248 



SCIENCE 



[Vol. LVI, No. 1444 



seriptions to the memorial may be sent direct 

 to Mile. L. Deliorne, treasurer of the com- 

 mittee, at the Laboratory of Zoology, Sorbonne, 

 1, rue Victor-Cousin, Paris, 5<^, or through any 

 one of the American members of the committee, 

 F. E. Lillie, T. H. Morgan and C. B. Daven- 

 port. 



We learn from the Journal of the American 

 Medical Association that Professor E. Marchia- 

 fava, having reached the age of seventy-five, 

 retired, June 5, from the chair of pathological 

 anatomy at the University of Eome after forty- 

 eight years of continuous incumbency. A fund 

 has been endowed in his name by contributions 

 from royalty, the city of Rome, the Italian 

 Bed Cross, the public health service, the hos- 

 pitals and banks, and others, to found scholar- 

 ships at the University of Eome. A number of 

 •addresses were made by delegates from various 

 scientific societies and Marchiafava's numerous 

 contributions to science were enumerated, his 

 initial research on malaria and his leadership 

 in the campaign against malaria in Italy, his 

 discovery of the estivo-autumnal parasite, of 

 the cause of melanemia, and his studies in 

 syphilis, tuberculosis, alcoholism, etc. The city 

 of Rome has always regarded him as the one 

 responsible for having freed it from malaria. 

 One of his latest works was the foundation of 

 the Asilo Antimalarico Communale as a home 

 in Rome for the children of families living in 

 the malaria infested marshy districts in the 

 region. A tablet was placed on this building 

 by the community when it was inaugurated last 

 year, paying tribute to Marchiafava as the 

 originator of the project. 



The tariff bill as passed by the Senate pro- 

 vides for the continuation of the policy that 

 scientific instruments and apparatus which are 

 imported by edmcational institutions and used 

 solely for educational purposes shall be ad- 

 mitted free of tariff duty. The provision was 

 adopted by a vote of 30 to 26. 



The Journal of the American Medical Asso- 

 ciation notes that in the final passage of the 

 tariff bill, the Senate reversed its position on 

 the importation of dyes and synthetic medi- 

 cines, and placed extremely high duties on all 

 such articles. There was read to the Senate a 



letter from Secretary of War John W. Weeks 

 urging that the American dye industry and 

 synthetic medicine industry be protected in the 

 interest of national defense and public health. 

 While the Senate did not vote that there should 

 be an embargo on these products, the tariff 

 duties are of such nature that they will in 

 effect be a conservative check on the importa- 

 tion of dyes and synthetic medicines derived 

 therefrom. The new duties fix the duty on 

 coal-tar dye intermediates at 10.5 cents a pound 

 and an additional 75 per cent, ad valorem, and 

 on finished dyes and coal-tar products, 90 per 

 cent, ad valorem. In urging the adoption by 

 the Senate of these rates. Senator Wadsworth, 

 of !N"ew York, showed that England, France and 

 Italy have placed an embargo against the im- 

 portation of dyestuffs. He said that as a 

 people we have paid little attention and given 

 small encouragement to scientific research. He 

 asserted that chemical laboratories can not be 

 maintained unless there is a chemical industry, 

 and that research in the laboratory and chem- 

 ical industry go hand in hand. As a result of 

 the action taken by the Senate on this legisla- 

 tion, it is said that approximately 200 labora- 

 tories and plants manufacturing medicinals and 

 coal-tar products which have been built up in 

 this country since the war will be enabled to 

 continue operations. 



The American Dietetic Association will hold 

 its fifth annual meeting in Washington, D. C, 

 October 16 to 18, with headquarters at the New 

 Willard Hotel. Speakers of national reputa- 

 tion will discuss recent developments in 

 dietetics, as well as administrative and other 

 practical problems of the dietitian. Trips to 

 Walter Eeed Hospital and the scientific labora- 

 tories of the government will give opportuni- 

 ties to observe the research work now carried 

 on in Washington. An exhibit of equipment, 

 food materials, charts and other illustrative 

 matter will be a feature of the convention. 



Under the auspices of the New England 

 Section of the American Society of Agronomy, 

 and in cooperation with the Maine Agricul- 

 tural Experiment Station and Aroostook 

 County Farm Bureau, some thirty agronomists, 

 pathologists and others interested in problems 



