2 12 



NATURE 



[November 14. 191 8 



ii is desirable." There is probablj no more important 

 piece "I health work than this in the whole realm 

 oi public health; no mem- important duty for a 

 Minister of Health who desires to laj a sound founda- 

 tion for an Ai nation; and mam will consider it a 

 misfortune thai the new Ministry is to be formed only 

 on condition thai the Board of Education is allowed to 

 continue to earn on health functions, in addition to 

 those which ii is regarded as being particularly fitted 

 to perform. Because oi this separation of work on 

 behalf of children from thai done for other sections of 

 the population there will still be overlapping; the 

 hands of the Health Minister will be, to an extent, 

 tied, and there will be unnecessarj expenditure of 

 energy and public funds. Another provision in the 

 Bill likeh to interfere with the Feelings of satisfaction 

 1 perienced in certain circles is that relating to the 

 formation of "consultative or advisory councils." To 

 a strong Ministei thej need not prove a source of 

 weakness ; may, indeed, be a source of inspiration and 

 Strength; and if Sir Auckland Geddes, who has taken 

 over the Presidency of the Local Governmenl Hoard, 



nes ill" first Minister of the firs! Ministry of 



Health, it is certain thai there will be at least a strong 

 Minister. More than this, however, there will be a 

 capable Minister, and one who, on account of his 

 medical and administrative training ami experience, 

 (in quickly grasp the needs of tin- health situation 

 and himself assist in the solution of the many problems 

 that fall Ii. he dealt with. With him at the head il 

 seems unli'., K that the powers of taking over the 

 health functions of the Hoard of Education will long 

 remain in abeyance, or that tin- "consultative councils" 

 will have mam opportunities, even if the\ desire to 

 take them, of going over the head of the Ministry. 



[NFLUENZA in London has caused 4165 deaths during 

 the four weeks ending November 2, the Registrar- 

 General's returns for the several weeks giving the deaths 

 directly attributable to the complaint as So, 371, 1256, 



and 2458. Of these 48 per cent, have occurred between 

 the ages iweiiH and forty-five, whilst below fortv-five 

 years the deaths have been 80 per cent, of the "total, 

 and above forty-five years only jo per cent. Compar- 

 ing the deaths from influenza at the several ages with 

 the deaths from all causes at the corresponding ages, 

 between the ages 0-5 years the percentage of influenza 

 deaths is 34; 5-20 years, 63; 20-45 years, (14; 45-65 

 years, 32; 65-75 years, 17; and above 73 years, 

 8 only. In the corresponding four weeks the- deaths 

 are for pneumonia 1127, and for bronchitis 481; the 

 percentage of deaths on those from all causes being 

 for influenza 43, pneumonia 12, bronchitis 5. There 

 has been no influenza epidemic half so severe in 

 London during the last seventy-four years— since 1843 

 at least. Since 1843 there have only been three 

 inlltn nza epidemics with more than 2000 deaths. 

 These are 1891, April 26 to July 18, with 2056 deaths; 

 iS'ii ii.-, December 27 to March 2(1, with 2101 deaths; 

 and 1899-1900, December 3 to May 12, with 2050 

 deaths. Tin deaths in London from influenza during 

 the present epidemic are almost as numerous as the 

 total deaths in London from the complaint in tie 

 fprty-six years from 1X43 to [890, the deaths during 

 that whol. period being 4690. In ten epidemics from 

 icioei to 1 ■ 1 1 7 'In total deaths in London were 432c), 

 which shows the exceptional virulence of the presenl 

 attack, 



bur Ii . idc ipted in the- Inter- Allied 



Conference on International Scientific Organisations 

 held in London on October 9 11 lasl (see Naturh t"t 



October 17, p. i;;i was to the effect that il is desir- 

 able that the nations it war with -in' 1 entral Powers 

 should withdraw from the 1 Csiin'e, conventions relating 



2559, VOL. 102] 



i" mi' 1 naiiniial scientific associations a- soon as cir- 

 cumstances permit, and that new associations b<- estab- 

 lished l>\ the nations at war with the Central Powers, 

 with the eventual co-operation of neutral countries. 



The application of this resolution was left to the 1, ,11- 

 sid' ration of a committee of inquiry which will meet 

 in Paris shortly. Among the- subjects referred to tin 

 committee of inquin is the organisation of the publica- 

 tion of bibliographical works in all branches el science. 

 It is lib that tin- scientific world has hitherto relied too 

 much upon " Centralblatter " and " Jahresbericl 

 ini information upon recent additions t • > knowledge. 

 'I'hes,. publications quite naturalh give undue pro- 

 minence to work done in Germany, while, work pub- 

 lished in other countries is not infrequently ignored 



It is therefore important that complete- abstracts 

 bihliogi aphios of science should be published in the. 



Allied countries, without regard to an; similar works 

 that may be- appearing in Germany. It cannot, how- 

 ever, be expected that the income- to In- derived from 

 the sale- of these works of reference will de-fia\ thi 

 cost of preparation and publication, and it would 

 thercf.u e appeal that such work would require Govern- 

 ment subsidies. In planning new work- the committer 



should not overlook existing undertakings, such as 

 the International Catalogue- of Scientific Literature. 

 It on-. hi to In- possible- to arrange that work of this 

 magnitude should be continued without a break even 

 though Germany and Austria no longer co-operate in 

 its production. 



The firsl genera! meeting of the- National Union of 

 Scientific Workers was held on October .'7, and was 

 attended b) representatives .1 eleven branches with 



niori- than five hundred members. The con-titution 



of the union was determined, subjeel to slight altera- 

 tions in redrafting the rules. \\ vvas agreed upot 

 the- meeting that the objects of the union should 

 include: (1) To advance the- interests ol - 

 jiuri- and applied — as an essential element in the 

 national life; (2) to regulate the conditions of employ- 

 ment of persons with adequate scientific training and 

 knowledge; and (3) to secure in tin interests of 

 nation. il 1 Bficienc) that all scientific and technical 

 departments in the public service, and all industrial 

 posts involving scientific knowledge, -hall be under 

 tie direct control of persons having adequate scientific 

 training and knowledge. Special objects deal with 

 obtaining adequate endowment for research and advis- 

 ing as to the administration of such endowment, 

 setting up an employment bureau and a register ol 

 trained scientific workers, and obtaining representa- 

 tion 'in the Whitley industrial councils. An applicant 

 is qualified for membership if he- or sin- has passed 

 tin examination leading to a university degree in 

 science, technology, or mathematics, and is engaged at 

 the- time of application on work of a required standard, 

 though certain other qualifications are ri 

 equivalent to university degrees and admitted in lieu 

 thereof, A resolution was carried unanimously that a 

 special advisory committee should be appointee 

 deal with questions arising in connection with 

 promotion of res, -arch. At the , lose "1 ! 

 the- officers for th.- ensuing vear were appointed as 

 follows: President: Or. O. L. Brad? (Woolwich). 

 Secretary: Mr. II. M. Langton (miscellaneous). 

 Treasurer: Mr. T. Smith (National Physical Labora- 

 tory). M'- G, S. Baker, Dr. N. R. 

 Campbell, Dr. C. C. I' iterson (N P.l I, Mi. R 

 Mr. 1. W. Whitaker (Woolwich), Or. II. Jeffreys, 

 Dr. F Kidd (Cambridge), Dr. C. West (Imperial Col- 

 lege ), and Dr. \. A- Griffith (Royal \\r< • ift Estab- 

 lishment). Ihe addn -- - h set retan is I'n'e 

 oil 1 , Kvnochtown, Si ■■ 1 rd-le-Hope, Essex. 



