April 12, 1906] 



NA TURE 



57; 



other beers of repute, Major MacMahon was so good as to 

 permit an examination of it to be made in the Government 

 Laboratory. 



The results were as follows : — 



Specific gravity ... ... ... i '00873 



Original gravity I '11667 



Percentage proof spirit ... ... 25-3 



Ash — periooc.c 0-465 gram. 



Albumenoids — periooc.c. ... ... i'ooi ,, 



Total acid — per 100 c.c. (as acetic) .. 0'iS ,, 

 Volatile acid — periooc.c. ,, ... 0^04 ,, 

 Specific rotatory power [aL^-ssi +65 '4 

 The alcohol which it yielded by distillation was further 

 examined, with the following results, calculated to proof 

 strength : — 



Per cent. 



Esters (as ethyl acetate) °-,0524 



Aldehyde 0004 



Higher alcohols ... ... ... ... 0-240 



Huff is the strongest ale of which the Government Labor- 

 atory has any record. The nearest to it in point of alcoholic 

 strength and general character is the strong Burton ale 

 known as " Royal Ale." A sample of this, brewed in 

 March, 1905, exported from Liverpool to New York, on 

 analysis in the Government Laboratory gave the following 

 numbers : — 



Specific gravity 

 Original gravity 

 Percentage proof spirit 



Ash— per 100 c.c 



Albumenoids — per 100 c.c. ... 

 Total acid — per 100 c.c. (as acetic) 

 Volatile acid — per 100 c.c. ,, 

 Specific rotatory power [a]n<s-w) 



... 1 '02275 

 .. 1-10862 



.. 20'2 



•• °'49° gram. 

 ■• 0-945 ., 

 .. o-i6 

 .. 0-036 „ 

 + 96-0 



Examination of Alcohol — Results Calculated to Proof 

 Strength. 



Per cent. 



Esters (as ethyl acetate) 0022 



Aldehyde Nil 



Higher alcohols ... ... ... ... 005 



A number of analyses of various ales and stouts, taken 

 from a paper by Mr. A. R. Ling in the Brewer's Journal 

 for July, 1903, are appended, and for comparison the results 

 of the examination of huff and the sample of " Royal Ale " 

 are expressed in the same terms. 



Prof. E. A. Minchin has resigned the Jodrell chair of 

 zoology in University College, London, in view of his 

 appointment to the new chair of protozoology in the Uni- 

 versity of London. Prof. E. H. Starling has been appointed 

 to the Jodrell chair of physiology at University College. 

 The title of emeritus professor of zoology has been con- 

 ferred upon Prof. E. Ray Lankester, and that of emeritus 

 professor of civil engineering and surveying on Prof. L. F. 

 Vernon-Harcourt. 



Among educational benefactions to the colleges of the 

 United States recently announced by Science the follow- 

 ing may be mentioned. By the will of Dr. W. T. Bacon 

 his estate is given for life to Mrs. Bacon, but at her 

 death the Hartford Medical Society will receive an endow- 

 ment of 20,000/., and Yale University will receive a part 

 of the residuum of the estate, which is understood to be 

 worth nearly 60,000/. It is reported that Mrs. J. B. 

 Stetson has offered to give 20,0001. to Stetson University 

 on condition that the present trustees resign. Parsons 

 College, Fairfield, Iowa, recently received 16,000/. addi- 

 tional endowment through the will of Colonel Charles 

 Parsons, of St. Louis. This increases the donor's gifts to 

 29,200/. Through the generosity of a Chicago physician 

 (anonymous) and of Dr. Benjamin Taylor Terry, of New 

 York City, Indiana University has received offers of two 

 endowments for pathological research. The income of each 

 fellowship is 150/. a year. Both offers are made under 

 the condition that the University provides adequate library 

 and laboratory facilities for such work. 



The Government measure to amend the law relating to 

 education in England and Wales was introduced in the 

 House of Commons on Monday by Mr. Birrell, Minister 

 of Education. It is proposed that the limit of twopence 

 as a rate for secondary education should be removed, that 

 Wales should have a National Education Council, and that 

 complete public control should be secured for all elementary 

 schools receiving State aid. The first clause of the measure 

 proposes that, after January 1, 1908, a school shall not 

 be recognised as a public elementary school unless it is a 

 school provided by the local education authority, so that 

 no elementary school will receive a penny of public money, 

 either from rates or taxes, if it does not become a pro- 

 vided school within the meaning of the Act. Every 

 elementary school receiving rates and grants will thus 

 become at once a provided school ; and it will supply the 



It will be seen that the appellation of " duplex visia " 

 as applied to huff — a liqueur among beers — is fully justified. 



f . E. T. 



UNIVERSITY AND EDUCATIONAL 

 INTELLIGENCE. 



Cambridge.— An exhibition of 50/. a year, tenable for 

 two years, is offered by the governing body of Emmanuel 

 College to an advanced student commencing residence at 

 the college in October. The exhibition will be awarded 

 at the beginning of October. Applications, accompanied 

 by two certificates of good character, should be sent to the 

 Master of Emmanuel not later than October 1. 



NO. I902, VOL. 73] 



same kind of religious instruction as is now given in 

 provided schools. No catechisms or distinctive religious 

 formularies will be taught, and the conscience clause will 

 operate. This will be the general rule throughout the 

 land. The second clause of the Bill authorises a local 

 education authority, for the purpose of continuing any 

 existing voluntary school as a provided school, to make, 

 with the consent of the Board of Education, arrangements 

 for carrying on a public elementary school with the owners 

 of the schoolhouse, subject to the condition that the educa- 

 tion authority must, during the continuance of the agree- 

 ment, assume the whole responsibility of maintaining the 

 fabric. The cost of this change is estimated at about 

 260,000/. a year. To meet the expenditure involved in 

 these proposals, a further annual grant of 1,000,000/. is 



