;56 



NA TURE 



{Feb. II, 1886 



Trustees felt themselves justified in making the transfer. 

 Although this collection is now at the University, its ownership 

 remains with the Trustees. 



9. There has been no change in the Board during the year, 

 by death or otherwise. 



10. Annexed to this Report are the following Appendices :— 



I. — Annual Balance-sheet. 

 II. — Attendance of Visitors. 

 III. — Attendance of the Trustees. 

 IV.^Work done by Taxidermist and Articulator. 

 V. — Specimens collected. 

 VI. — Specimens purchased. 

 VII. — Exchanges. 

 VIII. — Donations. 

 IX. — Books acpired. 



X. — Duplicate Books. 

 XI.— Mr. Ramsay's Report. 



(Signed) Alfred Stephen, 



Crown Trustee and Chairman 



UNIVERSITY AND EDUCATIONAL 

 INTELLIGENCE 



Cambridge. — The Special Board for Medicine have pre- 

 sented to the Vice-Chancellor the following Report with a view 

 to its communication to the Senate : — "The Board have con- 

 sidered the requirements of the Previous Examination from the 

 point of view of its suitability as a preliminary examination for 

 students entering on the study of medicine, and have come to 

 the conclusion that in the interests of mental training these re- 

 quirements may with advantage be modified. They would 

 desire to see introduced an adequate examination in the ele- 

 mentary mechanical principles of Physics, meaning thereby — 

 the fundamental notions of matter, motion, and energy, and 

 the simple laws which govern their relations ; the physical pro- 

 perties of matter in the solid, liquid, and gaseous states ; and 

 the application of these properties and laws in the case of 

 simple instruments and machines. An examination in these 

 principles need not involve any but the most elementary mathe- 

 matics, yet it could be made to exercise the student in clearness 

 of conception, in accuracy of statement, and in soundness of 

 reasoning. These qualities are in a special degree essential to 

 students of medicine, but from our Report of November 11, 

 1885, it would appear that in these respects the preliminary 

 training of many who propose to become students of medicine 

 has not been satisfactory. The subject we propose is already 

 well taught and appreciated in many good schools, and it 

 appears to us extremely desirable that the University should 

 encourage all schools to improve themselves in this direction by 

 including the subject in its Previous Examination. It is not for 

 the Board to say whether the subject should form part of the 

 Previous Examination proper (though many considerations miglit 

 be urged for this plan), or be required as an additional subject 

 in place of the present examination in Elementary Mechanic-. 

 They are, however, persuaded that, if introduced in sime form, 

 the examination would be for all students at least of equal value 

 to the present examination in additional subjects, and for 

 students whose work at the University is to consist largely in 

 the study of nature it would be of considerably greater value.' 



Mr. H. D. Rolleston, of St. John's College, has been ap- 

 pointed Assistant Demonstrator of Physiology, in succession to 

 Mr. Green. Mr. Rolleston was placed in the First Class in the 

 Natural Sciences Tripos, Part I., in the Easter Term, 18S5. 



