

NATURE 



[February 6; 1919 



: determination of positions l>\ sound requires 



a knowledge of the velocitj of sound in free air with 



j high precision. ["he numerous experimental 



ilties an summarised, and particulars given oi 



ms made during 1917 and 1018, under 



varying weather conditions, and at temper up bi 

 iwi'i n 11 and 'Hi I he mi an valui found » as 



539*9 metres pei second in drj air at 15 C. M. 

 Horsch : \ method of rapid reduction of potassium 

 chloroplatinate. The sail is dissolved in boiling water, 

 some alcohol added, and evaporated in a platinum 

 crucible on the water-bath. The platinum is deposited 

 as .1 coherent film on thi crucible. Test analyses an 

 given: I'll. Dantzenberg ■ 1 G Dolltus : A raised 



beach in the neighbour! tl of Saint Malo. V. 



Guebhard : ["he cooling ol the planetary globes. P. 

 Bertrand : The flora oi the coal basin of Lyons. L. 

 Joleaud : Relations bi tween the migrations of the genus 

 1 1 ippni inn and the continental connections of Europe, 

 uf Africa, and of \merica during the Upper Miocene 

 period. Thi ttuthot gives evidence which, taken to- 

 gether with the data collected by American geologists, 



leads i" 1I1 bable conclusion that during the I ppei 



Miocene period there was land connection between the 

 Old and New World, by means of which Hipparion 

 and other species of mammals could pass from America 

 into Europe and Africa. C. E. Brazier: The influence 

 of the velocitj of the wind on the vertical distribution 

 and the variations ol the meteorological elements in 

 the lower layers of the atmosphere. The barometric 

 pressure at the ground-level, calculated from observa- 

 tions made on thi Eiffel Tower, is lower than the 

 observed pressure. The difference between the 

 observed and calculated pressures increases with the 

 average velocitj of the wind.— P. Guerin : The develop- 

 ment of the anther and pollen of the Labiates. 1.. 

 Moreau : The architecture ol the calcaneum in stereo- 

 radiography. II. Vincent and G. Stodel : Results of 

 the treatment ol gas gangrene by multivalent serum. 



The serum was obtained from the horse after increas- 

 ing injections of sixteen races of micro-organisms. 

 Sixty-nine cures out of eighty-one cases were obtained, 

 and of the deaths only eight were the result ol gas 

 gangrene. 



BOOKS RECEIVED. 



The Australian Aintx Medical Corps in Egypt : An 

 Illustrated and Detailed Account of the Earlj 

 Organisation and Wink of the Australian Medical 

 I nils in Egypt in 11)14-15. Rv Lt.-Col. J. W. 

 Barrett and' Lieut. P. E. Deane. Pp. xiv+2.^u. 

 (London: II. K. Lewis and Co., Ltd., 1918.) 12s. 6d. 

 net. 



Pre-History in Essex, as Recorded in the Journal 

 of the Essex Field Club. Bv S. H. Warren. ("Essex 

 1 lub Special Memoirs, vol. v.) Po. 44. (Strat- 

 ford. Essex: The Essex Field Club; London: 

 Marshall, and Co., Ltd., 1918.) 2S. 6d. 



net. 



Train' Clinique de Neurologic de Guerre. Par Paul 

 Solliei, - 1 nier, and Felix Rose. Villandre. Pp. 

 vjii+830. (Paris: Felix Mean, 1918.) , 32 francs. 



DIARY OF SOCIETIES. 



THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 6. 

 Rovai. INSTITUTION, at Dr. W, Wilson: The Movements of ttie Sun' 



Earth, and Moon. 

 Rovai Society, at 4.W.— A. Matlock : The Elasticitv of Metals as Affected 



by Temperature.— W I It I., iv : Vibration and Rlreneth 



of Stmt, aid Continuous Be in under Knd Thrusts.— A. Dey: A New 

 Method for the Absolute Determination of Frequency (with a prefatory 

 note by C. V. Raman). 



Linnean Society, at 5.— N. E. B id OM ami New Species of 



Mesemhrvanthemom. with Critical 1 • narks. (2) A New Species of 

 Lobostemon in the l.innean Herbarium. -Dr. J. R. Leeson : Exhibition 

 of Mvceto/oa from F.ppinc Forest. 



Chemical Society, at 8.— G, N; White : A Note on the Action of Chloro- 

 mi Arvl Mercaptans in Presence of Caustic Soda. t. I '. 



