5^4 



NATURE 



[January 23, 19 13 



History of Science. — The Binoux prize (2000 francs). 



General Prizes. — The Arago, Lavoisier, and Berthe- 

 lot medals; the Henri Becquerel prize (3000 francs); 

 the Gegner prize (3800 francs); the Lannelongue prize 

 (2000 francs), for men of science or their relatives in 

 need of assistance; the Gustave Roux prize (1000 

 francs); the Tr^mont prize (iioo francs); the Wilde 

 prize (4000 francs, or two of 2000 francs), for dis- 

 coveries in astronomy, physics, chemistry, minera- 

 'ogy, geology, or experimental mechanics ; the Lon- 

 champt prize (4000 francs) ; the Saintour prize (3000 

 francs), for researches in the physical sciences ; Henri 

 de Parville (2500 francs); the Victor Raulin prize 

 (1500 francs), for facilitating the publication of works 

 relating to meteorology; the Houllevigue prize (5000 

 francs); the Cam6re prize (4000 francs); the Jerome 

 Ponti prize (3500 francs); the Bordin prize (3000 

 francs), for a study of the nature and origin of the 

 gases and" emanations from the terrestrial globe ; the 

 Serres prize (7500 francs), for works on general 

 embryology applied to physiology and medicine; the 

 Jean Jacques Berger prize (15,000 francs); the prize 

 founded by Mme. la Marquise de Laplace; the F^lix 

 Rivot prize (2500 francs). 



BRITISH MEDICAL SCIENCE AT THE 

 GHENT INTERNATIONAL EXHIBITION. 



ONE of the most important sections of the British 

 exhibit at the forthcoming International Exhibi- 

 tion at Ghent will be an organised demonstration of 

 the progress that has been made in this country in 

 the scientific investigation of tropical diseases and of 

 their prevention and cure. The exhibit has been care- 

 fully planned by a committee composed of members of 

 the various schools of tropical medicine, and each 

 school deals specially with certain diseases. The 

 London School, represented on the committee by Dr. 

 H. B. Newham, is dealing with beri-beri, cholera, 

 iilariasis, and guinea-worm. The exhibit of the Liver- 

 pool School, prepared by Dr. J. W. VV. Stephens and 

 Prof. Newstead, will be devoted to the subjects of 

 malaria, sleeping sickness, yellow fever, and ankylo- 

 stomiasis. 



The Royal Army Medical College, under the direc- 

 tion of Lieut. -Col. Sir William Leishman, is under- 

 taking exhibits of enteric fever and leishmaniasis, liie 

 former arranged in five sections to illustrate respec- 

 tively the causation, diagnosis, dissemination, patho- 

 logy, and vaccine treatment, the latter in three sec- 

 lions dealing with Indian kala-azar, infantile kala- 

 azar, and Oriental sore. Malta fever is allotted 

 to the Admiralty under the direction of Fleet-Surgeon 

 P. W. Bassett-Smith, and plague to the India Oflfice, 

 represented by Sir A. M. Branfoot. Dr. Andrew 

 Balfour, of Khartum, is preparing the exhibit relat- 

 ing to leprosy. In addition to the work of the schools, 

 an exhibit will be sent by the Natural History Museum 

 to illustrate the problems of natural history, such as 

 life-cycles of the parasites, structure and life-histories 

 of their insect-carriers, &c., specially connected with 

 the study of tropical diseases. 



In each case the disease will be considered, so far 

 as possible, from the various points of view of dis- 

 tribution, cause, pathological effects, dissemination, 

 treatment, and prophylaxis. The exhibits will com- 

 prise specimens, models, coloured drawings, or photo- 

 graphs of the parasites that cause the disease, and of 

 the insects that transmit them, illustrating their 

 structure and life-histories; charts, maps, and statis- 

 tics showine the distribution and incidence of the 

 disease, results of treatment, &c. ; and specimens or 

 models of apparatus used in treatment or prevention, 

 -ucli ns, for example, models of mosquito-proof port- 

 NO. 2 2^6, VOL. 90I 



holes and cabins on ships. In the case of beri-beri 

 specimens of rice will be shown illustrating the causa- 

 tion of the disease, and in the case of sleeping sickness 

 heads and skins will be exhibited of the species of 

 antelope and other wild game which harbour the 

 trypanosome. 



The entire exhibit, the details of vi'hich are now 

 practically complete, will be, it is hoped, a striking 

 testimony to the wide range and great importance 

 of the investigations upon tropical diseases that are 

 being carried on in this country. 



UNIVERSITY AND EDUCATIONAL 

 INTELLIGENCE. 



C.wiBRiDGE. — The prize of 50/. from the Gordon 

 W'igan fund for a research in chemistry was awarded 

 in the year 1912 to Mr. D. H. Peacock, for investiga- 

 tions on hydroxyhydrindenehydrazine and its resolu- 

 tion, 1:2: 4-triketopentamethylenc, the theory of 

 molecular volumes. 



The Senate authorised some time ago the erection 

 of the eastern half of the forestry building, as soon 

 as adequate funds have been provided. More than 

 4500/. has now been privately subscribed, and a grant 

 from the Development Fund will enable the erection 

 of the building to be taken in hand immediately. The 

 cost of the contemplated building will exceed 5000^., 

 and the grant will therefore amount to 2500Z. The 

 forestry committee recommends that the grant by the 

 Treasury of a sum of 2500/., which is required to 

 defray half the cost of the eastern portion of the 

 forestry building, be accepted, and that the Vice- 

 Chancellor be authorised to convey to the Develop- 

 ment Commissioners the thanks of the University for 

 the grant now authorised, and for their promise of a 

 future grant when an extension of the forestry build- 

 ing will be required. 



It is proposed to confer the degree of master of arts, 

 honoris causa, upon Mr. G. Udnv Yule, University 

 lecturer in statistics. 



Oxford. — The Herbert Spencer lecture this year will 

 be delivered by Dr. D'.Arcy Wentworth Thompson, 

 C.B., professor of natural history. University College, 

 Dundee, at the Examination Schools, on Thursday, 

 February 13, at 5.30. The subject of the lecture, 

 which will be illustrated by lantern-slides, is "Growth 

 and Form." 



On Janviary 28 Convocation will vote on a proposal 

 to assign a plot of land in the University Park, to the 

 east of the plot lately assigned for the erection of a 

 new chemical laboratory, for the purpose of an 

 engineering laboratory. It will be remembered that 

 last term Convocation declined to sanction the alloca- 

 tion of a site for the latter purpose at the north-west 

 corner of the park. A movement has been set on 

 foot for acquiring land in various parts of the city 

 for the future extension of University departments, 

 and in particular for securing a site for the proposed 

 engineering laboratory in the neighbourhood of 

 Museum Road. It is understood that a sum of more 

 than loooL has already been promised for this object, 

 including a donation of 50/. from the Chancellor, Lord 

 Curzon. On the other hand, it is urged, in a paper 

 signed by many of the teachers of science in the 

 University, that the Museum Road site is very un- 

 suitable for the proposed laboratory, and it appears to 

 be extremely doubtful whether, if the pai-k site be 

 refused, the other proposal will be accepted as an 

 alternative. 



According to a recent regulation issued by the 

 Minister of Public Instruction in France all students 

 of foreign nationality who wish to pursue their studies 



