May 24, 1906] 



NA TORE 



91 



simple comparison of positions at the extreme limits of 

 time. It is not made clear why observations at inter- 

 mediate dates, such as those of the Radcliffe Observatory, 

 have not been used. The plan adopted seems the more 

 strange, since the precessional variation has been applied 

 and a comparison has been instituted. Considering the 

 important part these proper motions were to play in the 

 subsequent discussion, it would seem that too much care 

 could not be exercised in their determination. These proper 

 motions have been arranged in tables according to their 

 amount, or the magnitude of the stars, or the character 

 of spectrum, and, indeed, in every way that ingenuity 

 rtiuld suggest as likely lo be useful. This method of dis- 

 irihution cannot but be of essential service to those who 

 wish to make further use of the material. 



Next we have a determination of the precessional con- 

 stants. The final result may not possess more than an 

 academic interest, but the research is thorough and 

 valuable. It would serve no useful purpose to enter into 

 details, since those who are interested in such recondite 

 questions must refer to the original sources for inform- 

 ation, but the numerical results may be quoted, since they 

 differ from Newcomb's values by a greater amount than 

 would have been anticipated. For the centennial values 

 of III and 11 we have : — 



Nevvconib 



Uyson and Thackeray 



4607". II 

 46"7"-57 



2005 -I r 

 2005"-3i 



Another result which follows incidentally from the method 

 of discussion is to show that, so far as this material is 

 available, there is no reason to suspect any rotation of the 

 brighter stars, as a whole, relatively to the fainter stars. 



Lastly, the authors assign a direction to the solar motion, 

 IT rather many directions, for the material is discussed in 

 many ways, all interesting. Here, again, we must content 

 ourselves with the final result, which places the apex of 

 the sun's motion in right ascension 275° and north declin- 

 ation 37°, referred, presumably, to the equinox of 1850. 



In tendering our congratulations to Messrs. Dyson and 

 Thackeray, and all who have been engaged in this work, 

 we cannot help remarking that, as in the past, the Royal 

 Observatory has distinguished itself by its energy in 

 laboriously piling up observations, so in this instance, it 

 demonstrates equally happily its power to make the accu- 

 mulated material available for the advance of philosophical 

 astronomy. 



The title of the second book reminds us how loyally 

 the Greenwich Observatory has served the purposes of its 

 foundation. To determine, or to supply the means for 

 determining, the longitude has constantly figured in its 

 programme of work. The times have altered, the conditions 

 of the problem have changed, and, above all, accuracy 

 has increased, but, steadfast to its original design, the 

 Royal Observatory has always been willing to assist in 

 such inquiries, whether in the interests of navigation or 

 for the purposes of geodesy. The Paris meridian seems to 

 have been a constant source of anxiety to Greenwich, and 

 the present volume gives the history of no less than three 

 attempts to grapple with the difficulty. The two earlier 

 results, qm. 20.85s. and qm. 20.7qs. west of Greenwich, 

 seem fairly accordant to the lay mind, but since they both 

 differed in the same direction from the results of the French 

 observers, the small discrepancy led to a third attempt in 

 iqo2, from which it appeared that Paris w-as west of 

 Greenwich qm. 20-0325., with a probable error of only 

 0006s. Since this probable error is equivalent to about 

 the length of an ordinary writing table, it would seem 

 to possess the necessary accuracy, and the problem of the 

 distance between the meridians of Greenwich and Paris 

 may be considered as laid aside for some time to come. 

 The remaining portion of the book is concerned with the 

 longitudes of Montreal, Waterville, and Canso, and of 

 stations incidentally connected with the scheme of oper- 

 ations. The result is to place Montreal in west longitude 

 4h. 54m. iS.62s., with an uncertainty of about 20 feet. 

 Doubtless the day will come when this error will be felt 

 to be intolerable, but if a demand is made for a fresh 

 inquiry, we may be sure that the best traditions of Green- 

 wich will respond to the appeal. W. E. P. 



NO. 1908, VOL. 74] 



A 



A\Tl-T\rHOID VACCINE. 

