6io 



NATURE 



[October 17, 1901 



descent, and Prof. Ziegler (Jena), on the present position of 

 this theory in zoology. 



On Friday another general meeting of the whole congress 

 was addressed by Prof. Curschmann (Leipzig), on medical science 

 in connection with the shipping industry ; by Prof. Nernst 

 (Gottingen), on the use of electrical theories and methods in 

 chemistry ; and by Prof. Reinke (Kiel), on the natural forces at 

 work in organisms. 



Several important joint meetings of two or more sections also 

 took place, notably of the biological sections, to discuss the 

 position of biological teaching in schools, the subject being 

 opened bv Dr. Ahlborn, of Hamburg. In this discussion Profs. 

 Reinke, Waldeyer, Heincke, R. Hertwig, Chun and others took 

 part, and a committee was formed to consider the matter further. 

 The same sections also were addressed by Prof. R. Hertwig. on 

 the cell theory, Prof. Reinke, on cells without nuclei, and by 

 Prof. Correns, of Tubingen, on recent discoveries in hybridisa- 

 tion and their bearing on theories of heredity. In connection 

 with the latter paper the author exhibited a remarkable series of 

 specimens illustrating the Mendelian laws of heredity. Joint 

 meetings of the physical and chemical sections also took place 

 to hear papers by Profs. Schilling (Gottingen), Charlier (Lund), 

 Halm (Edinburgh), Simon (Frankfurt), Geitel (Wolfenbiittel), 

 Abegg (Breslau), Hantsch (Wurzburg), Wegscheider (Vienna), 

 and many others. The medical and physiological sections had 

 a no le.ss extensive programme, a special feature being a joint 

 met ting in the Concerthaus to receive an address by Prof. 

 Kronecker (Berne) on the innervation of the mammalian heart. 

 Other meetings of considerable importance were those of the 

 Tuberculosis Committee, under the chairmanship of Prof. 

 Hueppe (Prag). Among the long series of papers read may be 

 mentioned a communicalinn by Dr. Griinbaum, of Liverpool, 

 made on behalf of Prof. Boyce and him.self, to the effect that 

 positive evidence had been obtained by them that bovine 

 tuberculosis could be communicated to the chimpanzee. 



Besides the meetings and demonstrations some interesting 

 exhibitions had been organised, amongst others displays of 

 chemical, physical and surgical apparatus, a series of demonstra- 

 tions of Ronlgen-ray apparatus, of the methods of colour- 

 photography, iSic. The museums and other scientific and 

 medical institutions of Hamburg were open throughout the 

 week to members of the congress. As of special interest to 

 naturalists may be named the novel preparations of Dr. Michael- 

 sen, showing by means of artificial spirit-aquariums the modes 

 of life of molluscs, worms and other marine organisms. In the 

 Zoological Garden were exhibited the skeleton and stuffed skin of 

 the gigantic gorilla lately brought from the Cameroons, and 

 bought for the Tring Museum. This specimen, which stands 

 some 6 feet high, is believed to be the finest in Europe. On 

 Friday a special visit was made to the new institution for pre- 

 venting the introduction of agricultural pests. This is the only 

 institute of the kind in the world excepting that in New York. 

 In it an attempt is made to disinfect all fruit and vegetable pro- 

 duce coming to the port of Hamburg, and thus to check the 

 .spread of exotic pests. 



Each member was presented with a guide-book and with 

 a large quarto treatise of 600 pp. describing and illustra- 

 ting the natural history of the district, its scientific institutions 

 and resources, similar treatises on the medical and hygienic in- 

 stitutions being in addition presented to the medical members. 

 Each member also received a silver medallion-badge of great 

 artistic distinction specially designed by Herr lilies. 



The festivities organised and for the most part provided by 

 the municipality and by residents in Hamburg were on an un- 

 usually magnificent scale, far exceeding anything of the kind 

 that had been done before, and probably these evidences of the 

 wonderful prosperity of the great free town will be to the foreign 

 visitor among the most lasting memories of the meeting. 



