var at oa 
| FEepruary 17, 1923] 
graduated in medicine in Edinburgh in 1888, at twenty- 
years of age, there can have been few unoccupied 
hours. In 1889 a happy chance took him to Oxford 
to be assistant in general practice to Mr. Horatio 
Symonds. This post gave him a wide clinical experience, 
and at the same time he was able to develop his 
scientific bent in the laboratories of the Oxford Medical 
School. His mental and physical energy seemed in- 
ustible. At first his available time was spent in 
research in bacteriology: on the nature of 
erial toxins; the theory of germicidal action ; 
the relation of toxic action to chemical constitution 
of the toxins ; the reaction of immunity, etc. Following 
is, he undertook to teach the subject in the Medical 
hool at the request of Sir Henry Acland, and while 
preparing for this he wrote, with Prof. Muir, the 
“Manual of Bacteriology,” which was at once accepted 
s the standard English text-book in this subject. 
After Sir John Burdon Sanderson was appointed to 
the Regius chair of medicine the teaching expanded 
into a full three terms course in pathology and bacterio- 
logy, and in 1902 Ritchie was appointed professor of 
pathology. In 1907 he returned to Edinburgh. As a 
result of his work in Oxford he had risen to the front 
rank in his subject. In Edinburgh he first carried on 
ith great success the work of Superintendent of the 
Laboratory of the Royal College of Physicians, and 
in 1913 he was appointed to the newly established chair 
of bacteriology in the University. The Royal College, 
the Infirmary, and the University had endless profit 
from his labour. 
For the interests of his subject in the medical schools 
of the country generally he did exceptional service as 
secretary of the Pathological Society, and as one 
of the editors of the Journal of Pathology. He held 
‘many offices, and his influence on the progress of 
medicine extended far, and in all his relations with 
his fellow-men his idealism and faithfulness called 
forth deep trust and affection. Ve tare. 
























Mr. W. W. Bryant. 
Wa ter WILLIAM Bryant, whose death on January 
3I we much regret to record, was born on January 9, 
4 1865, at Forthampton, near Tewkesbury, where his 
L father was a schoolmaster. He obtained a scholarship 
to Pembroke College, Cambridge, and secured a first- 
- class in the Mathematical Tripos in 1887, and a second- 
class in the Natural Science Tripos of 1888. He was 
- for a short time a master at Dulwich College, and in 
February 1892 obtained a post as assistant at the 
- Royal Observatory, Greenwich. His work was mainly 
connected with meridian astronomy. He was a most 
expert observer with the transit circle and was largely 
responsible for raising the output from 5000 to 10,000 
observations. This increase in the annual number of 
observations remains as a permanent result of Bryant’s 
enthusiasm. His skill and enthusiasm was also shown 
in observations of double stars made with the 28-inch 
refractor. He continued to observe regularly with this 
instrument till the present time. 
In the year 1904 Bryant was appointed senior 
assistant and given the superintendence of the magnetic 
and meteorological department. He took up magnetic 
NO. 2781, VOL. 111] 
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NATURE 
229 
work about the time when the instruments were being 
set up on a new site in an enclosure in Greenwich 
Park. He made a large number of absolute observa- 
tions, and during the war had little, if any, assistance. 
He took a great interest in meteorology and was for 
many years on the council of the Royal Meteorological 
Society, being secretary from 1916 to 1920, and _vice- 
president 1920-1922. His interest in astronomy did 
not cease when he took up meteorology. He was a 
regular attendant at the meetings of the Royal Astro- 
nomical Society and the British Astronomical Associa- 
tion, and was the author of a “‘ History of Astronomy,” 
published in 1907, and of biographies of Galileo and 
Kepler in the “ Pioneers of Science ” series. 
Bryant’s recreations were music and hockey. He 
was one of the founders of the hockey club associated 
with the Observatory and played regularly up to 1914, 
and from 1919 onwards he acted frequently as referee. 
Bryant married in 1894 and had ten children, of 
whom one died in infancy, and one was killed in 
Gallipoli. He was at the Observatory until within a 
few days of his death. His colleagues were greatly 
shocked by the announcement of his death following 
an operation. He was conscientious and industrious 
and a very pleasant man to work with, who will be 
greatly missed by his astronomical and meteorological 
colleagues. 
Mr. T. V. Homes. 
Mr. Tuomas Vincent Hoimes, whose death at the 
age of eighty-two occurred on January 24, was for long a 
familiar figure in the ranks of English amateur geologists. 
From 1868 to 1879 he held a temporary post on the 
Geological Survey, when he was occupied about 
Carlisle and was the author of the Survey’s memoir on 
that district ; he also took part in the mapping of the 
Yorkshire coalfield in collaboration with the late Prof. 
A. H. Green, and later had similar experience in the 
south-eastern counties. Though Mr. Holmes so soon 
relinquished his official duties for a more leisured life, 
he maintained to the end his keen interest in local 
geological problems. An acute observer, he did much 
useful work in recording new exposures in the south- 
east of England, and was one of the active members of 
the Geologists’ Association and Essex Field Club, being 
president of the latter in 1886-1888. He was a fellow 
of the Geological Society and of the Royal Anthropo- 
logical Institute. 
Mr. Holmes contributed a considerable number of 
short papers to the Association and Essex Field Club ; 
others appear in the Transactions of the Cumberland 
Association and the Essex Naturalist. His last associa- 
tion with the Geological Survey was a large share in the 
compilation of the memoir “ On Thicknesses of Strata,” 
published in 1916. 
WE learn from Science that Dr. Fritz Wilhelm Woll, 
professor of animal nutrition in the University of Cali- 
fornia, died on December 6 at the age of fifty-seven. Dr. 
Woll was born and educated in Norway ; on going to 
the United States, he became attached to the University 
of Wisconsin and was appointed assistant chemist in 
