586 



SCIENCE 



[N. S. Vol. XLV. No. 1171 



of Dr. Wm. H. Nicliols, who is devoting all 

 of his time to this work. The committee is 

 cooperating with the Bm-eau of Mines, the TJ. 

 S. Geological Survey and the Bureau of Soils 

 in various problems, and all chemical problems 

 are first submitted to this committee. The 

 Manufacturing Chemists' Association of the 

 United States and the National Fertilizer As- 

 sociation have also established offices in Wash- 

 ington in the Woodward Building. 



Physiology of the National Eeseareh Council, to 

 be used as seems best. The members of this com- 

 mittee are: 



THE AMERICAN PHYSIOLOGICAL SOCIETY 

 AND THE WAR 



The following letter has been addressed to 

 members of the American Physiological 

 Society : 



The war has thrown upon the members of the 

 national scientific societies unusual responsibilities. 

 The growing conviction among those best fitted to 

 know, that its further continuance will not be brief 

 and that our country must act with her whole 

 energy, makes it clear that every man of science 

 must do his share. Some of the members of the 

 American Physiological Society have entered mili- 

 tary service and others are serving the country in 

 a variety of other ways. As the example of Eng- 

 land has shown, research is a field in which much 

 can be accomplished, both of immediate relation 

 to the needs of the moment and of permanent 

 value. Under the direction of the committee on 

 physiology of the National Eeseareh Council and 

 the Council of National Defense comprehensive in- 

 vestigations of shock, industrial fatigue, food and 

 nutrition, poisonous gases and means of protection 

 from them, and other topics, are already under 

 way. Other subjects demanding investigation will 

 doubtless arise from time to time. The coimcil of 

 the American Physiological Society finds it desir- 

 able to know what its members are already doing 

 or are willing to do in the way of national service, 

 whether their laboratories will be open during the 

 coming summer, whether they desire to undertake 

 research in case of need, and, if so, what general 

 lines of research they are prepared to f oUow. By 

 the authority of the council, therefore, I write to 

 make these inquiries of you. Any suggestions 

 which you may feel like offering in regard to spe- 

 cific lines of research will be welcomed. Please 

 make all records on the enclosed cards and return 

 both to me without delay. The information so ob- 

 tained will be turned over to the Committee on 



W. H. Howell, Chairman; 

 C. L. Alsberg, 

 W. B. Cannon, 

 A. J. Carlson, 

 Joseph Erlanger, 

 Theodore Hough, 

 In case your services can bi 

 duly communicated with. 

 (Signed) 



Frederic S. Lee, 

 Graham Lusk, 

 E. G. Martin, 

 Walter J. Meek, 

 L. B. Mendel 



! utilized you will be 

 Frederic S. Lee 



The registration cards accompanying the 

 letter provided for the following entries : 



What national service are you now doing? 



Is it likely to continue during the summer? 



Will your laboratory be available for research dur- 

 ing the summer? 



Are you prepared to undertake research for na- 

 tional service and, if so, in what general lines? 



Suggestions regarding desirable lines of research. 



SCIENTIFIC NOTES AND NEWS 



Ah Anglo-French Scientific Commission 

 which includes Professor Ernest Rutherford, 

 of the University of Manchester, and Professor 

 Henri Abraham, of the University of Paris, 

 is at present in this country to cooperate with 

 American men of science in the development 

 and use of radio-telegraphy. 



Secretary of the Ifavy Daniels has named 

 Dr. William H. Welch, Dr. Flexner and Mr. 

 ISTathan Straus, of New York, as a committee 

 to investigate Senator Calder's " round robin 

 charge" that invalided sailors on the hospital 

 ship Solace had been subjected to cruelty and 

 neglect. 



Dr. E. W. Morley was awarded the WiUard 

 Gibbs medal at a recent meeting of the Chi- 

 cago Section of the American Chemical So- 

 ciety on May 18. 



Dr. Richard M. Pearce, professor of re- 

 search medicine in the University of Pennsyl- 

 vania, has returned from a tour of three months 

 through Brazil, Argentine and Uraguay to 

 make a study of the medical, hospital, educa- 

 tional and public health conditions in those 

 countries in the interest of the International 

 Health Board of the Rockefeller Foundation. 



