^o8 



NA TURE 



[July 25, 1901 



Scotland to apply the microscope to the clinical investigation of 

 disease. At the opening ceremony on Saturday, Sir J. Burdon 

 Sanderson, Bart., formerly a pupil of Bennett, delivered an 

 address upon his life and work. Referring to the work to be 

 ■done in the laboratory, he said, " The laboratory is intended for 

 researches in experimental physiology, by which term was meant 

 the application of the methods derived from physics and chem- 

 istry to the investigation of vital phenomena — i.e. to the pro- 

 cesses which were peculiar to the living organisms. Bennett 

 used to teach. in the old days that the scientific method of study 

 was always comparative. It consisted in comparing the un- 

 known with the known, the more complicated phenomena of 

 <iisease with the simpler ones of health, in bringing their imper- 

 fect understanding of vital processes into relation with the 

 clearer notions of natural philosophy. It was thus that physio- 

 logy, which was at first little more than an introductory study 

 to that of medicine, had been built up into an independent 

 branch of natural knowletlge w'hich has its own special aim, the 

 elucidation of the nature of vital processes, but derived its 

 methods of investigation from physics and chemistry. He was 

 sure that all present would cordially join with him in wishing 

 Prof. Schafer success in carrying out the noble purpose to which 

 Mrs. Cox has devoted her munificent gift." Prof. J. G. 

 McKendrick, who was an assistant of Bennett's thirty years ago, 

 proposed a vote of thanks to Sir John Burdon Sanderson, and it 

 was seconded by Sir John Batty Tuke. Sir William Muir, 

 in closing the proceedings, expressed the indebtedness of the 

 University to Mrs. Cox for her munificence. 



We regret to see the announcement of the death of Miss E. A. 

 Ormerod, whose studies of injurious insects for many years made 

 her a distinguished authority on agricultural entomology. Miss 

 Ormerod was seventy-four years of age. 



The Paris correspondent of the Times announces the death 

 of the eminent zoologist, Baron Henri de Lacaze Duthiers, at 

 the age of eighty years. M. de Lacaze Duthiers began life as a 

 medical student in Paris, and in 1S54 became professor of zoology 

 at Lille. After his appointment in 1S62 to a mission in the 

 Mediterranean, he wrote his famous book " Le Corail." Three 

 years later he became professor of natural history at the Mu.seum, 

 and in 1S68 was given a chair at the Sorbonne. In 1 871 he 

 succeeded M. Longet at the Academy of Sciences. His activity 

 in the foundation of marine laboratories at Roscoff and at 

 BanyuIs-sur-Mer — institutions which were partially endowed by 

 himself — was not the least of his contributions to science. 



The council of the British Medical Association has awarded 

 the Stewart prize to Dr. Patrick Manson, F.R.S. The prize 

 was founded by the late Dr. A. P. Stewart, to be awarded 

 biennially for the recognition of important work already done, 

 or of researches instituted, and promising good results regarding 

 the origin, spread and prevention of epidemic disease with a 

 view to encourage the continuance of the same. It consists of 

 an illuminated certificate and a cheque (or 50/. The Scientific 

 Grants Committee of the Association has allowed 350/. for 

 scientific grants and 650/. for research scholarships. In the 

 latter sum is included the separate scholarship known as the 

 <20o/. ) Ernest Hart memorial scholarship. The total amount 

 which has been spent in scientific research through this com- 

 mittee since its institution in 1S74 is 15,998/., independently of 

 1650/. granted to societies and bodies outside the Association. 



In connection with the subject of the subjective lowering of 

 musical pitch, Mr. Harding's theory referring to it (p. 103), 

 and a suggestion made by Mr. E. C. Sherwood (p. 233), Mr. 

 G. W. Hemming thinks the following experiment should be 

 made by some one with the necessary instruments : — " Set siren 

 A to middle C. Set siren B (say) half a tone lower. Sound A 

 loud and B soft. Then by gradually varying the loudness of one 



NO. 1656, VOL. 64] 



of them a point should be reached at which they would appear 

 to the ear as a unison. If this cannot be done, there must be 

 some error in Mr. Harding's theory. ' Mr. Hemming's experi- 

 ment would test Mr. Sherwood's point, but it does not seem to 

 be able to settle the original statements. " These," writes Mr. 

 Harding, "can easily be tested by means of one siren rotating 

 on a table, the ear of the observer being alternately lowered 

 towards, and raised from, the table (which intensifies by its 

 resonance) ; a point will soon be found beyond which the sound 

 appears flattened." 



Th^ Revue geiUra/e des Sciences for July 15 contains an in- 

 teresting article by AL Andre Blondel on oscillographs. The 

 principles of these instruments have already been described in 

 Nature (vol. Ixiii. p. 142), more particularly in reference to 

 the various types of bifilar oscillographs worked out by Mr. 

 Duddell. M. Blondel gives descriptions of the two types of 

 instrument which he has himself perfected and used with such 

 great success in his researches on the arc, namely a bifilar 

 oscillograph similar to those of Mr. Duddell and an oscillo- 

 graph in which the moving part consists of a ribbon of soft 

 iron. In a comparison of the relative merits of the two different 

 types, M. Blondel considers that the bifilar instrument is the 

 more suitable for laboratory work on account of its great sensi- 

 bility and accuracy, but that the soft iron type is to be pre- 

 ferred for industrial purposes as it is less fragile and more 

 portable. None of M. Blondel's instruments seem, however, to 

 be so compact as the small portable pattern recently shown by 

 Mr. Duddell at the Institution of Electrical Engineers. An 

 ingenious point in the design of M. Blondel's instruments is that 

 the vibrating parts for different purposes — projection or research 

 work — are all made to fit into the same magnet, thus allowing 

 a simple and rapid change to be made according as the instru- 

 ment is required for one purpose or the other. A continuation 

 of the article, dealing with the application of oscillographs, is 

 promised. 



In Syinons's Iiieteorological Magazine for this month, Mr. 

 W. H. Dines contributes a paper on the fallacy of one of the ex- 

 planations given in meteorological works as to the unexplained 

 double diurnal barometer wave. The fallacy referred to lies in as- 

 suming that the inertia of the air can act like a containing vessel 

 with only a small hole in it. If a barometer were placed in a sealed 

 vessel, the changes in level of the mercury would follow the 

 changes in the temperature of the air inside, but if a sudden 

 change of temperature occurs in the lower layers of air, or a 

 sudden increase of vapour tension, an oscillation of the barometer 

 would occur, but with only an extremely small period, instead 

 of lasting for hours. The author remarks that warmth reduces 

 the height of the barometer, provided there is time for the upper 

 part of the warmed column to roll off ; but could a space be 

 enclosed by a wall reaching to the upper limit of the air, no 

 variations of temperature in the enclosed space could affect the 

 barometer in the slightest degree. A mathematical statement 

 of the question is given for any one who wishes to go into the 

 matter. Dr. Mill gives a short note on the recent extreme heat 

 in New York. The daily maxima do not appear to have ex- 

 ceeded 100' in the shade, but the night minima were frequently 

 more than So", so that little difference of temperature was percept- 

 ible indoors between day and night. The humidity was also ex- 

 ceptionally high. It is said that special permission was given 

 for people to sleep in the public parks. The worst part of the 

 heat wave was from June 28 to July 4, during which time the 

 deaths in the streets were so numerous that many bodies had 

 to be buried without identification. 



We have received from Mr. J. Elster and Mr. II. Geitel 

 an account of their further experiments on electrical dispersion 

 in closed air spaces {PhysikaHscke Zeitsc/irifl, No. 3S). They, 



