Fune 9, 1870] 
NATURE 
109 
vided that it retained a slight odour of the essence. 6, The 
essences that developed the largest quantity of ozone were those 
of cherry laurel, palmarosa, cloves, lavender, mint, juniper, 
lemons, fennel, and bergamot ; those that gave it in less quan- 
tity were anise, nutmeg, cajeput, and thyme. 7. Camphor, as 
an ozonogenic agent, is inferior to all the above-named essences. 
8. Eau de Cologne, honey water, and other perfumes, or aroma- 
tic tinctures, develop a proportionate quantity of ozone when they 
are exposed to the direct rays of the sun. 9. The flowers of 
the narcissus, hyacinth, mignonette, heliotrope, lily of the valley, 
&c,, develop ozone in closed vessels. Flowers destitute of per- 
fume do not develop it, and those which have but slight perfume 
deyelop it only in small quantities. As a corollary from these 
facts the professor recommended the use of flowers in marshy 
districts and in places infected with animal emanations, as the 
powerful oxidising influence of ozone may destroy them. The 
inhabitants of such regions should surround their houses with 
beds of the most odorous flowers. 
TuE fourth part of the ‘‘ Researches undertaken in the Physio- 
logical Laboratory of Wurzburg,” edited by Dr. Richard 
Gscheidlen, has been published. It contains a kindly notice 
of the life of Albert von Bezold, so untimely snatched away by 
death ; a most profound investigation on nerve and muscle elec- 
tricity, an abstract of which, we fear, would be unintelligible to our 
readers, by Worm-Miiller, of Christiania ; an essay on the Calabar 
bean, by the editor, and some remarks on the movements of the 
Tris, by Dr. Engelhardt. In this last it is shown that atropine 
paralyses the extremities of the third nerve, whilst Calabar bean 
acts as an irritant upon them, and he holds that there is a 
ganglionic neryous centre or organ imbedded in the iris, and 
intercalated between the fibres of the third and the sphincter 
which acts as an inhibitory centre on the sympathetic. 
PRIZE MEDALS OF THE ROYAL 
GEOGRAPHICAL SOCIETY 
TuHE Royal Geographical Society of London having taken into 
consideration the fact that a knowledge of geographical facts, 
and still more a knowledge of the science of geography, is not 
so common among educated persons as it ought to be, deter- 
mined, about two years ago, to offer prizes in the shape of gold 
and bronze medals, to be competed for by boys from certain 
selected public schools. The principle which governed the 
choice of the schools, was the number of boys who were 
receiving education therein ; no school haying less than 200 boys 
being chosen for the competition. 
An effort was made, at the time that the matter was under 
discussion, to get girls admitted as candidates. It was, however, 
objected that there were no public schools for girls which could 
be invited to compete, and it was also said that it might be well 
to see how the experiment would work with boys before inviting 
girls to the competition. 
These questions being settled, the next thing to arrange was 
the manner in which the examinations should be conducted. It 
was obvious that to bring a number of boys from the various 
schools scattered all over the country to London, would be 
practically impossible; and it was equally obvious that some 
process of selection would have to take place in the schools 
themselves, so that the best boys only should have their papers 
sent to the examiners appointed by the Council of the Royal 
Geographical Society. It was therefore determined that the 
subjects of examination should be divided into Political Geo- 
graphy and Physical Geography, and that no candidate should 
be permitted to be examined in both subjects at the same time. 
Moreover, not more than four candidates in each subject were 
allowed to take the papers ; these four, of course, having been 
selected by the masters of the various schools from among those 
most likely to pass. The Council of the Geographical Society 
could not undertake to direct any preliminary examination—that 
had to rest entirely with the authorities of the various schools. 
