April 9, 1920] 



SCIENCE 



361 



status of radiology among the sciences. He was 

 especially, insistent on the fundamental value of 

 physics to radiology, particularly in regard to 

 methods of measurement and the designing of 

 equipment, suibjeets in -which he was deeply inter- 

 ested up to the time of his death. 



Many in his own 'branch of the profession and a 

 number of his friends and former patients, wishing 

 to keep his memory green, have suggested that an 

 appeal for funds should be made to found a Mac- 

 kenzie Davidson Chair of Badiology at some uni- 

 versity. 



Had Mackenzie Davidson lived he would have 

 been among the first actively and generously to 

 support the foundation of an institute for teaching 

 and research in radiology, of which he was one of 

 the earliest pioneers. If funds permit, it is hoped to 

 found such an institute, to which possibly the chair 

 could be attached, and of which the personnel and 

 equipment would be beyond reproach. The benefit 

 accruing to the British School of Radiology would 

 be incalculable. 



Till quite recently radiology has been regarded 

 as a purely medical sulbject, but experimental re- 

 search has shown that X-rays may be profitably em- 

 ployed commercially in a number of industries. A 

 new subject, radiometallography, has, for example, 

 come into being, which offers great possibilities for 

 examining the internal structure of metals and 

 other materials. In this connection radiology has 

 already beeu turned to account by the steel manu- 

 facturer, the metallurgist, the engineer, the manu- 

 facturer of explosives, the aircraft constructor, the 

 glass manufacturer, etc. 



The future of radiology will therefore lie, not 

 only in the fight against disease and suffering, but 

 also in the increase of commercial and industrial 

 efficiency. But these new branches of radiology 

 need much investigatory work before they can come 

 fully into their own, and a chair of radiology asso- 

 ciated with an X-ray institute should play a worthy 

 part in such development. 



THE ENGLISH UNION OF SCIENTIFIC 

 WORKERS 



Nature reports that the half-yearly council 

 meeting of the National Union of Scientific 

 Workers, presided over by Mr. G. S. Baker, of 

 the National Physical Laboratory, was held at 

 University College on March fi. The rapid 

 growth of the union has necessitated the ap- 

 pointment of a full-time secretary, and Major 

 A. G. Church has been appointed to fill that 



ofiice. The research committee in its report 

 outlined the function of this body and that of 

 the research council, which it is hoped will 

 shortly be constituted. It will consider how 

 best industry and public administration should 

 be kept in close touch with the development of 

 scientific knowledge, and ensure that the views 

 and conditions of employment of scientific 

 workers shall receive consideration from all 

 bodies bringing forward schemes for research 

 in science or for the administration of re- 

 search. It was felt that the state should not 

 subsidize industrial research associations un- 

 less such bodies display an anxiety to ensure 

 that the direction of research shall be in the 

 hands of those who have shown capacity for 

 leadership in scientific work. A report on 

 patent rights presented by Mr. A. A. Griffith 

 emphasized the opinion " that the only satis- 

 factory way of remunerating salaried inventors 

 is to pay them adequate salaries ; a salaried in- 

 ventor receiving an adequate salary should 

 have no claim whatever to any extra payment 

 because his work proves unexpectedly remu- 

 nerative." On the motion of Miss A. B. Dale, 

 the council unanimously agreed to " protest 

 against the differential treatment of men and 

 women as regards the method of recruitment 

 to the Civil Service and the salary scales offered 

 therein as recommended by the Reorganization 

 Sub-committee of the Civil Service National 

 Whitley Council." 



THE HARVARD ENGINEERING SCHOOL AND IN- 

 DUSTRIAL COOPERATION 



The Harvard Engineering School has 

 adopted a new plan of instruction for the 

 junior year of the engineering course, whereby 

 students will hereafter be given an opportunity 

 to combine classroom work with six months of 

 active engineering practise and industrial 

 training. According to the new plan, which 

 will be inaugurated in June and will apply to 

 the instruction in mechanical, electrical, civil, 

 sanitary and municipal engineering, every stu- 

 dent who wishes to take the industrial train- 

 ing work will spend half his time during his 

 junior year working in industrial or engineer- 

 ing plants within easy reach of Cambridge. 