SCIENTIFIC SERIALS 



AHiialen der Physili und Chemie, No. 12, December 1885. — 

 J. Fink, on the influence of pressure on the electric resistance of 

 electrolytes. Cailletet's apparatus was used for producing com- 

 pression, Kohlrausch's induction apparatus for the electric 

 measurements. A solution of hydrochloric acid (5 '02 per c?nt.), 

 having a resistance of 7 '490 Siemens' units at i atmo., fell to 

 7 '335 at 200, and to 7'i26 at 500 atmos. A weaker solution 

 (O'gS per cent.) showed a diminution of 7 '39 per cent, in its 

 resistance at 500 atmos. A similar solution of zincic sulphate 

 showed a diminution of 1 1 74 per cent. The diminution is 



proportional up to 300 atmos. — E. Edlund, on the transition- 

 resistance in the voltaic arc. The conclusion is against the ex- 

 istence of such a resistance.— K. Wesendonck, on the fluorescence 

 of naphthalin-red.— H. W. Vogel, on the relation between ab- 

 sorption by colouring matters and their sensitising action on 

 bromide of silver. — G. Kotschau, studies on fluid motions. Some 

 very extraordinary figures are produced by careful introduction 

 of a coloured liquid into an uncoloured one. — F. Himstedt, a 

 determination of the ohm. This paper describes the method, 

 depending on a knowledge of the coefficient of mutual induction 

 of two coils, which has already been discussed by Lord Rayleigh, 

 and' which is similar to that of Roiti. The final result gives as 

 equivalent to the ohm a column of mercury of I square milli- 

 metre section and 105 '98 centimetres length. — W. B. Brace, on 

 the magnetic rotation of the plane of polarisation, and some 

 special cases of refraction. It is shown that there may be in a 

 calc-spar crystal three rays which suffer no double refraction. 

 Experiments are also described concerning prisms of heavy glass 

 in a magnetic field, — G. Stern, position of the commutator in 

 electro-dynamic machines. A discussion of Clausius' formula 

 with respect to the relation of the current to the angle of lead. — 

 E. Mach and J. Wenzel, a contribution to the mechanics of 

 explosions. — K. L. Bauer, apparatus for demonstrating that 

 electricity resides only on the surface of a conductor. This is 

 a modification of Blot's apparatus, consisting of two concentric 

 hemispheres, and convenient means of insulating and discharging. 

 Jcurnal of the Russian Chemical and Physical Society, vol. 

 xvii. fasc. 7. — On the part played by contact actions in the 

 phenomena of dissociation, by D. Konovaloft'. — Thermic data 

 for some combinations of the aromatic series, by E. Werner, 

 being numerical data as to the heat of neutralisation of 

 saligenin and oxybenzoic aldehydes and acids, and mellic acid. — 

 On the oxidation of oleic and elaidic acids by permanganate of 

 potassium, by A Saytzeff.— Notes by MM. Albitzky, Nikolsky, 

 and Ustinoff — On the motion of a solid body having cavities 

 filled with a homogeneous liquid, by M. Joukowsky, being the 

 second part of a mathematical inquiry into ellipsoidal, cylin- 

 drical, and such other cavities as have the shape of a rotation- 

 body, and also several cavities connected together. — On '.he 

 collision of absolutely solid bodies, by M. Schiller, second part, 

 being a further mathematical development of the theory, to- 

 gether with answers to Prof Joukowsky's observations.— On the 

 influence of an electric current on the resistance of seleniurn and 

 its sensibility to light, by N. Hesehus, being an explanation of 

 the experiments of Fritts by the theory of allotropic dissociation. 



SOCIETIES AND ACADEMIES 



London 



Royal Society, December 17, 1S85. — "On the Formation 

 of Vortex-Kings by Drops falling into Liquids." By Prof. J. 

 J. Thomson, M.A., F.R.S., and H. F. Newall, M.A. 



When a drop of ink falls into water from not too great a 

 height, it descends through the water as a ring, in which 

 there is considerable rotation about the circular axis passing 

 through the centres of its cross-sections ; as the ring travels 

 downwards, inequalities appear, and the ring breaks up into a 

 number of smaller rings, which in turn may again subdivide. 



It is shown that capillarity plays no essential part in the 

 formation of the rings ; in fact, it may be said that, with very 

 few exceptions, rings are formed only when a liquid is dropped 

 into one with which it can thoroughly mix. There are very 

 many cases in which rings are formed when there is no possi- 

 bility of capillary action, such as when the liquid into which the 

 drop falls is the same as the drop itself 



The drops were observed by instantaneous illumination ; and 

 it was seen that the drop enters the liquid as a sphere, becomes 

 flattened as it descends, and finally breaks into a ring more than 

 half an inch below the surface. 



When a sphere moves through a liquid, the tangential velocity 

 of the liquid is different from that of the sphere. If the sphere 

 be a liquid drop, there is no absolute discontinuity in the 

 motion, but only a very rapid change, so that there is a finite 

 alteration in a very sai.all distance. This is equivalent to a 

 vortex-film covering the sphere, the lines of vortex-motion being 

 horizontal circles. If the liquid be viscous, the vorticity will 

 diffuse inwards and outwards. The drop, as it falls, becomes 

 flattened, on account of the resistance to its fall ; and if by 



