation of the 

 League is to wait upon the President of the Local Government 

 Board this week, and will place before him the principal points 

 upon which legislation is needed in connection with vaccina- 

 tion, with particular reference to revaccination. Three sub- 

 committees appointed recently by the League have reported 

 upon the degree of immunity given by primary vaccination, 

 the need for revaccination at the age of twelve years, the 

 transfer of vaccination administration from Boards of Guaidians 

 to some authority charged with public health functions, and the 

 preparation and supply of calf lymph. The deputation which 

 will wait upon Mr. Long will doubtless refer to the conclusions 

 of the sub-committees and will urge emphatically that legisla- 

 tion should tend in the direction suggested by them. 



We regret to announce the death of the Rev. Dr. H. W. 

 Watson, F. R.S., author of standard wcrks on mathematical and 

 physical subjects, and of well-known treatises on the kinetic 

 theory of gases. 



We notice with regret the announcement of the death of Dr. 

 H. E. Schunck, F. R.S., distinguished by his researches in 

 connection with the chemistry of colouring matters. 



The death is announced of M. Albert Henocque, vice- 

 president of the Paris Biological Society and assistant director 

 of the laboratory of biological physics in the College de France. 

 M. Henocque was known for his work in connection with the 

 spectroscopic examination of blood. 



The King of Sweden and Norway has, La Nature reports, 

 conferred the Norwegian medal Til Beleenning (Pour le merile) 

 upon M. Berthelot in recognition of the work of the distin- 

 guished French chemist. 



A Reutek telegram from Ashkabad states that a fresh earth- 

 quake occurred at Andijan at II a.m. on January 7. The shock 

 was of a particularly violent character. 



The Royal Statistical Society has awarded a Guy medal in 

 silver to Mr. R. H. Hooker, for his paper on the suspension 

 of the Berlin Produce Exchange and its effect on coin prices, 

 which was read before the Society on December 17, 1901. 



Lakfan's Agency announces from New York that Mr. 

 Henry Phipps has just given 250,000/. for the establishment 

 of a hospital at Philadelphia for the study, treatment and pre- 

 vention of tuberculosis. The Pasteur Institute in Paris will be 

 the model for the new establishment, which, however, is to 

 devote itself exclusively to tuberculosis. 



AN International Fire Prevention Congress will be held in 

 London on July 7-10 in connection with the International Fire 

 Exhibition at Earl's Court. 



The Times correspondent at St. Johns reports that Lieutenant 

 Peary has decided to make another attempt to reach the North 

 Pole. He is looking for a suitable steamer for a voyage next 

 summer. 



