Pebruabt 10, 1922] 



SCIENCE 



149 



yeai-s. By all the recognized physical and 

 chemical tests this cement passes the British 

 standard specification, but in respect of manu- 

 facture it would be barred because slag has 

 been added to it after clinkering. In Scotland 

 a form of this cement has been made for the 

 past 11 years called Coltness Portland cement. 



In addition to increasing sources of supply, 

 the Department of Scientific and Industrial 

 Research is maJjing inquiries into the question 

 of the more economical working of processes 

 which have become traditional, with a view to 

 spreading the knowledge thus gained. There 

 is an inquiry at present going on into the 

 economical use of fuel in the burning of biicks. 

 The greatest experts in the country at present 

 find themselves at a loss to state exactly the 

 total quantities of coal needed to burn, bricks, 

 and the practice varies most illogically in dif- 

 ferent brickfields. 



Another inquiry is being conducted into the 

 question of the gas-firing of kilns. This meth- 

 od of firing is in use in the potteries for firing 

 clay goods, and it has been used in Scotland 

 for the past 40 years for burning fire-bricks. 

 But the object of the present inquiry is to 

 ascertain whether it can be used for firing oi'- 

 dinary bricks. An expert investigator is being 

 sent over England, Belgium, Germany, and 

 the United States of America to collect the 

 latest data. 



THE GORGAS MEMORIAL INSTITUTE 



As has been noted in Science, Dr. Richard 

 P. Strong, head of the Harvard School of 

 Tropical Medicine, has been appointed scien- 

 tific director of the Gorgas Memorial Institute 

 which will be established at Panama for the 

 study of tropical diseases. Dr. Strong will con- 

 tinue his connection with the Harvard School. 



The Harvard Alumni Bulletin states that the 

 Grorgas Memorial will constitute a tropical 

 station for the Harvard School of Tropical 

 Medicine and for other medical schools. The 

 work in the laboratories at Panama will be 

 separated into four divisions: 1, bacteriology 

 and pathology; 2, protozoology and helmin- 

 thology; 3, entomology; 4, biological chemistry 

 and pharmacology. 



There will be intimate association and co- 

 operation between the Gorgas Memorial Insti- 

 tute and the Santo Tomas and Ancon Hospi- 

 tals and the Palo Saco Leper Asylum, and the 

 patients in these institutions will be available 

 for observation and study. Venomous animals, 

 poisonous plants, tropical climatology, and the 

 biological effects of sunlight, will also receive 

 attention in the work of the institute. 



Provision will be made for advanced instruc- 

 tion in tropical medicine and hygiene of a lim- 

 ited number of properly-qualified graduates of 

 recognized medical schools. A limited number 

 of advanced students will also be admitted for 

 special investigation upon tropical diseases and 

 their prevention. 



Properly-qualified volunteer workers will 

 also be received and the privileges of the insti- 

 tute will be extended and a special effort made 

 to attract experienced investigators from scien- 

 tific institutions in different parts of the world, 

 to carry on researches which can particularly 

 favorably be conducted in a tropical country. 

 It is especially hoped that members of scien- 

 tific faculties will avail themselves of this 

 opportunity during their sabbatical years or. 

 other periods of university leave. 



The larger part of the research work of the 

 institute will be carried out in the laboratories 

 in Panama, but it is also contemplated that 

 from time to time field expeditions will be sent 

 to other portions of the tropics for the solu- 

 tion of special problems in connection with the 

 diseases of men or animals. 



THE TEACHING OF EVOLUTION IN THE 

 KENTUCKY SCHOOLS 



A BILL has been introduced into the Ken- 

 tucky legislature forbidding the use of text- 

 books in the public schools in which the doc- 

 trine of evolution is taught. The movement 

 is said to have been forwarded by lectures in 

 the state by Mr. William Jennings Bryan. A 

 number of telegrams have been addressed to 

 Dr. Frank L. McVey, president of the Uni- 

 versity of Kentucky, among which are the 

 following : 



Camiot believe that any American legislature 

 can be induced to prohibit the teaching in public 

 schools of evolution or of any other scientific 



