October 7, 1922] 



NA TURE 



491 



FitzGerald was deeply interested in the question of 

 the possibility of detecting the earth's motion through 

 the aether, and Trouton eagerly took up a suggestion 

 to investigate the mechanical effect of charging a 

 condenser moving in the plane of its plates through 

 the aether. The experiment, which is well known to 

 all students of relativity, gave a negative result. It 

 was in 1902, just after this research, that Trouton was 

 appointed to the Quain professorship of physics at 

 University College, London. He had at the time been 

 for some years a Fellow of the Royal Society. His 

 first work here was to repeat, with Noble, the condenser 

 experiment in an improved form. Later he devised 

 another experiment, designed to detect the FitzGerald 

 shrinkage, which consisted in comparing the electrical 

 resistance of a wire when moving in and across the 

 aether stream. This was carried out in collaboration 

 with Mr. (now Prof.) A. 0. Rankine, and led to a 

 negative result. The results of these experiments are 

 in accord with the theory of relativity, for which they 

 offer important evidence. 



Trouton carried out researches in a variety of direc- 

 tions, including some on the viscosity of solids, and 

 others on the condensation of water vapour on different 

 surfaces, the latter of which led to the discovery of an 

 interesting analog) 7 to the James Thomson portion of 

 an isothermal. His last work was on the adsorption of 

 dye-stuffs on sand at various concentrations, and gave 

 results of an intriguing nature which cannot be described 

 here. It was while engaged on these investigations 

 in 1912 that Trouton was attacked by a severe illness. 

 He recovered from a prolonged prostration sufficiently 

 for it to be hoped that he would be able to attend the 

 meeting of the British Association in Australia in 

 1914, and he was elected president of Section A for 

 that meeting. He prepared his presidential address, 

 but was unable to travel, as an early operation was 

 advised. It was held to be partly successful, but he 

 never walked again. When he resigned his pro- 



fessorship at University College he received the title 

 of emeritus professor. 



The investigation of newly discovered or of neglected 

 phenomena had a great fascination for Trouton ; he 

 was always breaking fresh ground, and had little 

 inclination for working over subjects on which many 

 investigations had been carried out — " pouring water 

 on a drowned rat," as he characteristically expressed 

 it. In daily life he was a man of great charm and 

 sincerity ; his wit, his buoyancy, and his whimsical 

 and incisive phrases were a constant delight. He never 

 lost an opportunity of helping a student or colleague, 

 and his kindliness was evident in all his actions, a 

 kindliness which had its roots in strength, and not 

 weakness, of character. When in the prime of life 

 he was struck down by a cruel and lingering illness he 

 carried his cheerfulness to his couch, and would receive 

 visitors with something like the old twinkle in his eye. 

 Fate did not spare him ; he lost two hopeful and beloved 

 sons in the war, and saw all hope of recovery slowly 

 pass from him. He died peacefully at his house at 

 Downe on September 21, and, although his death was 

 not unexpected, it brought to his friends a distress no 

 less poignant for that. 



E. N. da C. A. 



We regret to see announcements of the following 

 deaths : — Pro f> Arthur Mayer, formerly director of the 

 Botanic Garden at Marburg, at the age of seventy- 

 two years ; Dr. William Kellner, formerly chemist to 

 the War Department, aged eighty-two ; on September 

 25, Prof. J. P. Kuenen, of the University of Leyden, 

 aged fifty-five ; on September 27, Mr. C. Michie Smith, 

 late director of the Kodaikanal and Madras Observa- 

 tories ; and on September 28, Major-General James 

 Waterhouse, from 1866 to 1897 Assistant Surveyor- 

 General in charge of photographic operations in the 

 Surveyor - General's Office, Calcutta, at the age of 

 eighty years. 



Current Topics and Events. 



The hundreth anniversary of the birth of Mendel 

 was celebrated in Briinn on September 23 last. The 

 Government of Czecho-Slovakia placed generous funds 

 at the disposal of a local committee, which arranged 

 the centenary celebrations with the liberality and 

 efficiency that we have learnt to expect from the new 

 Czecho-Slovakian state. Credit is especially due to 

 the committee for having made the centenary an 

 occasion for bringing together, for the first time since 

 the war, geneticists of all lands, the visitors comprising 

 representatives of America, Austria, Denmark, 

 England, Finland, Germany, Holland, India, Japan, 

 Jugoslavia, Norway, Poland, Sweden, and Switzer- 

 land. The official proceedings opened with a visit 

 to the monastery in which Mendel had lived, and to 

 the adjoining garden in which he made his experi- 

 ments. Wreaths were laid before the monument of 

 Mendel which was erected in 1910, and speeches were 

 made by the chairman of the local Natuiwisseh- 

 schaftlicher Verein, by the official representative of 

 the Government, by the Burgomeister, by Prof. 



NO. 2762, VOL. I IO] 



Erwin Baur (Berlin), Prof. Chodat (Geneva), Prof. 

 Nemec (Prague), Mr. S. Pease (Cambridge), and Prof, 

 litis (Briinn). At the luncheon which followed, the 

 principal speaker was Prof. Wettstein (Vienna), who 

 emphasised particularly the international significance 

 of the event. Prof. C. B. Davenport (Washington) 

 replied, and the official proceedings terminated with a 

 speech by Prof. Richard Hertwig (Munich). In the 

 evening, a special performance was given at the opera, 

 to which the guests were invited : it was the first 

 occasion in Briinn on which the works of Czech and 

 German composers had appeared on the same pro- 

 gramme, a matter locally of much comment and great 

 importance. The next day an expedition to recently 

 discovered and very remarkable caves in the Moravian 

 Karst was arranged. It is to be hoped that the success 

 of this gathering will encourage others to organise 

 congresses that are international and not merely 

 inter-allied, in order that the friendships and inter- 

 course which the war destroyed may be once more 

 built up. 



