2:20 
NATURE 
[APRIL 22, 1915 


minent place, and one notes with satisfaction that the 
general trend of the curve continues in a downward 
direction. Greater provision is likely to be made in 
the near future for the care of expectant mothers, and 
the official recognition of an ante-natal state, though 
somewhat belated, is none the less welcome. Much 
good work has been done by voluntary agencies in. the 
past, and the linking up. of this. with the various 
organisations dealing with: child welfare must in- 
evitably tend to a healthier future race. 
Some interesting figures are given regarding vac- 
cination returns. It appears that in England and 
Wales as a whole one-half of the children whose births 
were registered in 1912 have been vaccinated, and 
nearly one-third have been exempted from vaccination 
by statutory declaration of conscientious’ objection. 
When compared with the returns- for 3911, these 
figures show a percentage reduction of. 52-3 to 50-1 
in the proportion of children born who are vaccinated. 
The percentage of children born who were exempted 
under certificate of conscientious objection increased 
from 28-5 to 32-1. 
Inquiries have been made regarding certain out- 
breaks of enteric fever supposedly due to the con- 
sumption of infected shell-fish: The medical officer 
of health of a seaport. town has repeatedly referred 
to the danger incurred by persons in collecting shell- 
fish of all sorts from areas obviously contaminated 
with sewage. While it is difficult in most cases to 
prove conclusively that an epidemic owes its origin to 
such a practice, yet, when loeal authorities have acted 
as if such were undoubtedly the case, the wisdom of 
such action has been abundantly shown by the non- 
recurrence of the disease. 
Progress is constantly being made towards securing 
purer and more wholesome food for consumption in 
this country. A careful watch has to be kept at the 
various ports of entry to prevent so far as possible 
the import of unsound and even poisonous. material. 
As an instance of what is continually happening it 
will suffice to quote the following occurrence. During 
the unloading of a cargo of sugar in the Port of 
London it was noticed that some of the bags contain- 
ing the sugar were covered with borax, which had 
been carried in the same hold and had become loose 
during the voyage. Samples of this powder were 
taken, and analysis showed them to contain arsenic 
in considerable quantities. The whole of the sugar 
was rebagged, and that portion of it that had already 
been sent out was recalled for suitable treatment under 
supervision. 
The effect of certain types of waters on lead has 
again been brought into prominence by an outbreak, 
extensive though mild, of lead poisoning in an urban 
district in Yorkshire. The waters most liable to act 
in this way are acid, peaty supplies, and it is even 
asserted as conceivable that the treatment applied 
with a view of destroying the plumbo-solvent proper- 
ties of the water may tend in some way to increase the 
ability of the water to erode the lead. At all events, 
further investigation is being made, as the case in 
point has proved a very difficult one to deal with. 
More research has been conducted on the subject of 
ferro-silicon with special reference to possible danger 
arising from its transport and storage. This sub- 
stance, of certain percentage compositions, is liable 
to disintegration in the presence of moisture, and 
poisonous gases are given off in quantity sufficient to 
preduce fatal results in human beings. It is suggested 
that liability to spontaneous disintegration with evolu- 
tion of poisonous gases may be related to the amount 
of aluminium present in the ferro-silicon. Further 
reports are now issued. on ferro-chrome and other 
10.:2373,- VOL. 95] 

ferro-alloys, with reference 
content, 
The work of Prof. Leonard Hill on the effect of 
open-air and wind in the metabolism of man is referred 
to.. He points out that the physical qualities of the 
air—heat, moisture, and movement—are of paramount 
importance to health. The stimulating effect of cool 
and variable breezes acting on the skin leads to im- 
proved health, while a stagnant, windless, over-warm 
atmosphere tends to depression and diminished vitality. 
Two new. instruments are described—the kata-ther- 
mometer and the caleometer—which enable the rate of 
cooling of the body and the variability of the rate to 
be measured (see p. 205 of this issue of Nature). 
Prof, Hill’s researches on the physical condition of 
the atmosphere have done much to elucidate the 
problem of ‘‘stuffiness,’’ to which so many ailments 
are undoubtedly due. 
special to aluminium, 

THE CARNEGIE INSTITUTION OF WASH- 
INGTON AND SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH. 
HE Carnegie Institution of Washington was 
founded by Mr. Carnegie in 1902, when he gave 
to a board of trustees an endowment of 2,000,000l., 
to which he added 4oo0,oool. in 1907, and a further 
2,000,000l. in 1911. The articles of incorporation of. 
the institution declare ‘‘that the objects of the cor- 
poration shall be to encourage, in the broadest and 
most liberal manner, investigation, research, and dis-. 
covery, and the application ‘of knowledge to the im- 
provement of mankind,”’ and already, as the annual 
reports of the president and the directors of the 
various departments show, the objects of the institu- 
tion are being fulfilled admirably. , 
The trustees have inaugurated and developed three. 
principal agencies to forward the aims of the institu- 
tion. In the first place, the departments of research 
attack problems requiring the collaboration of several 
investigators, special equipment, and continuous effort. 
A second agency provides means to enable individuals 
to complete investigations requiring less collaboration 
and simpler apparatus; while a third division deals 
with the publication of the results obtained as the 
result of the work of the first two agencies. 
The reports by the president, the directors of the 
various departments of research, and the executive 
committee, contained in the 1914 Year Book, recently 
received, give full particulars of the financial re- 
sources "of the institution, and of the activities of its 
different departments, during the year under review. 
The Year Book provides convincing evidence of the 
success of the trustees of the institution in their 
endeavours to encourage and advance _ scientific 
research. 
The following table shows the amounts of the 
grants made by the trustees for the current year, and 
the purposes to which they are being devoted :— 
xs 
Administration 10,000 
Publication 12,000 
Division of Publications 2,000 
Departments of Research ... 138,462 
Minor Grants 21,860 
Index Medicus 2,700 
Insurance Fund 5,000 
Reserve Fund 50,000 
Total 243,022 
The next table shows the departecents: of scientific 
investigation to which the larger grants were made 
for the financial year 1913-14, and the amounts of 
these grants :— 

