September 9, 1921] 



SCIENCE 



217 



expedition reached the mouth of the river, 

 but much of the equipment and many sup- 

 plies were lost. Orton, with a few com- 

 panions, made the 600-mile journey back to 

 La Paz through the forest and jungle amid 

 incredible hardships. He died on crossing 

 Lake Titicaca. 



VACCINATION FOR SMALLPOX IN ENGLAND 



The London Times reports that at Notting- 

 ham, an epidemic of considerable proportions 

 is now established; there have been 46 cases, 

 36 being unvaccinated, since the beginning of 

 February. Last year a somewhat serious out- 

 break took place in Glasgow. 



It is said that many towns in the country 

 are badly protected at present for the doctrines 

 of the opponents of vaccination have been 

 widely spread. Of some areas it would be 

 fair to say that they are destitute of protec- 

 tion. The population has simply refused vac- 

 cination en masse. An illustration — which 

 is by no means exceptional — is Coventry, 

 where the medical officer of health has issued 

 the following figures: 



Vaccinated, 



Year Births Percentage 



1916 2,996 22.9 



1917 2,738 1.3.0 



1918 2,8.57 10.7 



1919 2,429 8.7 



1920 3,372 9,6 



It was deliberate, as the following list 

 makes quite clear: 



Year Declarations made of con- 



scientious objections 



1916 1,946 



1917 1,830 



1918 1,763 



1919 1,250 



1920 2,303 



The medical officer points out that " this 

 community is becoming largely an unvacci- 

 nated one." 



What this may mean can be guessed from 

 a series of figures published by the City of 

 Liverpool in which the ravages of smallpox 

 during the past 51 years are set down. The 

 following are extracts: 



Year 

 1870 

 1871 

 1872 

 1873 

 1874 

 1875 

 1876 

 1877 

 1878 

 1879 

 1880 

 1881 

 1882 



The figures have remained very low since 

 then except for the sharp epidemic of 1903 

 when there were 141 deaths. In 1918 there 

 were only seven cases in England and Wales. 

 But the sharp drop in vaccination of the past 

 two years may be followed by a severe penalty. 



THE WORK OF THE ROYAL OBSERVATORY ' 

 AT THE CAPE OF GOOD HOPE 



S. S. Clough, H. M. astronomer at the Cape 

 of Good Hope, has recently issued' a report in 

 which he gives an account of the distribution 

 of the normal work of the observatory. 



Dr. Halm exercises general supervision in 

 all departments and takes part in heliometer 

 observations and observations of an extra- 

 routine character requiring special attention. 

 He acts in full charge of the observatory dur- 

 ing the absence of H. M. astronomer. Dr. 

 Lunt is in charge of the Victoria telescope 

 and its instrumental accessories, and of all 

 photographic work in connection therewith. 



Mr. Cox is in charge of the new meridian 

 circle and of the time signal service, and su- 

 pervises the reductions of all meridian obser- 

 vations. Mr. Woodgate is in charge of the 

 astrographic telescope, photo-heliograph and 

 seismograph, and of all photographic work 

 connected therewith, and supervises the de- 

 partment of miscellaneous computations. 



In addition to the above, a staff of fourteen 

 computers and assistants is employed. 



There are also attached to the observatory 

 an instrument maker, an electric fitter, a 

 stoker, a carpenter, and three Kroomen, who 



