January 13, 1910] 



NATURE 



323 



Holany. — Tile Desmazi^res prize (1600 francs), for a 

 publiL-ation on cryptogams ; the Montagne prize (1500 

 Irancsj, for important works bearing on the anatomy, 

 physiology, development, or description of the lower 

 cryptogams ; tile de Coincy prize {900 francs), for a work 

 on phanerogams ; the Thor^ prize (200 francs), for the best 

 work on the cellular cryptogams of Europe. 



Anatomy and Zoology. — the Savigny prize (1500 francs), 

 for the assistance of young travelling zoologists, not in 

 receipt of Government assistance, who occupy themselves 

 more especially with the invertebrates of Egypt and Syria ; 

 Grand prize of the physical sciences (3000 francs), for the 

 morphogenic study of the characters of adaptation to U':<) 

 life in the vertebrates ; the Cuvier prize (1500 francs), for 

 a work on zoological pateontology, comparative anatomy, 

 or zoology. 



Medicine and Surgery. — Montyon prize (2500 francs, 

 mention of 1500 francs) ; the Barbier prize (2000 francs), 

 for a valu.-ible discovery in surgical, medical, or pharma- 

 ceutical science, or in botany in its relation to medicine ; 

 the Bryant prize (100,000 francs), for discovering a cure 

 for .^siatic cholera, or by discovering and removing its 

 cause : the Godard prize (looo francs), for the best memoir 

 on the anatomy, physiology, and pathology of the genito- 

 urinary organs ; lite Baron Larrey prize (750 francs), for 

 an army or navy surgeon or ph3-sician for the best work 

 dealing with the subject of military medicine, surgery, or 

 hygiene ; the Bellion prize (1400 francs) ; the M^ge prize 

 (ki.ooo francs): the Cliaussier prize (10,000 francs), for 

 th ■ best book or memoir on practical or forensic medicine. 



Physiology. — A Montyon prize (750 francs), for e.xperi- 

 mental physiology ; the Philipeaux prize (qoo francs) ; the 

 I.allemand prize (1800 francs), for the encouragement of 

 work on the nervous system; the Pourat prize (1000 

 francs), for a memoir on the origin of the antifermenls 

 (postponed from igoq), and (rqii) for a memoir on the 

 influence of the mineral elements, especially of calcium, 

 on the activity of the digestive diastases. 



Statistics. — A Montyon prize (1000 francs, a mention of 

 500 francs). 



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



General Prises. — The .'\rago, Lavoisier, and Berthelot 

 medals ; the Gegner prize (;i8oo francs) : the Lannelongue 

 prize (2000 francs); the Tremont prize (iioo francs); the 

 Wilde prize (one of 4000 francs or two of 2000 francs), 

 for discoveries in astronomy, plivsics, chemistry, miner- 

 alogy, geology, or experimental mechanics ; the Lonchampt 

 prize (4000 francs) ; the Saintour prize (3000 francs), for 

 work in mathematics ; the Victor Raulin prize (1500 

 francs), for assisting the publication of works in geology 

 and paljEontoiogy ; the prize founded by Mme. la Marquise 

 de Laplace ; the Felix Rivot prize (2500 francs) ; the 

 Pierson-Perrin prize (5000 francs), for a discovery in 

 mechanics or physics; the Serres prize (7500 francs), for 

 works on general embryology applied to physiology and 

 medicine ; the Jean Reynaud prize (10.000 francs), for an 

 original scientific work ; the Petit d'Ormoy prize (two 

 prizes of 10,000 francs), one for work in pure and applied 

 mathematics, and one for natural science ; the Baron de 

 Joest prize (2000 francs). 



LONDON COUNTY COUNCIL CONFERENCE 



OF TE. AC HERS. 

 CIX addresses were given from the chair and twenty 

 ' -^ papers were read at the meetings held on January b, 

 7, and 8 at the Birkbeck College. As a rule, the gather- 

 ings were large, and the papers read were of considerable 

 importance. VVe understand that the London County 

 Council will publish and distribute a complete report with 

 the same liberality as in former years. 



