SEPTEMBER 14, 1916| 
NATURE 33 
mashing has been to some extent revealed, and | 
it is now possible, when necessary, intelligently 
_ to adapt the procedure to the special requirements 
of any particular case. 
_ Throughout the address Dr. Brown pursues 
the thesis that modern surgery and preventive 
medicine are the children of the fermentation in- 
dustries, the great development of these in recent 
years being primarily due to the ideas gained by 
Pasteur from his study of wine and beer. The 
argument is ably supported by an_ historical 
account of Pasteur’s researches and of the gradual 
development of those conceptions which, partly 
owing to his own work and partly to that of 
others, led to our present views. The science of 
bacteriology is, however, not alone in having bene- 
fited so largely from researches on fermentation. 
Many other branches of science have indirectly 
been furthered by the study of phenomena first 
observed in the investigation of brewing problems. 
So widely, indeed, has the inspiration derived from 
the scientific study of brewing been diffused that 
the author, with pardonable enthusiasm, sums the 
Situation in the aphorism, ‘Omnis Scientia ex 
Cerevisia.”” 
THE BRITISH ASSOCIATION 
NEWCASTLE. 
A ae holiday which was suddenly granted 
throughout the north-eastern district had a 
greater adverse effect than was anticipated on 
the attendance at the Newcastle-on-Tyne meeting 
of the British Association. Many who in normal 
times would most certainly have enrolled were 
far away from Newcastle enjoying a well-earned 
rest from their labours in connection with the 
manufacture of the munitions of war. 
The actual total attendance was 826, so that 
the meeting was even a smaller one than was 
expected. But the only person connected with 
the Association who has shown any sign of 
disappointment is the general treasurer. He, 
naturally, is primarily concerned with financial 
matters of the Association, and a small meeting 
means a correspondingly small and inadequate 
amount available as grants. towards the expenses 
of research committees. The rest, from the 
President to the members who joined recently, 
speak in terms of appreciation and satisfaction 
of both the arrangements made for them by the 
local committee and the work done by the sections. 
Locally it is generally admitted that the results 
obtained justified the Council of the British Asso- 
ciation in holding a meeting this year, and the 
members are of the opinion that, taking into 
account the circumstances in which the nation 
stands at present, the meeting was very success- 
ful. One fact which is both interesting and 
significant is that, while the total number of 
members present was far below that of normal 
years, the attendance at the meetings of the 
Sections in Newcastle was quite up to the average. 
In other words, nearly everyone who attended 
the Newcastle meeting was a real worker and 
NO. 2446, VOL. 98| 
AT 
interested in the chief object for which the British 
Association was founded, viz., the advancement 
of science. 
One of the outstanding features of the meeting, 
from the local point of view especially, was the 
election of the Hon. Sir Charles A. Parsons to 
the Presidency of the Association for the meet- 
ing next year. His name is a household word on 
the north-east coast, and any honour done him 
is genuinely appreciated by the residents, more 
especially the engineers and shipbuilders. Nor 
can we help mentioning an incident that hap- 
pened on the last day of the meeting. It was 
small in itself, but it was kindly and gracious, 
and it helped to sow the seed from which will 
spring a still heartier welcome to the British 
Association than it has previously received in 
Newcastle, if that were possible. Owing to the 
scarcity of adult labour a troop of Boy Scouts was 
employed to act as messengers between the recep- 
tion room and the Section rooms. These lads 
did their work admirably; they carried out their 
instructions to the letter, and earned the praise 
of the local committee as well as of the general 
officers. On the closing morning of the meeting 
those who happened to be in the vicinity of the 
reception room fairly early were glad to hear 
Prof. H. H. Turner thank the boys for their ser- 
vices and explain the objects and work of the 
British Association in a manner that helped them 
not only to go away feeling that they had rendered 
good service, but also with an ambition to become 
members in time to come. 
The proceeding's of all the sections were well up 
to the usual standard, both as regards interest 
and value. Among the subjects of important dis- 
cussions were the investigation of the chemical 
and geological characters of different varieties of 
coal, with a view to their most effective utilisation 
as fuel, and to the extraction of by-products; 
science in education and industry; the effects of 
the war upon credit, currency, and finance; 
national aspects of fuel economy ; the development 
of fisheries; political frontiers; and afforestation. 
Some of the main points brought out in these 
discussions will be described in later issues. 
The General Committee adopted a recommenda- 
tion of the Council that research committees 
should have power to report through organising 
committees of Sections to the Council at any time 
when the Association is not in annual session. 
Hitherto research committees have had to await 
the annual meeting before presenting their 
reports, even when their conclusions call for early 
action. Under the new rules this will no longer 
be necessary if the organising committee to which 
a research committee presents its report considers 
it desirable to report direct to the Council. 
Another alteration of the rules of the Association 
makes it possible for the Council to include upon 
research committees persons who are not members 
of the Association, but “whose assistance may be 
regarded as of special importance to the research 
undertaken.” 
