5 <M 



NATURE 



[July 31, 1913 



confining its growth locally, and the other early 

 giving rise to metastases. In these respects, as 

 in many others, the similarity in nature between 

 mouse-cancer and cancer in man is placed on a 

 firm basis, and the importance of experimental 

 cancer research in relation to human cancer 

 established. 



Experimental research continues to throw dis- 

 credit on the hypothesis that cancer is caused by 

 a specific parasite. 



NOTES. 

 It is announced that the Admiralty has accepted a 

 tender for the construction of a large laboratory, which 

 is to be built on the high land at Crombie and used 

 for purposes of chemical research in connection with 

 the ordnance works there. 



Prof. W. A. Bone, F.R.S., has been awarded the 

 Howard N. Potts gold medal for distinguished work 

 in science or the mechanic arts by the Franklin Insti- 

 tute of Philadelphia, in recognition of his work upon 

 surface combustion. Prof. Bone lectured before the 

 institute upon this subject in October, 191 1. 



The King decorated the members of the British 

 Antarctic Expedition on July 26 with the Antarctic 

 medal and clasp. The medals and clasps awarded to 

 those who lost their lives were presented by the King 

 to the widows, and in other cases to the mothers. 

 Chief Stoker W. Lashley, R.N., and Petty Officer T. 

 Crean, R.N., were decorated also with the Albert 

 Medal of the Second Class for gallant conduct in 

 connection with the heroic saving of the life of Com- 

 mander Evans, with the details of which readers of 

 Nature are already familiar. 



A correspondent of The Birkenhead News directs 

 attention to the submerged forest at Leasowe, lying 

 north-west of that city. Numerous relics, including 

 coins, have from time to time been discovered, and 

 it has been suggested that these are remains of an 

 ancient port now submerged. It is much to be 

 desired that this important archaeological site should 

 be thoroughly examined, and the suggestion that a 

 committee of local geologists and archaeologists should 

 be formed for the purpose will meet with general 

 approval. The local archaeological and scientific 

 societies might with advantage cooperate in the pro- 

 posed inquiry. 



A demand for a Royal Commission on the subject 

 of venereal disease has been issued by the leaders of 

 the medical profession. It is pointed out that the 

 State has compelled local authorities to provide 

 asylums for the insane, it has insisted on the notifica- 

 tion of many infectious diseases, it has undertaken 

 the inspection of school children, it has introduced an 

 elaborate system to ensure the purity of food, and is 

 building up a vast system of public health legislation. 

 Yet the subject of venereal disease has been left 

 severely alone. In London alone the disease claims 

 40,000 new victims every year, innocent members of 

 the public are sometimes infected, it is transmissible 

 from the parent to the offspring, and the effects of 

 the disease are dire and widespread. 

 NO. 2283, VOL. 91] 



A committee, including the names of Sir H. Read, 

 Profs. Haverfield, Ridgeway, and Dr. M. R. James, 

 provost of King's College, Cambridge, has issued an 

 appeal for funds to be devoted to the excavation of 

 the Romano-British city of Wroxeter, which stands 

 beside the Severn, five miles east of Shrewsbury. In 

 its first phase it was a legionary post intended to 

 watch the Welsh hills ; but on the removal of the 

 Roman troops to Chester there sprang up on the site 

 a Romano-British town, which flourished for some 

 three centuries, and became the capital of the Canton 

 of the Cornovii. The city was laid out like Caerwent 

 and Silchester, in Roman fashion, with a forum and 

 baths, and streets crossing at right angles ; but the 

 area within its walls was more spacious than Sil- 

 chester and Caerwent together. At the close of the 

 Roman period it was destroyed by barbarian invaders, 

 and since then has remained practically undisturbed. 

 The excavation promises to throw much light on the 

 later Roman period. The work will be carried on by 

 an experienced archaeologist, Mr. J. P. Bushe-Fox, 

 with the aid of Oxford and Cambridge scholars. The 

 scheme may be confidently recommended to the 

 liberality of English antiquaries. 



The Secretary of State for the Colonies has nomin- 

 ated a Committee to report : — (1) Upon the present 

 knowledge available on the questions of the parts 

 played by wild animals and tsetse-flies in Africa in the 

 maintenance and spread of trypanosome infections of 

 man and stock ; (2) whether it is necessary and feasible 

 to carry out an experiment of game destruction in a 

 localised area in order to gain further knowledge on 

 these questions, and, if so, to decide the localitv, 

 probable cost, and other details of such an experiment, 

 and to provide a scheme for its conduct ; (3) whether 

 it is advisable to attempt the extermination of wild 

 animals, either generally or locally, with the view of 

 checking the trypanosome diseases of man and stock ; 

 (4) whether any other measures should be taken in 

 order to obtain means of controlling these diseases. 

 The Committee is constituted as follows : — Lord 

 Desart (chairman), Mr. E. E. Austen, Dr. A. G. Bag- 

 shawe, Dr. Andrew Balfour, Sir John R. Bradford, 

 F.R.S., Mr. E. North Buxton, Dr. W. A. Chappie, 

 M.P., Sir Mackenzie D. Chalmers, Lieut. -Col. Sir 

 W. B. Leishman, F.R.S., Sir Edmur.d G. Loder, 

 Dr. C. J. Martin, F.R.S., Mr. J. Duncan Miller, 

 M.P., Dr. P. Chalmers Mitchell, F.R.S., Prof. R. 

 Newstead, F.R.S., Mr. H. J. Read, the Hon. L. 

 Walter Rothschild, F.R.S., and Sir Stewart Stock- 

 man. Mr. A. C. C. Parkinson, of the Colonial Office, 

 will act as secretary. 



In the House of Commons on July 24 Mr. Runci- 

 man was able to give a very satisfactory account of 

 the work of the Board of Agriculture during the past 

 session. Energetic steps have been taken to stamp 

 out animal disease, and the result is that the country- 

 is now freer from disease than any other in Europe. 

 For a time last year there were outbreaks, and the 

 export of pedigree live-stock ceased, but the foreign 

 ports are now open to us again, and the result has 

 been an unprecedented export during June, the total 

 value of the animals sold being nearly 62,000/., 



