260 



SCIENCE 



[N. S. Vol. XLIX, No. 1263 



scale of 1/200,000, each sheet embracing one 

 square degree, and including at least one 

 point whose coordinates shall be fixed with 

 satisfactory precision ; for this the polyhedrical 

 projection will be employed. In view of the 

 enormous extent of the territory a complete 

 new survey will be dispensed with, any trust- 

 worthy material already existing being em- 

 ployed and supplemented by reconnaissances 

 and astronomical determinations of position. 

 It is reckoned that about 8,000 kilom. have al- 

 ready been surveyed on the scale of 1/100,000, 

 and that about 1,Y00,000 kilom., or one fifth 

 of the total area of Brazil, have been mapped 

 on other scales. To resurvey the whole on the 

 1/100,000 scale would, it is calculated, occupy 

 690 years, and the small state of Rio de 

 Janeiro alone four years. But a map free 

 from important errors and giving a good gen- 

 eral representation of the country could be 

 made in twenty-one years, or less if existing 

 material is taken into account. Thus it is 

 hoped that a satisfactory mapping of half the 

 whole area may be completed in time for the 

 Centenary celebration, the other half being 

 left for the second century of independence. 



SCIENTIFIC MEETING OF THE BRITISH 

 MEDICAL ASSOCIATION 



During the four years of the war, the sci- 

 entific meetings of the British Medical Asso- 

 ciation were suspended and only the political 

 meetings of the representatives were held. 

 The last ordinary annual general meeting was 

 held in July, 1914, and it had been arranged 

 to hold the following meeting at Cambridge, 

 under the presidency of Sir Clifford Allbutt. 

 This meeting was abandoned, because of the 

 strain on the profession owing to the war. 

 The London correspondent of the Journal of 

 the American Medical Association writes that 

 it has been found imjwssible for Cambridge 

 to arrange to receive the association this year, 

 but it hopes to do so in 1920. It was there- 

 fore suggested that a special meeting might 

 be arranged this year for the discussion of 

 clinical and scientific subjects, but on a 

 smaller scale than usual. At a meeting, the 

 proposal was laid before Lieutenant General 



Sir John Goodwin, the director general of the 

 army medical service, and representatives of 

 the medical services of the British navy and 

 air force and of the medical services of the 

 Dominions and of the United States. In 

 opening the proceedings. Sir Clifford Allbutt 

 said that the time had come to relay old tracks 

 and make plans for reconstruction, but that 

 it had not been considered advisable to hold a 

 full dress meeting this year. A short scientific 

 meeting could be held this year in London 

 without any attempt at large organization or 

 elaborate entertaining. Dr. J. A. MacDonald, 

 chairman of the council, said that the main 

 object would be to bring together workers 

 from at home, the Dominions and the United 

 States to gamer knowledge and ideas from 

 those who had studied war medicine and sur- 

 gery. Lieutenant General Sir John Goodwin 

 thought that such a congress was most de- 

 sirable. Much scientific work of the highest 

 value had been done during the war, and the 

 results were now being analyzed. It would be 

 an immense advantage that they should be 

 examined. All possible facilities would be 

 given to assemble research workers from the 

 forces overseas. Colonel A. M. Whaley, 

 United States liaison medical officer with the 

 War Office, welcomed the idea on behalf of 

 the American medical officers serving in Eu- 

 rope. Approval was also expressed by repre- 

 sentatives of the Canadian, Australian and 

 New Zealand medical service. All agreed 

 that the meeting would be valuable in crystal- 

 lizing the knowledge gained during the war. 

 In view of the approaching departure of many 

 medical officers, it was felt that the meeting 

 should be held as soon as possible. It was 

 provisionally agreed that the meeting should 

 be held early in April and should last two or 

 three days. 



PROPOSED MAGNETIC AND ALLIED OBSERVA- 

 TIONS DURING THE TOTAL SOLAR 

 ECLIPSE OF MAY 29. 1919 



Special magnetic and allied observations 

 will be made at certain stations inside and 

 outside the shadow belt of the total solar 

 eclipse of May 29, 1919, by the Department of 



