292 



SCIENCE. 



[N. S. Vol. XXIV. No. 610. 



Smitli on the Minimum Wage Policy; by 

 Professor Edgeworth on Distribution; and 

 by Dr. Cannon on Public Finance, 



Dr. E wing's presidential address before 

 Section G (Engineering) dealt with the 

 molecular structure of metals, with especial 

 reference to their reactions under strains 

 and to the conception that they are aggre- 

 gates of crystals. He considered the mat- 

 ter of fatigue in metals, their recovery by 

 rest, and the manner in which they break 

 down under repeated alterations of stress. 

 A long and varied sectional program of 

 some twenty-three papers followed, many 

 of special or local interest, some of more 

 general value, such as Modern Armor and 

 its Attack, by Major W. E. Edwards, and 

 some Eecent Developments in the Steam 

 Turbine, by Mr. Gerald Stoney. Several 

 excursions to neighboring engineering 

 plants were made by the members of this 

 section. 



One of the most popular sections in 

 point of attendance and of general interest 

 was H (Anthropology). The general 

 bearing of the president's address by Pro- 

 fessor Sidney Hartland was the Origin and 

 Early Eelation of Magic and Religion. 

 Many of the sectional papers dealt in a 

 popular way with travels and peoples, cus- 

 toms and traditions. Amongst these one 

 of the most interesting was by Dr. A. C. 

 Haddon on The Ethnology of South Africa. 

 Similar papers on special topics were nu- 

 merous. 



In Section I (Physiology) Professor 

 Gotch criticized the view of vitalism in 

 modern biology and attempted to show 

 that physiological processes might all be 

 interpreted in complex physical and chem- 

 ical terms. The conception was advanced 

 that the nervous system acts as a purely 

 automatic mechanism based upon physico- 

 chemical changes. One of the most inter- 

 esting and most important discussions of 



the meeting was opened by Professor T. D. 

 Acland on the Physiological Value of Eest, 

 It was discussed, together with a paper on 

 the neuron theory given by Dr. Bevan 

 Lewis, by Professors Sherrington and 

 Myers, and Drs. McDougal and Eivers. It 

 was in this section, too, that perhaps the 

 most acrimonious discussion took place 

 over a paper by Dr. Hime on The Insuffi- 

 ciency of Preventive Measures against In- 

 fectious Disease. His view that isolation 

 is unnecessary in infectious diseases was 

 especially provocative and met with some 

 sharp rejoinders. 



In Section K (Botany) President F. "W. 

 Oliver gave a somewhat technical address 

 on The Seed — A Chapter in Evolution. 

 The papers at the sectional meetings were 

 all of a technical nature, one discussion 

 being held, as already noted, in conjunc- 

 tion with Section D. 



Finally, in Section L (Education) Pro- 

 fessor M. E. Sadler pointed out in his 

 presidential address the fact that education 

 is becoming more and more a national prob- 

 lem. He showed that the interdependence 

 of the various parts of education is becom- 

 ing more fully realized and that the differ- 

 ent branches are tending towards greater 

 unity. It was also shown that more 

 definite needs were apparent in regard to 

 individual instruction, especially as con- 

 cerns the obligations to the state. As 

 usual with this section, the program was 

 drawn up with respect to a central topic. 

 This year the topic selected was The Bal- 

 ance of Subjects in the Curricula of 

 Schools of All Grades. The discussions 

 on Primary Grade Teaching, on Nature 

 Study, on Leisure Pursuits, etc., were ani- 

 mated and suggestive. 'Health in Schools' 

 was presented by Professor Sherrington; 

 Physical Training, Training for Work 

 People, School Training for Home Duties 

 of Women, etc., were all discussed. The 



