324 



SCIENCE 



[N. S. Vol. L. No. 1292 



ment of medical education in the United 

 States. The following annoimcement has 

 been made: 



" The General Education Board announces 

 a gift from John D. Eockefeller of twenty mil- 

 lions of dollars, the income to be currently 

 used and the entire principal to be distributed 

 within fifty years for the improvement of 

 medical education in the United States." 



The working capital previous to this ac- 

 cretion amounted to between $35,000,000 and 

 $40,000,000. Since the present sum is to be 

 devoted exclusively to medical education, 

 whereas the board's previous resources, under 

 the terms of the charter granted it by Con- 

 gress, have been devoted to "promoting edu- 

 cation within the United States, without dis- 

 tinction of race, creed or sex," the activities 

 of the organization with respect to medical 

 teaching will be greatly increased. 



The board will meet in December, at which 

 time a detailed program with respect to med- 

 ical education will be mapjwd out. 



Mr. Abraham Flexner, secretary of the 

 board, stated in a general way that just as 

 the board in the past out of its general funds 

 has made considerable donations to the treas- 

 uries of medical schools of such universities 

 as Yale, Johns Hopkins, Chicago and Wash- 

 ington in St. Louis, it will, as soon as its plans 

 are worked out, spend large smns for the im- 

 provement of the hospital facilities, the teach- 

 ing staffs and the laboratory facilities of such 

 schools as are decided to be worthy of help. 

 It was pointed out that imder the terms of 

 the gift while the entire principal must be 

 distributed within fifty years, there is nothing 

 to prevent the concurrent distribution of both 

 principal and interest and this, he said, un- 

 doubtedly would be done. 



Mr. Flexner stated that there would be a 

 general survey of the schools of the country 

 which would determine not only which ones 

 could be improved, but also what were the 

 specific needs in each instance. The needs of 

 all parts of the country would be taken into 

 consideration in apportioning such sums as it 

 is decided to disburse from the fund. 



LECTURES ON POPULAR SCIENCE AT THE UNI- 

 VERSITY OF CALIFORNIA 



The Sunday afternoon lectures on popular 

 science topics given the research men of the 

 University of California and Stanford Uni- 

 versity and the local representatives of the 

 various United States Bureaus under the aus- 

 pices of the California Academy of Sciences 

 in the Museiun in Golden Gate Park are serv- 

 ing a good purpose in bringing into closer re- 

 lations the scientific expert and the public. 

 The following illustrated lectures have been 

 announced : 



October 12: Dr. Walter P. Taylor, assistant 

 biologist, United States Biologieal Survey, Wash- 

 ington, D. C, on "The flora and fauna of Mount 

 Rainier. ' ' 



October 19: Mr. C. A. Kupfer, forest investi- 

 gator, United States Forest Service, San Francisco, 

 on ' ' California 's future ; what the Forest Service 

 is doing to determine and meet the coming de- 

 mands for timber and other National Forest re- 

 sources. ' ' 



October 26: Mr. E. F. Hammatt, in charge in- 

 formation, United States Forest Service, San Fran- 

 cisco on "Some forestry problems, both govern- 

 ment and private." 



November 2: Mr. F. D. Douthitt, grazing ex- 

 aminer, United States Forest Service, San Fran- 

 cisco, on ' ' Eange management on the National 

 Forests in California." 



November 9: Mr. Don P. Johnston, assistant dis- 

 trict forester, United States Forest Service, San 

 Francisco, on "Industrial research in the Forest 

 Service. ' ' 



THE AMERICAN SOCIETY OF NATURALISTS 



The American Society of Naturalists will 

 hold its thirty-seventh annual meeting at 

 Princeton University, on Tuesday and Wed- 

 nesday, December 30 and 31. The society will 

 offer, beginning on Tuesday morning, Decem- 

 ber 30, a program to which its members are 

 invited to contribute papers. 



A symposium on " Some Relations of Biol- 

 ogy to Human Welfare" will be presented on 

 Tuesday afternoon. 



The Naturalists' dinner will be held on the 

 evening of Tuesday. At the close of the din- 

 ner Edward M. East will give an address en- 

 titled " Population." 