Hewitt and W. I. tones : (1) The Estimation of the Methoxyl Group. 



■ 1 rhl I'.sien.in .11 of Methyl Alcohol in Wood Distillates and their 

 1 oncentrates.— P. F. Frankland, F. Challen B er, and N. A. Nicholls: The 

 1 paration t>( Monomethylamine from Chloropicrin. \V. C McC. 

 ■ i tudi ''ii Pn limioai Jot. upon the Applica- 



bility of the Radiation Hypothesis to Heterogeiieuu I . 

 FRIDAY, February 7. 

 Rovai. I al s.30. — Prof. J. G. Adami : Medical Research in 



its Relationship to the War. 



MONDAY, FBBRUA1 



.— Prof, t- A. Fleming: Scientific Prob* 

 blems of Electric Wave Telegraphy. 

 Royal GKOtjKAfHtcAL Society, at 8.— Commander Roncagli. Italian 

 Navy: The Adriatii . 



TUESDAY, February ii. 

 Royal Institution at 3. — Prof. J. T. MacGrcgor-Morris : Study of 



Elei trie Arcs and their Applications. 

 Institution Of Civil Engineers, at 5.30. — Farther Discussion! Hon. 

 R. r. Parsons : Centrifugal Pumps foi D rith ] iquids containing 



Solid. Fibrou,- and Erosive Matters. Probable Papers. F. I Mallett : 



els.— A- 



ige. 



barne 



of Water in Pipes and 

 lie. barge of I arge Cast-Iron Pipe-T.ine: 



WEDNESDAY. Febri 

 Royal Society or Arts, at 4.30.— Sir Frank Heath: The Government 

 and the Organisation of Scientific Research. 



THURSDAY, Feiiruary 13. 

 Royal Institution, at 3.— Dr. W. Wilson : The Movements of the Sun, 



■ii .1! Moon. 

 Institution of Electrical Engineers, at 6. — lit. - I.t.-Cul. W. A. J. 

 O'Meara : The Functions of the Engineer : bis Education and braining. 

 (nil n s,, n s,„ ,1 iv, at 6.-Dr. C. W. Kimmins : I he Significance of 



Children's Dreams. 

 Optical Society, at 7.— Annual General Meeting.— At 7.30. -Lord Ray- 

 leigh : A Possible Disturbance of a Range-finder by Atmospheric Refraction 

 due to tne Motion of the Ship which carries it. — L. C. Martin and Mrs. 

 Griffiths : Deposit on Glass Surfaces in Instruments. 

 FRIDAY, February 14. 

 Rovai. Astronomical Society, at 5 — Anniversary Meeting. 

 Royal Institution, at 5.30. — Prof. C. G. Knott : Earthquake Waves and 



the Interior of the Earth. 

 Mai.acological Society, at 7.— Annual General Meeting. 



CONTENTS. page 



Mind-stuff Redivivus. By Prof. H. Wildon Carr . 441 



Biology and Human Welfare. By J. A. T 442 



Visionary Science 443 



Our Bookshelf 443 



Letters to the Editor:— 



End-products of Thorium. — Prot Frederick Soddy, 



F.R.S 444 



The Neglect of Biological Subjects in Education. — 



Sir H. Bryan Donkin . 444 



Scientific and Practical Metric Units. — G. R. Hilson 444 

 The Eclipse of the Sun on May 29. (With Map.) 



By Dr. A. C. D Crommelin 444 



America and German Science 446 



Clean Milk. By Prof. R. T. Hewlett 447 



Notes 448 



Our Astronomical Column : — 



Borrelly's Comet 45 2 



Reid's Comet (191&1) 45 2 



Astronomy in the j imes 45 2 



The Energy of Magnetic Storms • 45 2 



Education and National Life 453 



Sea-studies ..... .... 453 



Research Organisation in Industrial Works. By 



A. P. M. Fleming 154 



University and Educational Intelligence . ... 458 



Societies and Academies 459 



Books Received 460 



Diary of Societies 40° 



Editorial and Publishing Offices : 



MAC.MILLAN AND CO., Ltd., 



ST. MARTIN'S STREET, LONDON, W.C.2. 



Advertisements and bi. 



tiness letters to be addressed to the 

 Publishers. 



Editorial Communications to the Editor, 

 aphii Iddress : Tnusis, Los'don. 

 Telephone Number : Cerrard 8830. 



\n. 2571, 



VOL. 



I02] 



