May 25, 1905] 



NA TURE 



and untiring energy which it is easier to admire than to 

 emulate. But his influence has not only been exerted 

 while directing the affairs of the society as president, for 

 he was honorary secretary of the society from 1863 to 

 1S88, and the Founder's medal awarded to him upon his 

 retirement was a marlv of appreciation of his work for the 

 promotion of geography, both in connection with the 

 society and otherwise. It is, indeed, difficult to think of 

 the Royal Geographical Society apart from the personality 

 of Sir Clements Markham, for in all the affairs of the 

 society he has long been ubiquitous. Wherever and when- 

 ever geographical interests could be advanced, he has 

 championed them with a strength of view and courage 

 of conviction which have commanded the admiration even 

 of those who have differed from him. He has always been 

 jealous of the honour of his charge ; and only those who 

 have been closely associated with him can appreciate 

 adequately how carefully he has cherished the society's 

 welfare. At the banquet on Monday, the chairman, Sir 

 George D. T. Goldie, who has succeeded -Sir Clements 

 Markham in the presidential chair, referred in eloquent 

 terms to Sir Clements' work as explorer and author, and 

 his great achievement in the introduction of the cultivation 

 of the Cinchona plant from South America into India. 

 Messages of regret upon the retirement of Sir Clements 

 Markham were read from the King and the Prince of 

 Wales. After Sir Clements had replied to the toast of his 

 health, a testimonial was presented to him from the 

 relatives of the officers and members of the scientific staff 

 of the Discovery in recognition of his courtesy in keeping 

 up communication with them. This souvenir consisted of 

 a reproduction of the Cashel cup, and bore a suitable in- 

 scription. There was also a gold pin studded with jewels 

 for Lady Markham. 



MM. METscnxiKOFF and Rofx, who have rfcently shown 

 that syphilis is inoculable on ihe higher apes, at a meeting 

 of the French .\cademy of Medicine on May 16 announced 

 that they have at last detected the microorganism of this 

 disease. The microbe appears to be a long, delicate, spiril- 

 lar form, difficult to observe, and readily destroyed by any 

 manipulations. It seems to have been seen first by MM. 

 Bordet and Gengou, of the Pasteur Institute, three years 

 ago, and subsequently by Herren Schaudinn and Hoffmann, 

 by whom it was named Spirochaeie' pallida. It measures 

 4-14 /i in length by i fj. in breadth, and though resembling 

 similar organisms in mucus, &c., is readily distinguished 

 from these. The spirochete has been found in four out of 

 six human cases of the disease, and also in the inoculated 

 monkeys, and Dr. Levaditi also exhibited preparations of 

 it obtained from a child suffering from hereditary syphilis. 



The Royal Medical and Chirurgical Society celebrated 

 the centenary of its foundation by a dinner on May 22, 

 which was attended by the Prince of Wales and a large and 

 distinguished company, the president. Sir Douglas Powell, 

 Bart., presiding. In responding to the loyal toasts, the 

 Prince of Wales (who is an honorary Fellow of the Society) 

 expressed his pleasure at being present. He regarded his 

 position as president of King Edward's Hospital Fund as 

 a precious trust, and he watched with keen interest and 

 satisfaction the gradual but steady development of medical 

 science. He congratulated the Society on celebrating the 

 looth anniversary of its foundation, a period which had 

 been prolific in advances in medicine and surgery. Physi- 

 ology had become established as a precise branch of learn- 

 ing ; bacteriology had laid bare the foundations of disease; 

 antiseptics and the clinical thermometer had been invented ; 

 NO. 1856, VOL. 72] 



our hospitals had become institutions in which the most 

 beneficent treatment is carried out with scientific thorough- 

 ness ; and in the sphere of public hygiene nothing short of 

 a revolution had been effected. Among the guests were the 

 Duke of Northumberland, Lord Strathcona, Lord Alver- 

 stone. Sir W. Huggins, P.R.S., Mr. John Tweedy, P.R.C.S., 

 Sui-geon-General Keogh, Prof. Ray Lankestcr, Sir W. 

 Ramsay, Sir F. Treves, Sir P. Manson, Prof. Christian 

 Bohr, Prof. Pierre Marie, and many others. Last night 

 the Fellows and their friends and other guests were enter 

 tained at a soir(5e at the Natural History Museum. As 

 a fitting supplement to the centenary festivities, it may be 

 mentioned that the society recently invited delegates 

 from the other medical societies to confer on the practic- 

 ability of an amalgamation between the various societies 

 and the foundation of an " .\cademy of Medicine," such as 

 exists in Paris and other cities. 



I.N connection with the fiftieth anniversary of the Soci^t^ 

 des Sciences naturelles de Lucerne, which takes place this 

 year, the Soci^td helv^tique des Sciences naturelles will 

 hold its eighty-eighth annual meeting at Lucerne on 

 September 10 to ij inclusive. The business of the meet- 

 ing will be carried on in seven sections, dealing respectively 

 with mineralogy and geology, botany, zoology, chemistry, 

 physics and mathematics, medicine, and civil engineering. 

 Lectures to the general assemblies have been promised by 

 Profs. F. Zschokke, A. Heim, and H. Bachmann. Five 

 scientific societies will hold their annual meetings at 

 Lucerne on the same occasion, namely, the Swiss societies 

 of geology, botany, zoology, and chemistry, and the Zurich 

 Physical Society. Full particulars can be obtained by 

 writing to the president of the meeting, Dr. E. 

 Schumacher-Kopp, Adligenschwylerstr., 24, Lucerne. 



In commemoration of the first admission of women to 

 the full fellowship of the Linnean Society, a dinner was 

 given to the lady fellows of the society on May 18, at the 

 invitation of the treasurer, Mr. F. Crisp. 



Mr. a. Howard has been appointed by the Secretary 

 of State for India economic botanist to the Imperial 

 Department of Agriculture of India. He will be stationed 

 at the experiment station at Pusa, Behar, Bengal. 



A COURSE of instruction in oceanic research will be held 

 at Bergen, during the university vacation, from August 8 

 to October 14. The course, as in previous years, will 

 consist of lectures, practical instruction and assistance in 

 laboratory work ; excursions will also be made, during 

 which the use of various appliances and instruments will 

 be practically demonstrated. The work will be in charge 

 of Dr. A. Appellbf, Dr. D. Damas, Dr. H. H. Gran, Mr. 

 B. Helland-Hansen, Dr. Johan Hjort. and Mr. C. F. 

 Kolderup. Further particulars can be obtained from the 

 Oceanographical Institute of Bergen Museum, Bergen,, 

 Norway. 



The association which maintains an .American woman's 

 table in Dr. Dohrn's marine laboratory at Naples also 

 offers at stated times a cash prize of 200/. for the best 

 thesis presented by a woman of any nationality embody- 

 ing original laboratory research. This prize was awarded 

 at the annual meeting in Boston, on April 29, to Miss 

 N. M. Stevens for a paper on the germ cells of Aphis 

 rosea and Aphis Oenothera. The theses offered in com- 

 petition for the next prize should be presented to the 

 executive committee of the association, and must be in 

 the hands of the chairman of the committee on the 

 prize, Mrs. Ellen H. Richards, Massachusetts Institute of 