 MK.MOIR " On the Standardisation of Anti-typhoid 

 \'accine, " by Captain George Lamb and Captain 

 W. B. C. Forster, has just appeared (Scientific Memoirs 

 of the Government of India, No. 21. Calcutta : The 

 Government Printing Oflice, 1906. Pp. 15. Price 7^.). 

 .After reviewing the various methods which have been pro- 

 posed for the standardisation of Wright's anti-typhoid 

 vaccine, Captains Lamb and Forster come to the conclusion 

 that the virulence of the organisms used in the preparation 

 of the vaccines must be taken into account. Since it 

 appears that virulence is in direct proportion to the number, 

 or avidity for immune body, of the receptors, an estimation 

 of these latter in any vaccine will take cognisance of the 

 virulence of the organism from which it was prepared. 

 .Admitting this as a basis, the method of standardisation 

 suggested by Captains Lamb and Forster is to estimate 

 what dilution of the various vaccines when mixed in equal 

 parts with serum is able to remove completely the bacteri- 

 cidal power of that serum ; in other words, to determine in 

 what dilution of vaccine the receptors completely neutralise 

 the amboceptor content of the serum. This is carried out by 

 preparing a number of different dilutions of the vaccine, 

 which are each mixed with the same amount (100 c.cm.) 

 of fresh goat serum, and left in contact for an hour at 

 37° C. .-\t the end of this period a small quantum of living 

 "tvphoid culture is added to each tube, the several tubes are 

 incubated for about twenty-four hours, and then sterile 

 broth is added to each tube in order to ascertain whether 

 the bacilli have been killed or no, and in this way various 

 vaccines may be compared. The memoir must be consulted 

 fur the details of the method. R. T. Hewlett. 



UNIVERSITY AND EDUCATIONAL 

 INTELLIGENCE. 



Oxford. — The thirteenth " Robert Boyle " lecture of the 

 Junior Scientific Club will be delivered by Prof. J. H. 

 Poynting, F.R.S., on Wednesday, May 30, upon the sub- 

 ject of "The Pressure of Light." 



Mr. J. S. C. Douglas, Christ Church, has been elected 

 to the Radcliffe travelling fellowship for 1906. 



Prof. Ritchie, fellow of New College, has been nominated 

 as an examiner in preventive medicine for 1906, 1907, and 

 iqo8. 



The 284th meeting of the Junior Scientific Club was 

 held on May 16, when Mr. P. W. Robertson read a paper 

 on " A New Method of Estimating Quinine," and Prof. 

 E. G. Hill one on " Chemistry in India." 



Camuridge. — The museums and lecture rooms syndicate 

 has reported that the chemical laboratory of Gonville and 

 Caius College will be closed at the end of the academic 

 year 1906-7. It will therefore be necessary to provide 

 further accommodation in the University for the students 

 who have hitherto found places in the chemical laboratory. 

 The museums and lecture rooms syndicate recommends that 

 a site in the museums' grounds contiguous to the buildings 

 of medicine should be set apart for this purpose. It is 

 also recoiTimended that the proposed extension of the 

 Cavendish Laboratory should take place on a site with a 

 frontage to Free School Lane to the north of the existing 

 building. Lord Rayleigh's gift of joooi. of the Xobel prize 

 will, it is hoped, enable this building shortly to be begun. 



The Vice-Chancellor has been authorised to convey to 

 the Worshipful Company of Goldsmiths the thanks of the 

 University for its iTiunificent gift of 5000/., to be applied 

 to the present needs of the University library. 



The well-known authority on coral reefs and ocean- 

 ography, Mr. J. Stanley Gardiner, has been nominated by 

 the master and fellows of Gonville and Caius College to be 

 pro-proctor for the ensuing year. 



Dr. Bonney will lecture at 5 p.m. on Thursday, May 31, 

 in the .Sedgwick Museum, on " Volcanoes and Man's 

 Experience of them." 



Steps are being taken for the provision of a permanent 

 endowment to place the Balfour library in a secure position. 

 The library owes its origin to the generosity of the family 

 of the late Prof. F. M. Balfour, who after his death in 

 1S82 presented his scientific books to the University for the 



