358 



SCIENCE 



[N. S. Vol. XLV. No. 1163 



enlarged. A number of cliemists were early 

 given commissions in the army for scientific 

 work, and after the employment of poisonous 

 gases by the enemy men with training in chem- 

 istry were enlisted for service in the field. 

 With the assistance of the universities and 

 technical colleges, and various bodies inter- 

 ested in chemistry, an entirely new force was 

 brought into existence; the officers were 

 mainly selected from chemists who already 

 held commissions, whilst non-commissioned 

 officers with knowledge of chemistry were 

 transferred from other units. Both Lord 

 French and Sir Douglas Haig had in their 

 dispatches spoken highly of the work done by 

 this force, which was obtained entirely by 

 voluntary enlistment. The majority of the 

 university graduates and men possessing 

 recognized diplomas who originally enlisted 

 as corporals subsequently received commis- 

 sions, and when the force was more completely 

 organized a considerable number were trans- 

 ferred to the ministry of munitions. During 

 the campaign against the rebels in South 

 Africa and the Germans in Southwest Africa 

 chemists were attached, by direction of Gen- 

 eral Botha, to the different brigades, and 

 rendered valuable service. The experience 

 gained in the campaign proves, the registrar 

 thinks, that it is advisable that the state 

 should have control of an organization of pro- 

 fessional chemists which would at any time 

 ensure their efficient service to meet the many 

 requirements of the naval, military and air 

 forces. Chemists were required to control the 

 manufacture of munitions, explosives, metals, 

 leather, rubber, oils, gases, food and drugs; 

 for the analysis of all such materials and for 

 research; on active service chemists were re- 

 quired to assist in the control of water sup- 

 plies, in the detection of poison in streams, in 

 the analysis of water and food, and in the dis- 

 posal of sewage, and both at home and on 

 active service to assist in devising safeguards 

 against enemy contrivances of a scientific 

 nature, in devising methods of offense, and to 

 instruct the troops in such matters. In sum- 

 ming up the matter, it is said that 

 cliemists have met the situation with a spirit of 



true patriotism and have been promptly organized 

 for the service required of them. It is not too 

 much to hope that, as the discoveries of science 

 have been applied to the destruction of humanity, 

 they may be devoted more and more to the further- 

 ance of the arts of peace, to the uplifting of civili- 

 zation, and the pacification of the world. 



SCIENTIFIC NOTES AND NEWS 



The spring meeting of the Council of the 

 American Association for the Advancement 

 of Science will be held in Eooms 39-41, new 

 building of the U. S. National Museum, 

 Washington, D. C, on the afternoon of Tues- 

 day, April 17, 1917, at 4 :45 o'clock. 



The afternoon session of the National Acad- 

 emy of Sciences on April 17 will be devoted to 

 the work of the National Research Council. 

 Reports will be presented by George E. Hale, 

 chairman, National Research Council; Charles 

 D. Walcott, chairman. Military Committee; 

 R. A. MilHkan, chairman. Physics Committee; 

 Marston T. Bogert, chairman, Chemistry Com- 

 mitte, and Victor C. Vaughan, chairman. Com- 

 mittee on Medicine and Hygiene. 



The evening lecture before the American 

 Philosophical Society will be given in the hall 

 of the Historical Society of Pennsylvania on 

 April 13, by Dr. George E. Hale, his subject 

 being " The Work of the Mount Wilson Ob- 

 servatory." 



It is reported that the Rockefeller Institute 

 for Medical Research has appropriated $200,- 

 000 for the establishment of a hospital to be 

 used for the instruction of surgeons in the Car- 

 rel-Dakin treatment of the wounded. It is ex- 

 pected that Dr. Alexis Carrel will be granted 

 a leave of absence from France to return to 

 New York and assume supervision of the work. 



A COMMITTEE to perfect an organization for 

 an effective mobilization of the medical re- 

 sources of Massachusetts to aid in obtaining 

 officers for the army and naval medical corps, 

 and to arrange suitable instruction in medical 

 military preparedness, has been formed and is 

 called the Auxiliary Medical Committee for 

 National Defense. Dr. R. P. Strong, pro- 

 fessor of tropical medicine in the Harvard 

 Medical School, has been chosen as permanent 