The subjects of the papers were classed under the head- 

 ings : — (i) organisation of higher schools; (2) training of 

 engineers ; (3) teaching of number ; (4) teaching of domestic 

 economy ; (5) methods of teaching in schools for the 

 mentally defective ; (6) educational experiments in schools. 

 With so varied a programme it is not easy to point to 

 any single idea as dominant in the papers or in the dis- 

 cussions which followed. Nevertheless, it is safe to say 

 that there was a continued endeavour, consciously in some 

 cases and unconsciously in the remainder, to bring the 

 NO. 2098, VOL. 82] 



work within the school walls into closer relation with the 

 present and future activities of the pupils in their daily 

 lives. 



The main impression produced by the conference as a 

 whole — an impression which could hardly escape the notice 

 of any reflective observer — was that the London education 

 authority is acting with wise foresight in encouraging 

 initiative and individuality among its teachers. One can- 

 not, of course, assume that such encouragement is given 

 in every school simply on the evidence of these meetings, 

 but there is no doubt that men of originality and proved 

 competence are encouraged and helped to put into practice 

 new ideas and new methods, and that this is true for 

 the older as well as the newer subjects of the curriculum. 

 It is not easy to overrate the importance of the attitude 

 of the London Education Committee and its official 

 advisers with regard to this treatment of the teacher. 

 Whether we approve or not, for good or for ill, the grow- 

 ing municipalisation of education in this country is an 

 irresistible fact. 



That the administration should be municipalised is 

 probably a benefit ; we may agree with Mr. Cyril Cobb 

 (who opened the conference) in his view that the union 

 of education with other municipal work was good, both 

 for education and the other municipal departments which 

 were brought into touch with it. The danger — and it is 

 a grave one — is that the teachers may become bureau- 

 cratised — that they may sacrifice the finer elements of pro- 

 fessional spirit to the attainment of smooth and trust- 

 worthy working as components of the municipal machine. 

 If English schools are to continue to deserve their reputa- 

 tion for training character it can only be by retaining the 

 requisite spirit in the teachers. From these considerations 

 we may regard the tone of these conferences as promising 

 well for the future of London education. With thankful- 

 ness we recognise that the London County Council is 

 anticipating the dangers which are liable to accrue from 

 the very efficiency of its system, and is inhibiting their 

 growth by promoting the development of initiative, and of 

 independent professional criticism among the teachers in 

 the London service. 



Organisation of Higher Schools. 

 Turning to the headings given above, under (i) Mrs. 

 MiUington discussed the aims of the new Central Schools 

 for Girls, for which the age of entry is eleven to twelve 

 and of leaving fifteen to sixteen. Girls needed both fit- 

 ness to take charge of a home and fitness for commercial 

 or industrial employment. Training for home-making 

 should be given to all girls alike; for this purpose a small 

 house, a day-nursery, and a small garden should be 

 attached to. the schools. Poetry, music, and one foreign 

 language were among the essentials. Mr. H. J. Spenser, 

 headmaster of Liniversity College School, read a paper 

 on the organisation of a large secondary school, in the 

 course of which he said that, as compared with other 

 nations, we suffered from lack of expert knowledge in 

 our rulers. .•\broad, the men who controlled national 

 systems were men who had spent most of their lives in 

 teaching. We pay a heavy price for amateur government. 

 The greatest national need to-day is the need for efficiency 

 in the secondary schools. 



Training of Engineers. 

 The discussion on the training of engineers took place 

 under the presidency of Sir William White, who advocated 

 a preliminary practical training interposed between the 

 secondary school and the technical college. It was during 

 that period that the boy learned most from the workman, 

 and in Germany they had gone back to that system. 

 .\fter Dr. Walmsley had described the " sandwich " system 

 of training as practised by engineering students of the 

 Northampton Polytechnic Institute at Clerkenwell, a paper 

 was read by Prof. D. S. Capper, in which the author 

 reviewed the whole subject. He divided an engineer's 

 training into (i) school training; (2) scientific training; 

 (3) technical training ; (4) subsequent training. As regards 

 (1), he deprecated specialisation, advocated freehand and 

 mechanical drawing, and limited the usefulness of school 

 workshoDs to teaching a boy to use his tools, to think in 

 the solid and to realise methods of simple construction. 



