172 
in their sections, and unable to cultivate it 
on their culture media, and consequently, 
have very generally reached the conclu- 
sion that it does not exist. Granted the 
existence of such an organism, and we 
have a ready explanation for the growth 
of the cancer cell in defiance of the physio- 
logical needs of the organism. ‘The 
hitherto inexplicable occasional change in 
the nature of the cell-growth of tumors, 
é. g., from epithelial to carcinomatous and 
from carcinomatous to sarcomatous also 
finds its explanation in the presence of a 
sensitive microorganism growing usually 
in the kind of eell originally infected but 
eapable under certain circumstances of in- 
vading other types of cells. 
Erwin FE. Situ 
U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 
[The illustrations accompanying this address 
will be reproduced at an early date in a bulletin 
to be published by the U. S. Department of Agri- 
culture. | 
THE ROYAL ENGINEERING COLLEGE AT 
CHARLOTTENBURG—BERLIN 
Diz Koénigliche technische Hochschule 
zu Berlin’ is the leading school for higher » 
learning in technical subjects in the Ger- 
man Empire. It is not an imperial insti- 
tution; but was founded and is supported 
by the state of Prussia. It is under the 
immediate control of the Prussian Uni- 
versity of Public Instruction. 
This school covers, in general, the same 
ground as the Massachusetts Institute of 
Technology, the Troy Polytechnic, the 
Stevens Institute and the schools or col- 
leges of engineering in our own state uni- 
versities, including, like that of Illinois, 
1This term has been translated into English in 
many different ways: the Royal Technical College; 
the Technical University; etc. I prefer the one 
I have placed at the head of this article. 
SCIENCE 
[N.S. Von. XXXV. No. 892 
for instance, a department of architecture.? 
The constitutional statute as revised in 
1882 declares it to be ‘‘the purpose of the 
Technische Hochschule to furnish a suit- 
able higher training for technical careers 
in the public service of the state and the 
municipalities as well as for private prac- 
tise in the industrial life of the nation; 
and further (and this is very important) 
to cultivate the sciences and the arts which 
underlie the field of technical instruc- 
TRON 9 
The school is divided into six depart- 
ments: Architecture; Civil Engineering; 
Mechanical and Electrical Engineering; 
Marine Engineering and Construction; 
Chemistry and Metallurgy; and General 
Science, including Mathematics and the 
Natural Sciences. 
The requirements for admission have in 
common for all departments the certificate 
of graduation from a gymnasium, real- 
gymnasium, or higher realschule; 7. e., the 
ordinary preparatory classical or scientific 
college of the German empire.* 
A year’s practical work in a shop or 
factory is furthermore required of those 
who wish to take the technical degree in 
mechanical or electrical engineering and 
in a ship yard for those who wish to take 
marine engineering. A shorter time otf 
practical work suffices for the candidates 
*The engineering school at the University of 
Illinois was organized along similar lines to those 
of the school at Charlottenburg. Its first dean 
was Dr. Nathan C. Ricker, who was a student in 
Germany in his early years. 
*The German never loses sight of the fact that 
the promotion of our scientific knowledge by orig- 
inal investigation and research is fundamental to 
all successful organization of higher education. 
*The normal age for completing this prepara- 
tory course is 18 years. The average age, however, 
and the age of the majority of the graduates is 
nearer 19; although many finish the course at 17 
and a few at 16. 
