Septembek 19, 1919] 



SCIENCE 



271 



smile, we may at least believe that they looked 

 forward to the things they could not accomplish 

 but which you shall accomplish. 



SCIENTIFIC EVENTS 



THE JAMES WATT CENTENARY COMMEMORA- 

 TION AT BIRMINGHAMi 



The arrangements for tlie James Watt cen- 

 tenary commemoration are now practically 

 complete, the general scheme being set forth 

 in a pamphlet issued by the Centenary Com- 

 mittee. The form which the memorial is to 

 take is threefold: (1) To endow a professor- 

 ship of engineering, to be known as the James 

 Watt chair, at the University of Birmingham, 

 for the promotion of research in the funda- 

 mental principles underlying the production 

 of power, and the study of the conservation 

 of the natural sources of energy; (2) to erect 

 a James Watt memorial building to serve as 

 a museum for collecting together examples of 

 the work of James Watt and his contem- 

 poraries, Boulton and Murdock, as a meeting 

 place and library for scientific and technical 

 societies, and as a center from which engineers 

 could cooperate in spreading scientific knowl- 

 edge; and (3) to publish a memorial volume. 



The success of the memorial will depend 

 upon the response to the appeal for funds, and 

 we are glad to note that assurances of support 

 have come not only from all parts of the 

 British Isles, but also from France and 

 America. As indicated in our issue of May 

 15, we attach special importance to the foun- 

 dation of the James Watt chair of engineer- 

 ing, and we can imagine no better memorial 

 to the great engineer than the creation of a 

 school of research so endowed as to attract 

 both a professor of exceptional ability and also 

 the most brilliant students, of whatever class. 

 Such a scheme would require an endowment 

 on a scale altogether greater than that which 

 is usually associated with chairs in univer- 

 sities, but it should be possible to raise the 

 necessary money — especially with the sym- 

 pathetic help of America, which of recent 

 years has shown not only a ready appreciation 

 of the value of scientific research, but also a 



1 From Nature. 



generosity in its endowment which has been 

 more admired than imitated in this country. 

 It must always be remembered that the vital 

 factor in research is the man, and every pos- 

 sible inducement should be offered to secure 

 the best men, both as directors and students. 



The commemoration ceremonies are to ex- 

 tend over the three days, September 16-18, 

 and the official program includes a garden- 

 party at Watt's house (where his workshop 

 can be seen in the state in which he left it in 

 1819), and visits to Soho Foundry and two of 

 his engines (one of which, the first pumping 

 engine built for sale by Boulton and Watt in 

 1776, will be seen at work). A degree con- 

 gregation is to be held by the . university at 

 which honorary degrees will be conferred on 

 distinguished engineers and men of science. 



The committee has issued a short pamphlet 

 (by Professor F. W. Burstall) in which arc 

 appreciation is given of the salient facts in 

 the life of Watt, and of his epoch-making 

 association with his colleagues Boiilton and 

 Murdock. 



MEETING OF THE SUBCOMMITTEE ON 



PATHOMETRY OF THE INFLUENZA 



EPIDEMIC OF THE PUBLIC 



HEALTH ASSOCIATION 



The Section on Vital Statistics of the 

 American Public Health Association at the 

 Annual Meeting in Chicago in December, 

 1918, reorganized the Special Committee on 

 Statistical Study of the Influenza Epidemic 

 with three subcommittees on Eegistration and 

 Tabulation Practise of the Federal Depart- 

 ments (Subcommittee A), the State Depart- 

 ments and Commissions (Subcommittee B) 

 Municipal Boards of Health and of other 

 local Public Heath Agencies (Subcommittee 

 C) and a fourth subcommittee (D) on Path- 

 ometry or Mathematical Analysis and Inter- 

 pretation of the Epidemic. 



Subcommittee A, B, C have met at various 

 times and will have data ready for the con- 

 sideration of subcommittee D at a meeting 

 called for 9 :30 a.m., September 19, at Columbia 

 University. Sessions wil follow in the after- 

 noon and on Saturday the twentieth. 



The discussions at the preliminary meetings 



