June 10, 1898.] 



SCIENCE. 



797 



SCIENTIFIC NOTES AND NEWS. 



LORD PLAYFAIB. 



Baron Lyon Playfaie, the eminent chemist 

 and statesman, died in London on May 29th. 

 We take the following facts regarding his life 

 from the New York Evening Post : He was a son 

 of George Play fair, Chief Inspector- General of 

 Bengal Hospitals, and was born at Meerut, 

 Bengal, on May 21, 1819. He was educated at 

 the University of St. Andrew's, and at an early 

 age took an especial interest in chemistry. 

 After studying the science at Glasgow andGies- 

 sen he was appointed, in 1843, professor of 

 chemistry in the Royal Institution at Manches- 

 ter. In the following year he was appointed on 

 the commission constituted to examine into the 

 sanitary condition of the large towns and popu- 

 lous districts of England. He was then ap- 

 pointed chemist to the Museum of Practical 

 Geology. In the great exhibitions of 1851 and 

 1872 he was Special Commissioner in charge of 

 the Department of Juries. He was chairman 

 of the finance committee of the English Com- 

 mission at the French exhibition of 1878. Mean- 

 while, in 1856, he became Inspector-General of 

 Government Museums and Schools of Science, 

 and in the following year was elected President 

 of the Chemical Society of London. He be- 

 came professor of chemistry, in 1858, at Edin- 

 burgh University. In conjunction with Sir 

 Henry de la Beche, he examined, at the desire 

 of the Admiralty, into the suitableness of the 

 coals of the United Kingdom for the purposes 

 of the navy, and into the causes of accidents in 

 mines. He was one of the Royal Commission- 

 ers to inquire into the cattle plague on its ap- 

 pearance in England, and a member of the 

 commission which laid the basis for the with- 

 drawal of legislative restrictions on sea fisheries. 

 In 1874 he was President of the Civil Service 

 Inquiry Commission, which produced an elabo- 

 rate scheme for the reorganization of the British 

 civil service. He sat in Parliament for the 

 Universities of Edinburgh and St. Andrew's 

 from 1868 to 1885, and for Leeds from 

 1885 to 1892, at which time he was raised 

 to the peerage of the United Kingdom. In the 

 Liberal Ministry of 1873 and 1874 he was Post- 

 master-General. In Mr. Gladstone's govern- 

 ment of 1886 he was Vice-President of the 



Council. He was a member of many learned 

 societies, and held many British and foreign 

 orders. 



THE IMPERIAL INSTITUTE. 



The annual meeting of the governing body 

 of the Imperial Institute, London, was held on 

 May 4th. The Prince of Wales (President of 

 the Institute) presided, and expressed his satis- 

 faction, according to the report in the London 

 Times, at the steady progress made in various 

 branches of important work of the Institute, as 

 detailed in the report, and with the reduction 

 of expenditure which had been the result of 

 careful revision of the executive of various 

 branches of the Institute, and incidental expen- 

 ses. He expressed the hope that members of 

 the governing body would use their best en- 

 deavors to promote the proper recognition of 

 the work which the Institute was carrying out 

 by inducing people in different parts of the Uni- 

 ted Kingdom to become members. 



The annual meeting of the Institute was after- 

 wards held under the chairmanship of Lord 

 Hersohell. In the annual report, which was 

 read to the meeting by the Hon. Secretary, it 

 was shown, in considerable detail, that the fifth 

 year of the Institute's operations had witnessed 

 a steady expansion, as well as a distinct advance, 

 in their establishment upon a firm footing. It 

 was reported that a public commercial news- 

 room, very completely equipped with commer- 

 cial and of&cial publications, had been opened 

 in connection with the collections of the Insti- 

 tute, and that steps were in contemplation for 

 establishing a City branch of the information 

 department of the Institute, to which the public 

 news-room would probably be transferred. The 

 number of public lectures delivered during the 

 winter season had been considerably increased. 

 The exercise of rigid economy, and a careful 

 revision of the details of administration, etc., 

 were reported to have resulted in reductions of 

 expenditure in almost every direction. There 

 had been a considerable falling-off in the num- 

 ber of Fellows during the year, and there had 

 been a somewhat heavy outlay in connection 

 with the Yachting and Fisheries Exhibition. 

 On the other hand, the exhibition of Jubilee 

 presents had furnished a substantial addition to 



