4/8 



NATURE. 



[December 26, 19 12 



fed to horses and cattle. The experiments in Natal, 

 carried out on the same class of animals with the 

 same plant, proved harmless. 



Vou will grasp the complexity of these subjects 

 when you remember that, in order to understand and 

 explain them fully, a combination of a number of 

 sciences is necessary, viz. pathology, geology, botany, 

 chemistry, climatology, meteorology, and physiology. 

 Better subjects could scarcely have been found to illus- 

 trate how comprehensive investigations may become in 

 a matter which at first sight seems purely and simply 

 a problem for the veterinarian. This point brings me 

 biick to some remarks raised before. It is only pos- 

 sible for an applied science, such as that for investigat- 

 ing into the cause of the disease, to progress when 

 the other sciences on which the applied one is based 

 are advancing at the same time or, still better, are 

 ahead of it. This applies strikingly to the case in 

 point. Of the physiological effect of grasses and 

 plants under the various conditions of climate and 

 soil in South Africa we know nothing as yet. I am 

 glad to state that the Minister of Agriculture, to 

 whom I have explained the necessity of such investiga- 

 tions, has promised to add a branch of physiological 

 research on to the laboratory under my control. But 

 an investigation of this nature must be thoroughly 

 undertaken, and in order to be fruitful it must go 

 hand in hand with chemical and biological investiga- 

 tions of the nature of the soil as well. 



The necessity for such investigations has frequently 

 been pointed out. Prof. Pearson some years ago 

 advocated the erection of botanical gardens in South 

 Africa in areas representing the various conditions of 

 climate and soil, and one of his strong arguments was 

 the economical importance such establishments would 

 have. Our recent investigations bear him out, and 

 should bring home the value of such institutions. For 

 many years Dr. Juritz preached the necessity of a svs- 

 tematic and thorough chemical survey of the soil 

 of this subcontinent. The conclusions I put before 

 you in connection with the disease caused by plants 

 show you the necessity in the first instance of scientific 

 research into soil and vegetation. But a good deal 

 is required if we intend to make further progress in 

 the understanding of the disease as already described, 

 and of many more not touched at all. The necessity 

 for a general biological survey of all South .Africa 

 becomes obvious. Particularly the geographical dis- 

 tribution and seasonal occurrences of plants and 

 animals, the connection of climate and soil with 

 flora and fauna, will have to be thoroughly studied. 

 Hand in hand with this will go the interpretation of 

 the presence and absence of the cause of certain stock 

 diseases. 



Fortunately, in the past a great deal has been done 

 by a good many enthusiastic workers. More has yet 

 to be done. Dr. Muir, in his presidential address in 

 Cape Town two years ago, touched on this question, 

 and he pointed out the necessity of a systematic co- 

 operation in which the museums of South Africa 

 could perform the leading duties. I fully agree to this, 

 and I am of the idea that these institutes, similar to 

 the one under my charge, should be centralised, and 

 the work should be undertaken in a definite and well- 

 planned manner, preventing overlapping, and securing 

 complete specialisation in the various branches. We re- 

 quire more : we want a centre for scientific investigation, 

 a central university for South Africa, where research 

 is the leading idea. I speak with emphasis, that South 

 Africa should not wait any longer before establishing 

 such an institute. We men engaged in the applica- 

 tion of science feel the want of it in all our under- 

 takings ; we require it for advice or assistance in the 

 many problems the solution of which is entirely out- 



No. 2252, VOL. go] 



side the scope of a single man, who is not always 

 able to keep in line with the new discoveries, and out- 

 side his own sphere of work. Nowadays, it is no 

 longer a genius who will only be capable of solving 

 knotty problems ;- I venture to say that the methods of 

 investigation and research are so far developed that 

 any scientifically trained man with the necessary 

 critical mind, and endowed with patience and per- 

 severance, can tackle these investigations with every 

 prospect of solving them, provided the sciences he has 

 to make use of are sufficiently far advanced to be 

 of assistance to him. 



In conclusion, I wish to come back to one of my 

 remarks ; that the South .\frican tends to the practical 

 side of scientific problems. If I can give him, after 

 so many theoretical discussions, practical advice, it 

 will be : foster by all means the pure sciences ; they 

 are, in the hands of experts, the medium of solving 

 the many economical problems of South Africa. 



UNIVERSITY AND EDUCATIONAL 

 INTELLIGENCE. 



In the issue of Nature of December 5 last attention 

 was directed to the action which the general council 

 of the University of Edinburgh had taken to bring 

 before members of Parliament and others interested 

 in higher education the serious danger with which 

 the universities of Scotland are threatened by the 

 recent interference of the Treasury with their freedom 

 of internal administration. From further information 

 which has reached us, we find that the question of 

 whether or not Scottish universities are to establish 

 composite or inclusive fees is regarded by the council 

 as relativ-elv unimportant. The vital question is 

 whether the Scottish universities, which have hitherto 

 been free so far as their internal administration is 

 concerned, are now to be subject to a State depart- 

 ment. The council is not asking that the universities 

 of Scotland should be freed from the responsibility of 

 accounting for their use of public money, but it is 

 desired that the autonomy which has hitherto been a 

 greatly valued characteristic of the Scottish university 

 system should not now be withdrawn. 



The Bulletin of the Massachusetts Institute of 

 Technology for December, 1912, takes the form of 

 "a catalogue of the officers and students, wnth a 

 statement of the requirements for admission, and a 

 description of the courses of instruction." One of the 

 most interesting of the very complete arrangements of 

 the institute is the opportunity for research afforded 

 in all the laboratories devoted to the more advanced 

 branches of instruction, as well as in the three 

 separately organised research laboratories for physical 

 chemistry, applied chemistry, and sanitary science. 

 We notice also that by a gift in igoq special research 

 in seismology and other branches of geophysics was 

 provided for. On January i, 1912, the Hawaiian 

 Volcano Research Association cooperated with the 

 institute to establish an observatory and laboratory 

 at the volcano Kilauea. Work was begun at once, 

 and a suitable building has been constructed with 

 laboratories, a seismograph cellar, water supply, and 

 facilities for physico-chemical investigation of volcanic 

 process. Investigations are carried on by a resident 

 staff, and properly qualified investigators will be re- 

 ceived at the observatory for special studies. 



It is announced that a group of some of the largest 

 coal owners of South Wales has decided to start a 

 mining school for the training of colliery officials. 

 Treforest House, Treforest, has been acquired for the 

 purposes of the school, and the post of director of 



