vancement of science, while England alone remains inactive.” 
Mr. B. Leigh Smith also writes that he met with the expedition 
inside the Norway Islands near Hakluyt’s headland, on August 
29. He believes they have made themselves comfortable for the 
winter months, somewhere on the north coast of Spitzbergen, 
and that no vessel has any chance of reaching them now. 
Pror. CORFIELD has been elected Medical Officer of 
Health to the parish of St. George, Hanover Square. Dr. Cor- 
field’s appointment will make a vacancy in the Officership of 
Health to the parish of St. Mary, Islington. Mr. Haviland and 
Dr. Tidy will, we understand, again contest that appointment. 
WE learn from the Medical Times and Gazette that there will 
bea vacancy for a Demonstrator of Anatomy in the Charing 
Cross School of Medicine. A salary of 150/ is attached to the 
office, Among the candidates is, we understand, Dr. Murie, 
late prosector to the Zoological Society. 
FROM the same journal we learn that the Chair of Medicine 
at the Royal College of Surgeons, Ireland, is now vacant 
through the resignation of Dr. Charles Benson, who had so long 
and ably discharged the duties connected with it. We learn that 
several candidates have already entered the field, and that the 
selection of a professor will take place early in December. 
Among the candidates are Dr. Samuel Gordon, Dr. James Little, 
Dr. Henry Kennedy, and Dr. Arthur Wynne Foot, The emolu- 
ments are about 150/. per annum. 
THE French Government has lately struck a medal in com- 
memoration of the discovery in 1868 by Dr. Janssen and Mr. J. 
N. Lockyer of the method of observing the sun’s chromosphere 
without an eclipse. The medal bears on the obverse the por- 
traits of Dr. Janssen and Mr, Lockyer, and on the reverse the 
chariot of the Sun, with Phcebus indicating the prominences 
round an uneclipsed sun. 
Mr, GLADsTONE and Mr. Darwin having declined the Lord 
Rectorship of Aberdeen University, about to be vacated by Mr. 
Grant Duff, M.P., the contest lies between Prof, Huxley and the 
Marquis of Huntley, the Arts students mostly preferring the 
latter, and the medical students the former. 
Pror. Spar has been elected Rector of the University of 
Vienna.’ 
THE Natural History Mastership at Clifton College is now 
vacant, through the appointment of Mr. Barrington Ward to an 
Inspectorship of Schools, The teaching of Botany, Geology, 
and Physical Geography, and the elementary teaching of Mathe- 
matics, are comprised within the duties of the office, as well as 
the Curatorship of the Museum and Botanical Garden, 
Ir anyone desires to know how lecturing, and especially scien- 
tific lecturing, is managed and rewarded in America, let him (or 
her) forthwith obtain ‘The American Literary Magazine and 
Lecture Season,” published at the ‘* American Literary Bureau.” 
Here he will find the names of lecturers willing to lecture on all 
conceivable subjects, with the fees they are prepared to charge, 
varying from 50 to 250 dollars per lecture; while one lecturer, 
Mr. Froude, stands alone in his glory, priceless. The accuracy 
of this appraisement of talent is however somewhat marred when 
we read further that ‘to some of the above traveling and hotel 
expenses are added,” while “‘terms may be modified for weak 
organisations and deserving charities,” The managers of the 
bureau frankly announce that ‘a lyceum course must be pushed 
like any other business,” while they give the managers of these 
institutions the valuable advice to “ ignore all party or sectarian 
bias and choose brains.” On the principle of ‘‘ catching your 
hare,” they therefore furnish the lyceums with eighty pages of 
choice of lecturers and subjects, advising them to pursue the plan 
of ranging ‘from gay to grave, from lively to severe,” and give 
lecture (not too heavy), and one humorous lecture.” Dr. G. P. 
Quackenbos, in ‘‘ Words considered humorously, and other- 
wise,” an extensive programme, is undeniably cheap at $100; 
while Mr. Waterhouse Hawkins nicely values his repertoire of © 
subjects from ‘‘The Age of Dragons” to ‘The Unity of Plan” 
of the animal kingdom, at from $100 to $112. Dr. Youmans will — 
lecture on ‘‘ English Institutions as Educational Hindrances ” for 
from $100 to $125. Generals, Reverends, and ladies, are evidently 
the favourites of American audiences. Who will not go to the 
bureau where they can have a choice of Prof Fisk on 
“Darwinism” for $100, and Miss Kate Stanton on ‘* Whom 
to Marry” for $50? Although this may appear ludicrous 
enough to English ears, yet it has its serious and undoubtedly 
useful side. Some similar plan of providing unity of actio 
and of organisation among English scientific lecturers would 
of very great value. Will the scheme now under considerati 
of the British Association effect this? e 
7 eek <a yhg 4 
their patrons ‘‘at least one concert, one reader, one scientific , 
4 
THE following is from the School Board Chronicle :—**Ten 
years ago the Federal Polytechnicon of Switzerland received from 
unknown hands a legacy of 50,000 francs, accompanied by an en- 
closed envelope, which, according to the testator’s injunctions, — 
was not to be opened until ten years afterwards. The time 
having now elapsed, the envelope was found to contain the name — 
‘Johannes Schoch, citizen of Fischental.’ The testator had for- 
merly migrated to Milan, and there, by his judgment and in- — 
dustry, acquired a large fortune. The object of the donation was _ 
to secure competent teachers for the Polytechnic School.” 
Tue Royal Institute of Science, Literature, and Arts, in 
Venice, offers a medal of the value of 3,000 frances (120/,), to b 
awarded in 1874 to the author of the best essay on the following — 
subject :—‘* The advantages derived by the medical sciences, 
especially physiology and pathology, from modern discoveries in 
physics and chemistry ; with a retrospective view of the systems 
which prevailed in medicine in past times.” The competition is 
open to foreigners, and the essays may be written in French. 
A PRELIMINARY meeting for the purpose of forming a Medical - 
Microscopical Society, which has been talked of for some time, © 
was held on November 1, at St. Bartholomew’s Hospital, A good - 
deal of discussion ensued on the proposed society, and delegates — 
from the various hospitals were appointed as a committee, 
THE family of the late Prof. Sir James Y. Simpson have pre-_ 
sented a bust of the distinguished physician to the University of 
Edinburgh, It has been placed in the library hall. wey 
WE understand, says the British Medical Fournal, that the 
medical students of the University of Aberdeen propose to issue — 
a medical journal, which shall appear once a fortnight. Three ~ 
advanced students will act as editors. It bears the name of the 
Aberdeen Medical Student. The undertaking shows very gratify- 
ing vigour in the Aberdeen school. We wish the promoters ! 
the journal every success. 
THE same journal informs us that the’ new Professor- 
ship of Comparative Anatomy at the University of Dublin 
will have an endowment of goo/. or 400/, a year, The 
first holder will, we believe, undoubtedly be Dr. A. 
Macalister, Professor of Zoology ; and in future the two — 
chairs will go together, with an endowment, jointly, of — 
6o0/. or 700/, a year. Practically, the election may be 
considered as virtually decided. Trinity College will have 
in future two Professors of Anatomy—viz.: 1. Pure Anatomy, — 
Human and Comparative; 2, Mixed Anatomy, or Medical and 
Surgical Anatomy. They will each have an income of 70o/. 
Both professors must attend two hours daily in the disse ecting- 
room. = : ys 
are | 
