566 



NA TURE 



[April 12, 1906 



diminished considerably, and the -situation now seems to 

 be more satisfactory. The shower of ashes has ceased to 

 pour on Naples. The atmospheric conditions are unfavour- 

 able, and the seismic instruments last night registered 

 several earthquake shocks. A steamer with 1000 persons 

 on board left Capri this morning for Naples, but was 

 unable to reach her destination, as when about a mile off 

 tin coast the passengers were nearly suffocated by falling 

 cinders and ashes, and the vessel has anchored here so as 

 to enable the passengers to witness the eruption. 



Vesuvius Observatory, 6.30 p.m. — Report from Prof. 

 Mattucci : — " The explosive activity of Vesuvius, which 

 was very great yesterday and was accompanied by very 

 powerful electric discharges, diminished yesterday evening. 

 During the night the expulsion of rocks ceased, but the 

 emission of sand increased, completely enveloping me and 

 forming a bed more than ten centimetres deep, which 

 carried desolation into this elevated region. Masses of sand 

 gliding along the earth created complete darkness until 

 7 o'clock. Several blocks of stone broke window- ol the 

 observatory. Last night the earthquake shocks were 

 stronger and more frequent than yesterday, and displaced 

 the seismic apparatus. Yesterday afternoon and this morn- 

 ing torrents of sand fell. While 1 am telegraphing several 

 balls of fire rise with loud rumbling from the enlarged 

 craters and the new elevated creva 



April 10. — Report from Prof. Mattucci : — " Last night was 

 calm except for a few explosions of considerable force from 

 time to time. At 4 o'clock this morning the explosions 

 became more violent. The seismic instruments oi thi 

 observatory record strong disturbances in the interior of 

 the mountain." The roof of the market of Monte Oliveto, 

 Naples, fell in, on account of the accumulation of volcanic- 

 ash upon it. 



NOTES. 

 At a meeting of the council oi the Royal College of 

 Surgeons of England held on April 5, the Walker prize 

 of 100/., founded by the late Mr. C. C. Walker to encourage 

 investigation into the pathology and therapeutics of 

 cancer, was awarded to Prof. C. O. Jensen, of Copen- 

 hagen. The committee appointed to advise the council in 

 reference to the award of the prize was influenced, not 

 merely by the actual work which Prof. Jensen has done 

 in investigating the nature of cancer and the effect of 

 treatment upon it, but also by the extent to which he has 

 opened up a field of research to those engaged in the study 

 of cancer on certain lines, enabling (hem to carry out their 

 investigations over longer periods of time and under better 

 and more determined conditions than have up to the present 

 time been possible. The Jacksonian prize for 1905 was 

 awarded to Mr. R. C. Elmslie for his essay on " The 

 Pathology and Treatment of Deformities of the Long Bones 

 due to Disease occurring during and alter Adolescence." 

 The prize-subject for the year 1907 will be " The Operative 

 of the Heart and Lungs, including the Pericardium 

 and the Pleura." The subject selected for essays to.be 

 submitted in competition for the Cartwright prize for the 

 period 1906 [910 was ' Prevention el Dental Caries." 

 lorary medal of the college was awarded to Lieut.- 

 Colonel Sir Richard Havelock Charles, I. M.S., in appreci- 



1 gnition of his gift of anthropological specimens — 



an addition to the museum of special value and import- 

 nol only on account of the number and van. u of 

 mens presented, but also because of the authentic 

 particulars attached to them. 



At .1 meeting of the Royal Geographical Society on 

 Monday, Mr. Whitelaw Reid, the United Males 

 Ambassador, presented to Captain R. F. Scott, R.N., 

 C.V.O., the gold medal of the American Geographical 

 Society, in recognition of his sledge journey on Antarctic 

 ice and the work of the National Antarctic Expedition. 

 NO. 1902, VOL. J2>~\ 



The secretary to the Post Office has informed the 

 Decimal Association that letters addressed to France and 

 Germany, weighing more than 3 oz. but not more than 

 15 grams, if only stamped 2 2 d., are not surcharged. 

 Although the difference in weight is but small (about 5 per 

 cent.), still the fact should be generally known, because 

 letters are frequently stamped with c,d. which, under this 

 ruling of the Post Office, would go for 2ld. 



Courses of instruction in oceanic research will be held, 

 as in former years, in Bergen, during the university vaca- 

 tion (August 8 to October 15), mainly on the lines 

 previously adopted. The courses will consist partly of 

 lectures, partly of practical instruction and assistance in 

 laboratory work ; excursions will also be made, during 

 which the use of various appliances and instruments will 

 be practically demonstrated. The course will be conducted 

 by Dr. A. Appellof, Dr. D. Damas, Mr. B. Helland- 

 Hansen, Mr. E. Jiirgensen, and -Mr. C. F. Kolderup. Any- 

 pne desiring to attend the course should make application 

 to the Oceanographical Institute of Bergen Museum, 

 Bergen, Norway, beloie July 1. 



A deputation wailed upon Mr. Lloyd-George, M.P., 

 President of the Board of Trade, on Monday to urge the 

 necessity for further amendment of the patent law by 

 legislation which would enforce in the United Kingdom 

 the forfeiture of all British patents for inventions which 

 were winked without, but not within, the United Kingdom, 

 after the lapse of three years from the date of application 

 in the countrj of origin unless the patentee could justify 

 his inaction 10 the Board of Trade. In the course of his 

 reply to the views placed before him by members of the 

 deputation, Mr. Lloyd-George pointed out that the Patent 

 Act of 1902 embodied the principle of compulsory work- 

 ing, and he wished to know where the Act had broken 

 down. He thought it necessary to see thai, while the 

 iiininii 11 id community was protected, protection was also 

 afforded to those poor people who, while they have the 

 brains, have not the cash to enjoy the full benefit of their 

 ingenuity. 



A committee has been appointed in inquire into and 

 reporl upon matters connected with the Department of 

 Agriculture and Technical Instruction for Ireland. The 

 committee is constituted as follows: — Sir Kenelm Digby, 

 late Under-Secretary for the Home Department (chair- 

 man) ; the Hon. John Dryden, late Minister of Agriculture 

 in Ontario; Mr. W. L. .Micks, member of the Local 

 Government Board for Ireland ; Mr. F. G. Ogilvie, prin- 

 cipal assistant-secretary for technology in the Board of 

 Education ; and Mr. Stephen Brown, chairman of the 

 Kildare County Council. The committee is to inquire 

 whether the provisions of the Agriculture and Technical 

 Instruction (Ireland) Act, 1899, constituting the depart- 

 ment, and the methods which the department has followed 

 in carrying out those provisions, have been shown by 

 experience to be well suited to the conditions of Ireland; 

 whether any, and if so what, changes are desirable in those 

 provisions and methods ; and to report also upon the re- 

 lations of the department to the Council of Agriculture, 

 to the Agricultural Board, and to the Board of Technical 

 Instruction; upon its relations to local statutory bodies; 

 upon the funds at its disposal and the modes of employ- 

 ing them, and upon its position in regard to other depart- 

 ments, especially those charged with educational functions. 



From the April number of the Popular Science Monthly 

 we learn that the regents of the Smithsonian Institution 

 have passed a resolution expressing their profound sorrow 



