April 24, 1891.] 



SCIENCE. 



231 



in the fall, he drew up a careful report, which was printed, and 

 may be had on application. The organization of the " ^ocal cen- 

 tres,"' as they are called, was at once actively entered upon. 



In organizing these local centres, the society endeavors to co- 

 operate with, and as far as possible work through, existing insti- 

 tutions. In almost every case we have found some organization 

 which possessed a hall, and was willing to take up the work, and 

 to grant the use of the hall rent-free. The first centre established 

 was that at Roxborough, in connection with the St. Timothy's 

 Workingmen's Club and Institute. They opened their first course 

 on chemistry on the 3d of November, 1890. 



The following is a list of the centi-es that have been established, 

 and the courses in progress at the same: Wagner Institute, zoology, 

 chemistry, geology, psychology, and two courses in English litera- 

 ture ; Association Local Centre, in connection with the main branch 

 of the Young Men's Christian Association, astronomy, biology, 

 higher mathematics, and two courses in English literature ; West 

 Philadelphia, American history and English literature; Frankford, 

 American history and English literature; Holmesburg, American 

 history and English literature; Germantown, English literature 

 and electricity; Spring Garden, mathematics and two courses in 

 English literature; Wissahickon Heights, English literature and 

 European history; South Broad Street, American history and elec- 

 tricity ; Women's Christian Association, biology ; United Club and 

 Institute, English literature ; JSTorristown, two courses in English 

 literature; Camden, N.J., English literature; Lansdowne, elec- 

 tricity; Media, English literature; Haddonfield, N J., European 

 history; Newark, Del, English literatm'e; Mount Holly, N.J., 

 American history; Downingtown, Penn , English literature; 

 Trenton, N.J., English literature; Wilmington, Del., English 

 literature. 



To summarize what has been done thus far, there have been 

 forty courses, with an average attendance of 9,250 (estimated), 

 and two hundred and fifty lectures, with a total attendance of 

 55,500 (estimated). 



Applications for the formation of local centres have also been 

 received from Salem, N. J. ; Bryn Mawr, Penn.; Reading, Penn.; 

 Bristol, Penn.; Gloucester, N.J. ; Woodbury, N. J. ; Woodbourne, 

 Penn.; Williamsport, Penn.; Wilkesbarre, Penn. ; West Chester, 

 Penn. ; Lebanon. Penn. ; Towanda, Penn. ; Collegeville, Penn. ; 

 Rahway, N.J. ; Doylestown, Penn. ; Hazleton, Penn. ; Lancaster, 

 Penn.; Bridgeton, N.J ; Pottstowu, Penn; North Wales, Penn.; 

 and Staten Island, N.Y. 



The courses vary in length from six to twelve lectures. The 

 method adopted is, first, to have the lectures last about an hour, 

 after which the students form themselves into a class to pursue 

 the subject further. In connection with each course there is 

 issued a syllabus, giving a full outline of the lectures, together 

 with suggested lines for collateral reading. In addition to this, it 

 also contains at the end of each lecture a series of exercises, which 

 the student prepares at home and mails to the lecturer, who re- 

 turns them at the following class with his comments noted on the 

 margin. At the end of each course an examination is held, upon 

 the basis of which, together with the weekly paper work, certifi- 

 cates are awarded. 



This short statement gives the public a fair idea of our general 

 work as we have entered upon it and carried it out. It is hoped 

 that general interest will be felt in this plain statement of facts 

 regarding a novel attempt at higher education with its surprisingly 

 successful results. We desire also to state what is our main aim 

 in this university extension work. It has been too long the system 

 to keep university forces, teaching, and methods shut up entirely 

 within classrooms, and to leave the great mass of people without 

 the opportunities of having their minds fertilized with great 

 thoughts, their studies carefully guided, and their knowledge lifted 

 from a lower to a higher plane bj' this systematic university teach- 

 ing ; for it must be noted especially that the teaching contemplated 

 in this movement is of real university grade, conducted by teach- 

 ers of the first innk, and by methods which have proved them- 

 selves capable of giving results fairly comparable with those ob- 

 tained within academic halls. 



