April 17, 1902J 



NATURE 



569 



air, so far from being the one thing to be studied, as the 

 casual observer might suppose, is perhaps not even the 

 chief thing. Of still greater importance, probably, are 

 the manifold effects of diminished pressure on all the 

 tissues and organs of the body, on the vascular system 

 in all its parts, peripheral and central, and the far- 

 reaching secondary results of the changes in the 

 circulation thus brought about. These are further 

 complicated by the influence of variations in temperature 

 and in the qualities of the sun's rays. 



It is through their complexity that the problems in 

 question hold out so much promise ; for they carry us 

 beyond the mere question why such or such physiological 

 incidents occur during a high mountain ascent, they 

 lead us more or less directly to fundamental matters of 

 physiology. 



To solve these problems two things are needed — the 

 possession ofe.xact instruments of precision, and the oppor- 

 tunity of making use of these instruments at ease and 

 with freedom from disturbance. The observations 

 necessary to solve the problems which we have now 

 before us cannot be satisfactorily conducted by means of 

 rough instruments carried in the pocket, and cannot be 

 adequately made in the open while the observer, blown 

 about by a cutting wind, is steadying himself on his 



acknowledged at the International Congressof Physiology 

 held at Turin in September last under the presidency of 

 Prof Mosso. On the motion of Prof Bowditch, of 

 Harvard University, it was unanimously resolved to 

 recommend the physiological laboratory forming part of 

 Regina Margherita Observatory to the International 

 Association of Academies as worthy of international 

 support. 



Nor was this the only token of approval shown at the 

 Congress. One of the features of the Congress was an 

 exhibition of physiological apparatus gathered from 

 various countries ; many of the pieces so shown, including 

 several valuable exhibits from this country, were pre- 

 sented by the makers or private individuals exhibiting 

 them to the Observatory. These, under the care of 

 Prof. Mosso, now belong to the physiological laboratory 

 of the Regina Margherita Observatory. 



Hence any physiologist who desires in the ensuing 

 summer vacation to enjoy the united pleasures of high 

 Alpine _life and physiological investigation, and we trust 

 that there are not a few such, can do so with ease or 

 even in luxury, finding in the Observatory, not only quiet 

 and shelter, but also almost every apparatus and appli- 

 ance which he is likely to need. I think I may venture 

 to say that my friend Prof Mosso deserves the warm 



ice-axe. Happily, both these needs can now be supplied 

 to any competent observer whose inquiry justifies the 

 concession of them. 



It was a happy thought of the Dowager Queen Mar- 

 gherita of Italy, whose love for the Alps is known to all 

 the world, to convert into a scientific observatory the 

 Regina Margherita Hut, which stood on the Gnifetti 

 Peak of Monte Rosa at an altitude of 4560 feet, and 

 which had proved of such service to mountain climbers. 

 At her spontaneous suggestion, and by her beneficence, 

 assisted by the Italian Government and with other help, 

 the Hut, largely through the zeal and activity of Prof 

 Angelo Mosso, of Turin, has been transformed into the 

 Regina Margherita Observatory, fitted up for scientific 

 observations of various kinds. 



Prof. Mosso is a physiologist, especially interested in 

 the physiological problems of high altitudes, as shown by 

 his bonk "Life of Man on the High Alps,'' and it is 

 through his care that in the Regina Margherita Obser- 

 vatory, in addition to the provision for meteorological, 

 astronomical and other physical observations, physiology 

 has not been neglected. One of the rooms has been set 

 apart for physiological observations and experiments. 

 The great benefit thus rendered to physiology was 



NO. 1694, VOL. 65] 



thanks, not only of all physiologists, but of all men of 

 science, for what he has thus done. M. Foster. 



PROF. EXNER ON SCIENCE AND THE 

 STATE. 



T^HE Vienna correspondent of the Times, writing on the 

 ^ 7th inst., comments upon a recent address of Prof 

 Exner which deals with the coming rule of technically 

 trained men, that is, of men who can apply the principles 

 of natural science ; engineers trained in colleges as well 

 as in works. The encouragement to scientific education 

 given by foreign statesmen excites in this country only a 

 feeble attention not unmixed with contempt. With us, 

 higher education is still what it was in the time of Queen 

 Elizabeth, and its advocates affirm that the education of 

 men like Burleigh and Bacon, of Coke and Raleigh is 

 good enough for statesmen of the twentieth century. 

 This explains our difficulty in understanding Prof. Exner. 

 Much of the pure science of the world is due to such 

 British genius as could escape the academic net, and yet 

 the power to apply that science is carefully kept away 

 from the British people. We have started all the 



