OE a a Parmer ah a) 
JuNE 13, 1912] 
NATORE 
389 
Tue former students of Prof. O. Henrici, F.R.S., 
who, as already announced in these columns, recently 
retired from the chair of mathematics at the City | 
and Guilds Engineering College after twenty-seven 
years’ service, have had engraved in his honour a 
medal to be awarded annually for proficiency in mathe- 
matics. The first copy of the medal struck has been 
presented to Prof. Henrici himself. 
Tue Department of Agriculture and Technical In- | 
struction for Ireland has issued its programme for 
technical schools and science and art schools and 
classes for the coming session of 1912-13. An ex- 
planatory circular included in the pamphlet makes it 
clear that the regulations at present in force will 
continue with certain slight alterations. An outline 
syllabus of domestic economy which has been added 
will be of service to teachers as indicating what may 
be considered matters of fundamental importance in 
the early teaching of ‘‘home” science. Many of the 
changes incorporated in the new programme are 
purely of an administrative character. 
! 
Tue late Sir Julius Wernher bequeathed séveral | 
legacies for the purposes of higher education. These 
include 250,000]. to the Treasurer of the Union of 
South Africa, as a gift to such Union for the purpose 
of assisting in building, and, if sufficient, partly en- 
dowing, a university at Groote Schuur, near Cape 
Town, provided that the constitution of the said 
university is approved in writing by Sir Leander 
Starr Jameson, Bart., and Sir Lionel Phillips, Bart. ; 
100,000l. to the Imperial College of Science and Tech- 
nology, South Kensington, to be used at the dis- 
cretion of the governing body for the purposes of the 
said college, together with two-twelfth parts of his 
residuary estate, but not exceeding 50,0001. 
Tre Commemoration Day proceedings of Living- 
stone College were held on June 5. In his statement, 
the principal, Dr. C. F. Harford, said at the start of 
the college, nineteen years ago, there was a need for 
a course for missionaries in medicine and surgery, 
in order that they might be able to preserve their 
own health and minister to the needs of the natives. 
The college was called after Dr. Livingstone, and 
with the near approach in 1913 of the centenary of 
his birth it is hoped that the college will take a step 
forward, and a Livingstone Centenary Fund is being 
inaugurated for this purpose. This fund will be 
devoted to:—(1) The paying off of the mortgage of 
35001. on the property; (2) the carrying out of certain 
important improvements in the college premises; (3) 
the raising of an endowment; and for this at least 
10,0001. will be needed. Full particulars can be 
obtained from the principal at the college, Leyton, E. 
THE commencement address delivered by President 
B. I. Wheeler, president of the University of Cali- 
fornia, has been reprinted in pamphlet form from the 
University of California Chronicle (vol. xi., No. 3). 
From a copy which has reached us we find that Presi- 
dent Wheeler attempted to answer the question, 
“What may the community fairly expect of a college 
graduate?”’ From his answer to the inquiry, the 
following obiter dicta will prove of interest :—‘‘ The 
world may fairly expect the college graduate to know 
something. It will be willing, however, to excuse 
him from the persistent assertion thereof.’’ ‘‘One of 
the chief advantages . . . which an educated man 
ought to have over other men should be that he 
knows what he does not know.” “Specialisation of 
the right sort in the right men gives range and per- 
spective.” President Wheeler insists rightly that it is 
a pity so few students have yet come to appreciate the 
value of being able to express what they know in 
intelligible and effective language, both written and 
spoken. ‘‘ Knowledge,” he says, “without language 
NO. 2224, VOL. 89] 
is gold coin withdrawn from circulation and placed 
in a safe-deposit box.” 
Tue annual report of the school medical officer for 
Exeter, Mr. P. H. Stirk, for the year 1911 has been 
received. The impression made by an examination 
of the records collected in it is that a well-considered 
scheme is providing the information necessary to 
arrange for modifications of the conditions of school 
life which will result in improved health and physique 
for the children. The head teachers and attendance 
officers are cooperating heartily, and already many 
| improvements have been noticed. During the year 
3817 children were medicaliy examined out of 7380 
on the register. Of this number, 2666 were routine 
examinations, 612 were special cases at the inspec- 
tion clinic, and 520 were re-examinations of defective 
children. In some schools well over 90 per cent. of 
the parents were present at the examination, and the 
average throughout the city was 75 per cent., 
numbers which show that the parents understand 
and appreciate the efforts made for their children. 
Moreover, 83 per cent. of the children have received 
the treatment suggested, and, as shown by the 
medical officer’s subsequent examination, this proved 
of a satisfactory nature. 
In submitting for the first time the Education 
Estimates for England and Wales, which amount to 
144 millions, Mr. Pease, the Minister of Education, 
gave, in the House of Commons on June 6, an admir- 
able résumé of the work of the Board of Education 
during the past year. In his speech he referred to 
every branch of our national education, and it is 
' possible here to make reference oniy to one or two 
points of outstanding importance. Speaking of the 
abolition of the examinations in the elementary stages 
of science, which have been conducted by the Board 
for many years, Mr. Pease said it is hoped by the 
present policy to arouse increased interest among the 
employers of the country and to get them to do 
more for their employees by forming committees to 
work with the local education authorities to establish 
technical classes connected with engineering, build- 
ing, and textile industries, and to assist the work 
by holding examinations locally for themselves, the 
certificates awarded being in suitable circumstances 
endorsed by the Board of Education. Dealing with 
university work, the President explained the method 
of allocating the various Treasury grants, and spoke 
of the need for greater private munificence. 
THERE was considerable discussion at the meetings 
of the General Medical Council last week as to the 
present condition of English secondary education. 
Sir Clifford Allbutt described it as chaotic, and the 
| president, Sir Donald MacAlister, agreed with the 
description, and urged that the Government should 
establish something like a leaving certificate, such as 
exists in Scotland. An amendment to refer back 
certain recommendations made by the Education 
Committee relative to a higher standard for the 
preliminary examinations of the profession was lost. 
Another amendment to the effect ‘‘That no further 
additions be made to the list of secondary schools 
approved by the council as recognised teaching insti- 
tutions until the council has had the experience of 
some years regarding the effect of the recognitions 
already granted,’’ was also lost. It was decided that 
a secondary school applying for recognition as a place 
of study in chemistry, physics, or biology be required 
to state (1) that it is a public foundation ; (2) the sub- 
jects in which it desires approval; (3) the name of 
the licensing body by which it has been recognised as 
a place of study and the subjects in which it has 
been recognised; and (4) the date of the last inspec- 
tion for that purpose. 
