VULVA23, 1904 | 
NATURE 
551 
anonymous donor who has already undertaken the 
erection of the Medical School Buildings. The gift is 
conditional on certain contributions by the Treasury 
to the upkeep. 
Mr. H. S. Rowe t has been appointed to the posi- 
tion of senior lecturer in mechanical engineering at 
Bradford Technical College, and will commence his 
duties in September next. 
Mr. FREDERICK Soppy, lecturer in physical chem- 
istry in the University of Glasgow, has been appointed 
to the chair of chemistry at the University of Aber- 
deen, in succession to Prof. F. R. Japp. 
Pror. J. S. Macponatp, professor of physiology in 
the University of Sheffield since 1903, has been ap- 
pointed Holt professor of physiology in the University 
of Liverpool, in succession to Prof. C. S. Sherrington. 
Dr. T. J. Jenu, lecturer on geology at the Univer- 
sity of St. Andrews, has been appointed Murchison 
regius professor of geology and mineralogy in the 
University of Edinburgh, in succession to Prof. James 
Geikie, who lately resigned the chair. 
Tue Extensior Lecture scheme of the Selborne 
Society has become so successful that it has been 
found possible this year to issue a handbook of fifty 
pages giving particulars of nearly two hundred lec- 
tures. The addresses are mainly of a popular char- 
acter, and are by lecturers who command high fees as 
well as by those who will accept a small honorarium, 
or in exceptional cases merely their travelling ex- 
penses. The society hopes that in this way it may be 
of considerable assistance to societies and schools, 
whether large or small, by enabling them to secure 
the services of competent lecturers. There are many 
local societies which cannot afford big fees, and plenty 
of county people who are glad to arrange lectures in 
their villages, and to these the handbook should prove 
most useful. The Selborne Society during the coming 
winter will arrange courses of these lectures in Lon- 
don and the provinces. Particulars can be obtained 
from the Extension Lecture Secretary, Mr. Percival J. 
Ashton, 37 Walbrook, London, E.C. 
AN appeal on behalf of the Equipment and Endow- 
ment Fund Committee of University College, Gower 
Street, W.C., has been issued by the Hon. Rupert 
Guinness, M.P., who is the chairman of the executive 
committee. The committee has been engaged. for 
some years in endeavouring to collect funds to meet 
the capital expenditure which has become necessary 
for the proper development of ‘several departments of 
the college work. These efforts have already met 
with much success. The London County Council has 
made a grant of 30,000l., and this grant has encour- 
aged the committee to renew the endeavour to obtain 
the money required to complete work already in hand 
and necessary to enable the college to discharge with 
proper efficiency its present functions. The sum 
immediately required is about another 30,0001. The 
money is wanted for four main purposes :—(i) About 
10,0001. to complete the equipment of the new chem- 
ical laboratories, especially that for physical chemistry. 
(ii) A large hall to serve as an examination room, for 
ceremonial assemblies and for public lectures. For 
this, about 12,0001. is required. (iii) A benefactor 
has erected, at a cost of 35,000l., buildings to accom- 
modate the University School of Architecture and the 
Department of Applied Statistics and Eugenics. To 
complete this part of the college about G6oool. is re- 
quired. (iv) The college libraries contain about 
130,000 books and more than 17,000 pamphlets, but 
the proper custody and arrangement of the books and 
manuscripts, as well as the use of them by readers, 
are interfered with by want of space. To remedy 
NO. 2334, VOL. 93] 
——— —____ 
| these disadvantages will cost 2500l. 
: provided for fully. 
The current work 
of the college is hampered badly, and much-needed 
developments are arrested, until these four objects are 
The Equipment and Endowment 
Fund Committee, of which Prince Arthur of Con- 
naught is president, consequently feels that, in urging 
the claims of University College on the favourable con- 
sideration of all who recognise the importance of pro- 
viding facilities for advanced study and investigation, 
it is doing work of national value. We trust the 
efforts of the committee in their public-spirited work 
on behalf of higher education in London will soon be 
rewarded, and that the funds needed so urgently will 
be speedily forthcoming. Contributions may be sent 
to the president or to the chairman of the executive 
committee, at University College, Gower Street, Lon- 
don, W.C. 
SOCIETIES AND ACADEMIES. 
Paris. 
Academy of Sciences, July 13.—M. P. Appell in the 
chair.—Paul Sabatier and Léo Espil: The reduction of 
the oxides of copper, lead, and nickel. Using calcium 
carbide as an indicator of the production of water, the 
reduction of cupric oxide in dry hydrogen is clear at 
120° C. For lead dioxide, the corresponding tempera- 
ture is 150° C. Nickel oxide, NiO, on reduction at 
low temperatures gives a mixture of metallic nickel 
and a suboxide of doubtful composition.—A. Haller and 
Mme. Ramart-Lucas: Syntheses by means of sodium 
amide. The oxide of propylenedimethylacetophenone 
and some of its derivatives. A new method of pre- 
paration of the y-ketonic acids.—Charles Moureu and 
Georges Mignonac: Additional examples of the class 
of compounds described in a recent paper, and con- 
taining the grouping RR’C=N—CRR". On hydro- 
lysis, ammonia and a ketone are the products.—M. 
Calmette and L. Massol: The preservation of cobra 
poison and its antitoxin. Cobra poison slowly loses 
its toxic power on keeping; the antitoxin is absorbed 
not only by the toxic substance of the snake poison, 
but also by other substances accompanying it. The 
antitoxin serum preserves its power for at least six 
years.—Ph. A. Guye and F. E. E. Germann: The 
analysis of very small quantities of gas; application 
to the analysis of air. The apparatus illustrated is 
based on the application of a modified MacLeod 
gauge. An example of an analysis of air with the 
apparatus is given, in which the initial volume was 
only 0:25 c.c..Maurice Paschoud: Application of the 
method of Walther Ritz to the problem of the uniform 
régime in a tube with square section.—J. Boussinesq : 
Observations on the preceding note of M. Paschoud. 
Farid Boulad bey: A new theorem on elastic displace- 
ments and its application to the simplification of the 
direct calculation of reactions of the supports of con- 
tinuous beams.—E. Estanave: The exteriorisation of 
the photographic image by the autostereoscopic plate. 
—P. Le Rolland: The determination of the ratio of 
the times of oscillation of two pendulums. A modifi- 
cation of the photographic method described by Lipp- 
mann in 1897. For a period of comparison of only 
three minutes the ratio of the times can be determined 
with an accuracy of one part in a million. The photo- 
graphic method possesses several advantages over the 
method of coincidences, especially if the difference 
between the times of oscillation of the two pendulums 
is small.—C. G. Bedreag : Electrification by the X-rays. 
The square of the maximum velocity of the electrons 
emitted is proportional to the frequency of the incident 
X-radiation.—G. Millochau: A new pyrometric method 
based on the absorption of some substances for the 
integral radiation. The determination of a tempera- 
