May 13, 1904.] 



SCIENCE. 



775 



week of September 26 to October 1, 1904. It 

 is proposed to make this a congress of officials 

 in charge of the enforcement of laws that 

 control the purity of food products, of chem- 

 ists conducting investigations of food prod- 

 ucts, of manufacturers and dealers in foods, 

 and of all persons engaged in the preserva- 

 tion and distribution of food products. The 

 topics for discussion will be: (1) Adultera- 

 tion, misbranding and fraud in the sale 

 of food and drink products. (2j The prac- 

 tical problems connected with the pres- 

 ervation, packing and distributing of the 

 different food and drink products. (3) 

 The use of antiseptics and coloring mat- 

 ters in foods and their effect upon the 

 health. (4) Uniform standards for the 

 quality and strength of dairy, food and drink 

 products. (5) Uniform state, national and 

 international laws to control the adulteration 

 of foods, and fraud in the sale of foods, and 

 the best methods for enforcing these laws. 

 (6) Methods of analysis for the detection of 

 food adulterants. (Y) To expose such specific 

 adulterations and frauds as may be brought 

 to the attention of the congress, and to recom- 

 mend methods for suppressing and controlling 

 them. All inquiries concerning the congress 

 should be addressed to E. M. Allen, Secretary, 

 International Pure Food Congress, Lexington, 

 Kentucky. 



A South African correspondent writes as 

 follows to the Oiservatory : "I have never 

 come across any mention in an astronomical 

 periodical of Carlyle's few remarks on astron- 

 omers, or of the fact that he was once a candi- 

 date for the directorship of the Edinburgh 

 Observatory. It seems that this position was 

 in the gift of Jeffrey of Edinhurgh Review 

 fame, and Jeffrey and Carlyle were intimate 

 friends. Carlyle asked for the position, and 

 was gruffly refused it by nearly the return 

 post. Jeffrey appointed his secretary, whom 

 Carlyle calls ' his taciturn friend with the 

 blear eyes.' Who this was the writer knows 

 not. Carlyle is good enough to say that 

 Jeffrey's nominee did 'well enough.' Carlyle 

 met Airy once — ' a hardy little figure, of eda- 

 cious energetic physiognomy, eyes hard, strong, 

 not fine.' He met Legendre, whose Geometry 



he had translated in Edinburgh. He was also 

 touched by the hem of Laplace's garment, 

 thus : — " At a meeting of the Insiitut I saw 

 and well remember the figure of Trismegistus 

 Laplace; the skirt of his long blue-silk dress- 

 ing gown (such his costume, unique in the 

 place, his age and fame being also unique) 

 even touched me as he passed on the session's 

 rising. He was tall, thin, clean, serene, his 

 face, perfectly smooth as a healthy man of 

 fifty's, bespoke intelligence keen and ardent, 

 rather than deep or great. In the eyes was 

 a dreamy smile, with something of pathos in 

 it, and perhaps something of contempt." 



The following circular letter has been sent 

 to English-speaking scholars by the rector of 

 the University of Turin and the chief libra- 

 rian of the National Library: 



The commotion raised by the disaster of the 

 National library of Turin, and the deep expres- 

 sions of sorrow presented to it by the most 

 eminent scientific bodies of every civil state, en- 

 courage us to address ourselves to the most 

 illustrious of their members; whose studies are in 

 accordance with the sections of the library that 

 have been destroyed and of which sections it is 

 our moral duty to endeavor the reconstruction in 

 their most minute details. 



Now since you are a worthy representative of 

 this eminent scientiiic body and the studies you 

 profess and cherish belong just to the sections 

 destroyed, so we dare hope that in accordance with 

 the joint solidarity which bounds together all 

 the scholars of the world, you will favor and 

 honor our library with the gift of your most 

 esteemed books, which would be even more valued 

 if adorned 'with an autographic dedication which 

 would remind the studious of your generous pres- 

 ent in a moment so painful for the studies. 



This request that we have the honor to for- 

 ward to you is entirely our personal and does not 

 belong to the institution we represent, happy as 

 we are of having an opportunity of so giving 

 public homage to your high scientific attainments 

 in conferring a benefit to the studies. 



UNIVERSITY AND EDUCATIONAL NEWS. 



The corporation of the Massachusetts In- 

 stitute of Technology has instructed its ex- 

 ecutive committee to confer with the Harvard 

 University authorities on the subject of closer 

 relations between the, two institutions. 



