596 
The opening of the Panama Canal, with the es- 
tablishment of new world trade routes, brought the 
danger of a wide distribution of yellow fever. Its 
appearance in Asia, for example, would be a catas- 
trophe. 
To obtain authoritative information and counsel, 
the board appointed a yellow fever commission, 
headed by General Gorgas. Associated with him 
were Dr. Henry R. Carter, of the United States 
Public Health Service; Dr. Juan Guiteras, chief 
health officer of Havana; Major T. C. Lyster and 
Major E. R. Whitmore, of the Medical Depart- 
ment, United States Army, and Mr. W. D. Wright- 
son. 
To define the problem accurately, the commis- 
sion, in the spring and summer of 1916, visited all 
countries in South America in which yellow fever 
had appeared in recent years. On its return it pre- 
sented a report, expressing the opinion, in which 
all members of the commission concurred, that the 
total eradication of yellow fever was feasible. 
In January, 1917, the board adopted a working 
program and appointed Dr. Gorgas director. The 
Secretary of War had agreed to release the surgeon 
general for this service, but the war compelled a 
postponement of the work which is now to be re- 
sumed. 
SCIENTIFIC NOTES AND NEWS 
Raymonp Dopce, professor of psychology in 
Wesleyan University, has been made lieuten- 
ant commander in the United States Navy, in 
recognition of the special psychological tests 
devised by him for the use of the Navy during 
the war. 
Dr. CHartzes §. VENABLE is a captain in 
the Development Division of the Chemical 
Warfare Service doing gas offense work in 
Cleveland. 
Proressor E. C. Franxuty, of Stanford 
University, is on leave of absence and is en- 
gaged in research work near Washington for 
the Nitrate Division, Ordnance Department of 
the Army. 
EicHt American engineers have sailed for 
France to attend the French Engineering Con- 
gress in Paris to study reconstruction in 
France and restoration of French industries. 
An invitation to send representatives to the 
meeting was received by the American Society 
SCIENCE 
[N. 8S. Vou. XLVIII. No. 1250 
of Civil Engineers from the French Society of 
Civil Engineers, and the American organiza- 
tion invited representation from the national 
societies of civil, mechanical, electric and min- 
ing engineers. The members of the delegation 
are: George F. Swain, Nelson P. Lewis, George 
W. Fuller, A. M. Hunt, George W. Tillson, 
Major James F. Case, L. B. Stillwell and E. 
Gybbon Spilsbury. 
Dr. Astiey P. C. AsHHuRsT, of Philadelphia, 
who went to France as a major in command of 
Base Hospital No. 34, unit of the Episcopal 
Hospital, has been promoted to the rank of 
lieutenant-colonel and placed in charge of all 
the hospitals in the Mantes Sector. His place 
as director of Base Hospital No. 34 has been 
taken by Dr. Emory G. Alexander. 
Masor J. OC. Firzceraup, director of Con- 
naught and Antitoxin Laboratories, University 
of Toronto, is at present with the Royal Army 
Medical Corps, as officer-commanding, No. 39 
Mobile Laboratory, France, and acting also as 
adviser in pathology. 
Dr. I. M. Lewis, formerly chairman of the 
school of botany in the University of Texas, 
is now a captain in the Sanitary Corps, sta- 
tioned at Yale University. He is in charge of 
the preliminary course given to officers in 
training at Yale University. 
LizuTenant Atyin R. Lame, of the Division 
of Food and Nutrition, Medical Department, 
U. S. Army, is now stationed at Camp Green- 
leaf, Ga. He is on leave of absence from the 
Iowa Agricultural Experiment Station. 
LizuTenant RautpH Benton, Inf., U. S. A, 
formerly associate professor of zoology in the 
University of Southern California and more 
recently of the United States Bureau of Bio- 
logical Survey, has been assigned as personnel 
adjutant at the College of the Pacific, San 
Jose, Calif. 
Tue following men, formerly members of the 
scientific staff of the Bureau of Biological Sur- 
vey, U. S. Department of Agriculture, are now 
engaged in rat-control work in connection with 
the Sanitary Corps of the American Army 
in France: Major Edward A. Goldman, in 
charge, assisted by Lieutenants Francis Har- 
