SCIENCE 



FBroAT, October 19, 1917 



CONTENTS 

 The Utilization of Patents for the Promotion 

 of Research : Professor T. Brailspokd 

 EOBERTSON 371 



Scientific Events:— 

 Joseph Young Bergen; The American Asso- 

 ciation of Variable Star Observers; The Cor- 

 nell Medical School; A School for Oral and 

 Plastic Surgery; The Med Cross Medical 

 Service 379 



Scientific Notes and News 381 



University aiid Educational News 385 



Discussion and Correspondence: — 



Isolation Cultures with Small Aquaria: Dr. 

 Frederick H. Blodgett. Two Methods of 

 Orientation of Small Objects in Paraffin: 

 Jas. a. Nelson. The Aurora Borealis: 

 Charles A. Mead 386 



Scientific Books: — 

 Jacl'soyi's Experimental Pharmacology: Dr. 

 David I. Macht 388 



Aphis Immunity of Teosinte-corn Hybrids: Dr. 

 W. B. Gernert 390 



Special Articles: — 

 The Tillering of Wheat: A. E. Grantham. 

 Transmitting the Fowl Nematode: James E. 

 ACKERT 392 



MSS. intendod for publication and.booka. etc., intended for 

 review should be sent to The Editor of Science, Garrison-on- 

 Hudson, N. y. 



THE UTILIZATION OF PATENTS FOR 

 THE PROMOTION OF RESEARCH 

 On September seventh of the current 

 year an agreement was executed between 

 Dr. T. Brails.ford Eobertson, professor of 

 biochemistry and pharmacology, and the re- 

 gents of the University of California, 

 whereby the ownership of his patents 

 covering the growth-influencing substance 

 "Tethelin" which he has isolated from the 

 anterior lobe of the pituitary body, and 

 which, among other possible applications to 

 therapy, promises to be of value in accel- 

 erating the repair of slowly healing wounds, 

 was transferred to the University of Cali- 

 fornia, upon the condition that the pro- 

 ceeds or profits which might accrue from 

 their ownership of these rights should be 

 devoted to the furtherance of medical re- 

 search, such research to be conducted under 

 the immediate direction of a board of di- 

 rectors constituted in the first instance of 

 the undei-signed individuals. 



The proposal thus advanced by Pro- 

 fessor Robertson and accepted by the re- 

 gents of the University of California con- 

 stitutes, we believe, a new development in 

 the relationship of science to the indus- 

 tries, and of scientific investigators to the 

 institutions employing them, and we be- 

 lieve that, as such, it should receive the 

 serious consideration of the scientific 

 public, entirely apart from the separate 

 question of the possible merits of this par- 

 ticular invention. 



The growing recognition of the intimate 

 dependence of the industries upon science 

 and the increasing complexity and require- 

 ments of scientific research itself, have led 