On Sunday, before the congress officially began, the members 

 were invited to see a procession of boats dressed in flowers, 

 which rowed round the inland waters of the Ausser Alster, the 

 entertainment concluding with fireworks on the lake. On 

 Monday the Zoological Garden was illuminated. On Tuesday 

 some 1300 members of the congress were received by the 

 Burgomaster and Senate of Hamburg and entertained at supper 

 in the princely suites of rooms composing the new Rathhaus, 

 while the remainder were invited by the directors of the Ham- 

 burg-America line to a similar entertainment on board two of 

 the company's largest vessels. A " Festessen " took place in 

 the Zoological Garden on the following day, at which some 



NO. 1668, VOL. 64] 



1500 dined simultaneously. On Thursday a concert was pro- 

 vided, followed by a ball, and on Friday the whole congress 

 was conveyed down the river in five large steamers to Blankenese, 

 returning after dark to see the illuminations which had been 

 arrayed along the whole length of the Elbe. Later in the 

 evening those who were not quite exhausted returned to the 

 Concerthaus to take part in further proceedings of a hilarious 

 character and to listen to speeches of farewell. 



On the following day the congress broke up, some joining an 

 excursion to Heligoland, while a larger number went on a two 

 days' expedition to Kiel, Liibeck and other places of interest. 



The organisation was brought to the highest possible point 

 of efficiency, and most of the office work throughout the meet- 

 ing was patiently supplied by volunteers. Provision for the 

 comfort of visitors went even so far as to fill the incoming trains 

 with maps of the town and printed information on all practical 

 matters, and students were waiting on theplatforms tofind lodgings 

 for and to direct those who might need such help. The number 

 of those who became members for the meeting is said to have 

 exceeded 3000, about 1000 being lady-associates. For the 

 latter, separate entertainments of various kinds were organised 

 on a lavish scale, to take place each day during the scientific 

 business. 



It was announced that the meeting for next year will be held 

 at Karlsbad under the presidency of Prof. Chiari, of Prag, with 

 Prof. Selenka and Prof. Stintzing as presidents of the scientific 

 and medical groups, respectively. 



PRIZES FOR RESEARCHES IN MEDICAL 

 SCIENCE. 

 'X'HE issue of the Britiih MeJical Journal for August 31 is 

 the annual educational number, in which particulars are 

 given as to the medical curriculum, the ways to degrees or 

 other qualifications, and the various medical schools. This 

 number and that of September 7 contain a few particulars as 

 to open scholarships and prizes which are awarded for the pur- 

 pose of assisting investigations in various subjects connected 

 with medicine, or for researches actually accomplished. The 

 assistance to scientific work given by the Royal Society and 

 the British Medical Association is too well known to make any 

 description of it necessary, but the following statement, 

 abridged from our contemporary, contains mention of many 

 prizes for research not generally known to exist, some of which 

 confer distinction far beyond their- monetary value. 



The Weber-Parkes Prize is awarded by the Royal College of 

 Physicians every third year for an essay on some subject con- 

 nected with the etiology, prevention, pathology, or treatment 

 of tuberculosis, especially with reference to pulmonary consump- 

 tion in man. The prize consists of 150 guineas and a silver 

 medal. A similar medal is also awarded to the essayist who 

 comes next in order of merit. There was no award made in 1900. 



The Jacksonian Prize of the Royal College of Surgeons is 

 open to Fellows or members of the College. Its annual value 

 is about 12/. For 1901 the subject for the prize is the diagnosis 

 and treatment of bullet wounds of the chest. 



The Astley Cooper Prize is a triennial prize of the value of 

 300/., which will be next awarded in 1904 for the best essay on 

 the pathology of carcinoma and the distribution and frequency of 

 occurrence of the secondary deposits, corresponding to the various 

 primary growths. The essays must contain an account of 

 original experiments and observations not already published, and 

 be illustrated as far as possible by preparations and drawings. 



The William F. Jenks Memorial Prize is given triennially by 

 the College of Physicians of Philadelphia for the best essay on 

 some announced gyn.-ecological or obstetrical subject. It is of 

 the value of about 100/. The essays are to be sent to the 

 Chairman of the Prize Committee, from whom full particulars 

 may be obtained. The last award was in January, 1901. 



The three following prizes are given lor essays on subjects 

 connected with tropical diseases, which must be sent to the 

 editors of the foitiucil of Tropical Medicine not later than 

 December 7, 1901. An essay on the duration of the latency 

 of malaria after primary infection as proved by tertian or 

 quartan periodicity or demonstration ot the parasite in the 

 blood, for the Sivewright Prize ; on the spread of plague from 

 rat to rat and from rat to man by the rat-flea, for the Belilios 

 Prize ; and on the best method of administration of quinine 

 as a preventive of malarial fever, for the Lady Macgregor Prize. 