We propose, then, to carry this university work out into the 

 general community as far as practicable. It will afford to all, 



however pressed with practical duties, or hindered by lack of 

 funds, the opportunity of acquiring recent and exact knowledge, 

 and of sharing in the stimulating discipline of genuine educational 

 methods. These methods adopted by the society are flexible, and 

 well adapted to the objects in view. 



The society aims to make its local centres self-supporting. With 

 proper efforts at each centre, this can usually be accomplished ; 

 but it is evident, that despite this, and despite the generous co- 

 operation of many eminent teachers, large expenditures of money 

 will be required. 



We are happy to announce that the continuance of the work is 

 secured by a liberal guaranty fund for five years. It is, however, 

 believed that all will recognize this new national educational move- 

 ment as judicious as well as genei-ous, and that its claims will ap- 

 peal forcibly to very many minds. It is earnestly hoped that aU 

 who realize its importance will become members of the society, 

 and assist in tbe development of the work. 



MICHIGAN STATE SANirATION. 

 The annual meeting of the Michigan State Board of Health 

 was held April 14 1891. Professor Fall, Drs. Avery, Hazlewood, 

 Vaughan, and Baker, were present. Dr. Avery was re-elected 

 president. Dr. Vaughan reported that at the Slate Laboratory of 

 Hygiene he has made analyses of all the different kinds of baking- 

 powder found in the market, also of one hundred and twelve 

 samples of water from different parts of the State, and that he 

 was ready to report the results, also of his I'esearches on typhoid- 

 fever. Dr. Baker reported that he had worked out the cause of 

 influenza. He said its greatly increased prevalence during the 

 last three months is alarming, because so many other diseases 

 follow that disease, and increase after it increases; the diseases 

 which so increase, being consumption, pneumonia, cerebro-spinal 

 meningitis, rheumatism, osteo-myelitis, etc., influenza seeming 

 to bring in its train all of these most important diseases. Dr 

 Baker explained the causation of influenza. He stated that tbe 

 germs of influenza are gentrally at all times present, and the 

 germs of pneumonia, tuberculosis, and of the other specific dis- 

 eases are somewhat widely disseminated, but that there must be 

 certain coincident meteorological conditions to irritate the throat 

 and air-passages sufficiently to let the germs gain an entrance to 

 the body. These meteorological conditions, in this instance, were 

 the excessive prevalence of north and north-east winds, and the 

 excessive amount of ozone during the past three months. The 

 prevention of influenza, an'd of the coincident rise in the other 

 more dangerous diseases, has not been possible, because of igno- 

 rance of the causes. Now the causes are known, and the study 

 of the measures for the prevention can begin. How to get more 

 thorough disinfection after contagious diseases, was broughtup by 

 Dr. Hazlewood, also by letter from Dr. Nicholson of the Upper 

 Peninsula, and also by other correspondence of the office of the 

 board It seems to be made plain, that, if the bill now before the 

 Legislature (Senate Bill 257, House Bill 640) shall become a law, 

 making a small appropriation to enable the State Board of Health 

 to send an inspector to the localities where most needed, to aid in 

 the final disinfection after cases of dangerous diseases, the spread 

 of those diseases can be very greatly lessened, and hundreds, and 

 possibly thousands, of lives can be saved in Michigan in every 

 year. 



PORCELAIN INDUSTRY IN FRANCE. 

 The United States consul at Limoges says, in his last report 

 to the United States Government, that the proprietors of the large 

 porcelain -factories there have been for a long time studying the 

 question of reducing the price of fuel. At a recent congress of 

 the manufacturers, it was said that some new and cheap way of 

 manufacturing porcelain must be found for France, or the indus- 

 try which has become so famous, and which employs so many of 

 the inhabitants, would be driven from French soil on account of 

 the cost of firing. It was there ascertained that the cost of firing 

 china in Bohemia was not more than 10 francs a ton; in England 

 it was only 13 francs; whUe, for the same thing in France, at 

 Limoges, the cost was between 34 and 35 francs. This difference 



