SEPTEMBER 20, 1918] 
Case of Disintegration of a Copper-Alumin- 
ium Alloy, Dr. R. Seligman and Mr. P. Wil- 
liams. 
Tue Societa italiana per il Progresso delle 
Scienze, the head offices of which are in Rome, 
has issued, as we learn from Nature, the pro- 
gram of the tenth meeting, which is to be held 
in Pisa on October 16-19 under the presidency 
of Professor Ferdinando Lori and the secre- 
taryship of Professor Vincenzo Reina. The 
success of the meetings at Rome in 1916 and 
at Milan and Turin in 1917 has convinced the 
council that it will be interpreting the wishes 
of the members in continuing even in war-time 
to maintain its activity in promoting the ad- 
vancement of knowledge in the country. 
Mathematics, physics, chemistry and aeronaut- 
ics do not figure in the proceedings of the sec- 
tions, which are to be devoted mainly to geo- 
logical and mineralogical papers in Class A, 
biological and medical in Class B, and econom- 
ical in Class C. It is the object of the meeting 
to pay a large amount of attention to the study 
of the mineral resources of Italy. At the same 
time the Italian Thalassographic Commission 
is organizing a subsection of Class B on fish- 
eries, and is presenting an annual report, while 
similar reports are being presented by the 
Glaciological Committee and the- National 
Commission for the Development of Scientific 
and Industrial Progress. The Italian Associa- 
tion for the Study of Building Materials is to 
meet in Pisa at the time of the congress. The 
opening meeting of the scientific gathering is 
to be held on October 16, at the university, 
when an inaugural address will be given by 
Professor Raffaello Nasini on “ A proposal for 
an inventory of Italy’s mineral wealth.” In 
addition to the sectional meetings, nine gen- 
eral lectures have been arranged for the morn- 
ings of the subsequent days, while the sections 
will meet in the afternoons, and an excursion 
will take place on the Sunday. 
The British Medical Journal states that the 
council of the Paris Medical Faculty has 
drawn up a report setting forth a number of 
reforms and extensions which it is proposed to 
make in the scope and methods of its teaching 
SCIENCE 
293 
work. For the teaching of pathology cine- 
matographic apparatus will be installed in the 
lecture theaters and collections of films are to 
be made. One of the two chairs of internal 
pathology is to be transformed into a clinic of 
infectious diseases. The practical curriculum 
is to be completed and supplemented by a large 
scheme of free clinical teaching in which all 
the members of hospital staffs who wish to do 
so will take part. With the object of ensuring 
almost full autonomy to the services of the fac- 
ulty by securing the most favorable organiza- 
tion for the treatment of patients and the in- 
struction of students a commission of studies 
has been set up which includes representatives 
of the Ministries of Public Instruction and of 
the Interior, the Prefecture of the Seine, the 
Municipal Council, the University, the Fac- 
ulty and the medical staffs of the hospitals. 
Arrangements will be made for the purpose 
of attracting to Paris men of science, doctors 
and students from foreign countries. The goy- 
ernment has favorably received a request that 
it should provide funds for the improvement of 
existing services and for the creation of others, 
particularly an institute of medical biology. 
Internal improvements have been made in the 
library and museums of the faculty. <A special 
committee has been engaged in elaborating 
the statutes of a society of friends of the Paris 
Medical faculty. 
Tue Journal of Industrial and Engineering 
Chemistry states that the straits to which Ger- 
many has been reduced by the cutting off of oi} 
supplies from outside has led to some remark- 
able discoveries or at least communications of 
discoveries. Professor R. France, of Munich, 
claims to have discovered a new source of oil 
in certain cryptogamic plants growing in 
Bavaria to which he has given the name 
“Esaphone.” He calculates that by adding 
thereto certain other parasitic plants growing 
in Germany some 1,200,000 kilos of oil of ex- 
cellent quality can be obtained per annum. 
As it does not congeal except at about 40° be- 
low zero, he suggests that it would be highly 
useful for aeroplanes and the engines of ves- 
sels going to arctic regions. Professor France 