It was ultimately determined that the examination should take 
place by means of papers of questions, which should be sent in 
sealed packets to the Head Masters of the selected schools ; and 
that these papers should be given out and worked simultaneously 
at all the schools. The superintendence of the examinations 
was to be done by a master of each school, who was to be 
present during the whole time the paper was worked. In order 
to ensure, as far as possible, the strict fulfilment of the conditions 
under which the examination was to take place, a declaration 
was required to be signed by all the masters who were present 
while the work was going on. ‘This declaration set forth that 
the candidates worked the papers without assistance, and that 
there were no globes or maps in the room where they were 
written. It also declared that the specified masters were present 
during the whole of the time. 
Thirty-seven schools, containing in the aggregate about 12,700 
boys, were invited to compete at the first examination. These 
schools included the nine schools of the Royal Commission of 
1864, and all others in England, Scotland, and Ireland which, 
according to the latest edition of the ‘f Public Schools Calendar,’’ 
contained not less than 200 boys. 
Twenty-one of the invited schools sent candidates ; no school 
being permitted to send more than eight boys, four candidates in 
the subject of Physical, and four in that of Political Geography. 
Many schools did not send the maximum number. In fact, four 
schools had only one candidate each ; and out of the twenty-one 
schools, only four presented the highest number of candidates 
allowed. Last year forty-two schools were invited to take part 
in the examinations, but only nineteen sent candidates. 
The papers set, both in Physical and Political.Geography, bore 
a remarkable resemblance to each other, and in looking over the 
syllabus published by the Geological Society, it is impossible not 
to feel that the line between the two is very feeble, and, in some 
instances, indefinitely indicated. The special subject appointed 
for next year is North America. 
The examiners appointed for the first year were the Rey. W. G, 
Clark, F.R.G.S., Public Orator of the University of Cambridge, 
for Political, and Mr. A. R. Wallace, F.R.G.S., for Physical 
Geography ; and for the second year the Dean of Chester for 
Physical, and Mr, Wallace for Political Geography. 
The successful candidates received their awards last year and 
this at the anniversary meetings of the Royal Geographical 
Society. 
Rossall School and the Liverpool College have been very 
distinguished in the examinations. In the first year Rossall 
carried off both the gold and the bronze medals for Physical 
Geography ; and in the second year the bronze medal for Physical, 
and the gold medal for Political Geography, both fell to pupils 
of the same school. The Liverpool College gained the gold 
medal for Political Geography in the first year, and the gold for 
Physical, and bronze for Political, in the second year. Honour- 
able mentions have also been gained by the pupils of various 
other schools. 
A very remarkable fact, to be noticed as the result of these 
examinations, is that the schools which obtained the prizes are 
not those which the general public is accustomed to look upon as 
the leading schools of England ; while Eton, Harrow, and Rugby 
are among those who have, as yet, sent no candidates atall. This 
is the more noticeable as, to Englishmen, the travellers of the 
world, and the subjects of a monarch on whose dominions the 
sun never sets, it does appear as if geography ought to be 
a subject of vast importance instead of being one in many cases 
almost neglected, Sir R. Murchison, in presenting the medals 
at the recent meeting of the Royal Geographical Society, hoped 
that Eton, Harrow, Rugby and other great schools might, in 
future years, send candidates, ‘‘ for, without geography, a man 
cannot be said to be educated at all.” Westminster School, it 
may be stated, to the disgrace of the rest, is the only public school 
represented in the competition, and has twice had honourable 
mention, 
The Royal Geographical Society has made a wise step in 
inaugurating this movement, which will give, it is to be hoped, 
a powerful stimulus to the popular study of geography. The 
learned societies are at present too much dissociated from the 
general education of the country. Science has so few votaries 
among the bulk of the population, that a knowledge of scientific 
facts, with anything like accuracy, or an acquaintance with 
scientific methods of working, is almost totally absent from the 
education of the majority. The scientific man is still to too 
many persons a species of magician, arriving at his information 
in occult ways, not to be penetrated by the ordinary observer. 
Government is called upon from all sides to do this and that 
