NOVSMBKE 16, 1900.] 



SCIENCE. 



775 



ham, would give a brief introductory address, 

 to be followed by a paper by Dr. A. Donaldson 

 Smith on his recent remarkable journey through 

 Somaliland to Lake Rudolf, and across from 

 Lake Kudolf to the Nile and home by Khar- 

 toum and Cairo. The second paper, on Novem- 

 ber 26th, will be by Mr. J. E. S. Moore, on his 

 recent expedition for the scientific exploration 

 of Lake Tanganyika and the interesting region 

 to the north. At the meeting of December 10th 

 Major Gibbons will give an account of his ex- 

 ploration of the Barotse country and his journej' 

 thence through Africa to the Mediterranean. 

 After Christmas among the papers expected are 

 one by Colonel G. E. Church, on the geography 

 of South America, with special reference to its 

 commercial development, and another on ' Fur- 

 ther Studies in Wave Form,' by Mr. Vaughan 

 Cornish. It is hoped that the Duke of the 

 Abruzzi may be able to arrange to go to 

 England some time next year before the end of 

 the session and give the Society an account of 

 his recent remarkable expedition towards the 

 North Pole. 



At the opening of the new scientific labora- 

 tories at King's College, London, which took 

 place on October 30th, Lord Lister made an 

 address in which, according to the London 

 Times, he said that it might seem strange that so 

 large a gathering of distinguished men should 

 come to witness the opening of certain labora- 

 tories. Yet the occasion was not unworthy of 

 celebration, for it was an event of significance 

 in regard to the provisions for higher education 

 in the metropolis. It was recognized that mere 

 lectures were not sufficient, that practical in- 

 struction was imperatively necessary. In some 

 branches King's College was long ago well 

 equipped to this end ; the Wheatstone Museum 

 contained a fine collection of physical appa- 

 ratus, and in chemistry nothing could be better 

 than the arrangements for practical teaching. 

 The same might be said of other departments, 

 but not of all. The dissecting room was by 

 no means adequate, and the accommodation for 

 the practical teaching of physiology was simply 

 miserable, while there were defects in less de- 

 grees in other departments. Of these the Coun- 

 cil had long been conscious, and, having de- 

 termined to remedy them, had provided the 



new laboratories, which, as visitors would 

 admit, were highly satisfactory. The labora- 

 tory for practical physiology in all its branches 

 was now second to none in the country. It had 

 really been in use for some time, and had at- 

 tracted many students, not only from King's 

 College, but from elsewhere. Its removal to 

 the second floor gave room for the expansion of 

 the anatomical department, and at the same 

 time there had been provided a fine anatomical 

 museum, which, however, was not yet equipped. 

 The bacteriological laboratory had received an 

 important addition. This laboratory, which 

 owed its inception to Professor Crookshank, 

 though it attracted advanced students not only 

 from this country but from the world, had 

 hitherto consisted of a single apartment which 

 was not suitable for research work. For this 

 latter purpose a new room had now been added, 

 and a fine class-room had also been constructed, 

 common to the professors of bacteriology and 

 physiology. No doubt his audience had watched 

 with interest, and rejoiced at the success of the 

 endeavors made to check the outbreak of plague 

 in Glasgow, and they must also have felt a sense 

 of relief when the suspected case in the metrop- 

 olis was found not to be plague ; in both cases 

 the means employed were entirely due to re- 

 searches of the kind carried on in bacteriolog- 

 ical laboratories. But it was not only the med- 

 ical faculty of King's College that had benefited 

 by the alterations. Geology now had accom- 

 modation proportionate to the importance of 

 the subject, and in the architectural depart- 

 ment there was abundant room for men en- 

 gaged in drawing and designing. In short, 

 King's College was abreast of the age as re- 

 gards opportunities for practical teaching in 

 all departments. It was a happy coincidence 

 that this great addition to its resources had 

 been made at the time when it was entering on 

 a new career as one of the colleges of the new 

 University of London. He himself would have 

 liked to see the old examining university re- 

 tained and a separate teaching university es- 

 tablished. But other views prevailed, and a 

 compromise had been effected under which ex- 

 amining and teaching existed side by side in 

 the same institution. He wished the compro- 

 mise all the success it was capable of, and ven- 



