806 



SCIENCE. 



[N. S. Vol. in. No. 74. 



question as to the desirability of retaining the 

 museum of the London Geological Society has 

 formed the subject of long deliberations by the 

 Covxncil of the Society. It was announced at 

 the recent annual meeting that, in accordance 

 with the report of a special committee, the 

 trustees of the British Museum had been asked 

 whether they would undertake to house and 

 care for the collections, keeping type-specimens 

 and specimens illustrative of papers read before 

 the Society distinct, and defraying also the ex- 

 pense of transference. To these conditions the 

 trustees have assented, and the matter will 

 before long be submitted to the Fellows for 

 their decision at a special general meeting. 



Me. S. E. Dueeden contributes to the May 

 number of Natural Science an article on 

 ' Museum work in Jamaica, ' in the course of 

 which he says that the museum in Jamaica is one 

 of the components of the Institute of Jamaica, 

 an organization existing for the advancement of 

 Literature, Science and Art in the island; and 

 embracing also a well-established public li- 

 brary and reading room and an embryonic art 

 gallery. It is managed by a Board of Gov- 

 ernors, and practically the whole support is 

 derived from the Legislature. Members are 

 elected with certain privileges, and members' 

 meetings are held. A journal devoted to the 

 special objects of the institute is published at 

 intervals. Courses of public lectures on science 

 and literature, on the lines of the University 

 Extension courses in England, are arranged 

 from time to time. In almost every depart- 

 ment of biological enquiry Jamaica and the 

 West Indies generally offer a very rich but 

 only partially investigated field for research. 

 A vigorous attempt was made a few years ago 

 to form a marine laboratory upon a large scale, 

 with the special object of affording facilities to 

 foreign biologists in studying tropical life, but 

 unfortunately the scheme fell through, largely 

 because of its too ambitious nature. However, 

 a biological laboratory with most modern ap- 

 pliances for carrying on scientific research, and 

 a dark room for photography, have lately been 

 fitted up in connection with the Museum. 



The Congress of Criminal Anthropology to be 

 held at Geneva from the 24th to the 29th of 

 August will meet in five divisions entitled (1) 



criminal biology, (2) criminal sociology, (.3) 

 criminal psychology, (4) legal applications of 

 criminal anthropology, (5) administrative ap- 

 plications of criminal anthropology. A large 

 number of interesting papers have already been, 

 promised, including communications from Mr. 

 Galton, M. Tarde, Prof. Kurella, M. Bertillon, 

 Dr. Brockway and others. 



AccoEDiNG to the authorized announcements 

 of the University of the State of New York in 

 1888 only five states in the Union exacted an 

 examination for license to practise medicine, 

 and the laws of these States were crude and 

 imperfect and for the most part inoperative. 

 A licensing examination is now required in 22 

 States. In fact, if we count Texas, whose law* 

 conflict, the roll includes 23. Of these exami- 

 nations, 16 are before a single board ; 4 before 



2 boards, allopathic, homeopathic ; 3 before 3 

 boards, allopathic, homeopathic and eclectic. 

 In 11 of these States candidates for examina- 

 tion must be graduates of medical schools ; in 



3 of these 11 States they must have studied, 

 medicine for 4 years ; in 2 States they must 

 have attended at least three courses of medical 

 lectures, though a diploma is not required. 

 One of these two States, Minnesota, will require 

 four courses of lectures, but not a diploma after 

 January 1, 1899. In 6 States applicants must 

 have a competent preliminary education, though 

 the provision is indefinite except in the New 

 York law. The laws in 13 States and 3 Ter- 

 ritories demand either approval of medical 

 diploma or examination by State or other duly 

 qualified boards. This leaves only New Hamp- 

 shire, in which not even registration is required, 

 and 8 States and 3 Territories in which it is 

 necessary merely to present the diploma or 

 other certificate of qualification to unqualified 

 local officers. Of the 12 medical schools in 

 New York State, 4 adopted a 4-year graded, 

 course in 1894 and 5 in 1895 and 1896. For 

 matriculants after January 1, 1898, four years 

 study of at least nine months each, including 

 four satisfactory covirses of at least six months 

 each in four different calendar years must be 

 required for degrees by all medical schools in 

 New York State. This minimum standard for 

 the degrees of M. D. is equal to that prescribed 

 in Austro-Hungary, France and Germany. 



