156 



SCIENCE 



[N. S. Vol. XXVII. No. 



M. M. Nyren, of the Pulkowa Observatory, 

 retired from his ofEice at the end of 1907. 



Professor F. B. Crocker, head of the de- 

 partment of electrical engineering- in Colum- 

 bia University, has been appointed secretary 

 of the American section of the international 

 electrotechnical commission, which includes 

 representatives frora twelve of the principal 

 countries. This commission has undertaken 

 the universal standardization of electrical ma- 

 chinery and apparatus. 



The fifth lecture in the Harvey Society 

 course will be delivered by Professor George 

 W. Crile of the Western Reserve University, 

 at the New York Academy of Medicine build- 

 ing on January 25, at 8:30 p.m. Subject: 

 " Shock." All interested are cordially invited 

 to be present. 



Dr. C. p. Steinmetz recently lectured at the 

 University of Illinois, on alternating current 

 railway motors. The meeting was under the 

 auspices of the Urbana Section of the Amer- 

 ican Institute of Electrical Engineers. 



A SERIES of twelve lectures on Nutrition: 

 digestion, metabolism and selection of foods, 

 will be given at Teachers College, Columbia 

 University, beginning on January 13, 1908, 

 and weekly thereafter. The lectures will be 

 given by Dr. William J. Gies, of the College 

 of Physicians and Surgeons, Dr. Henry C. 

 Sherman, of the School of Chemistry and 

 Teachers College, and Miss Anna Barrows, of 

 the department of domestic science. Teachers 

 College. 



The deaths are amiounced of Dr. P. Lach- 

 mann, professor of botany at Grenoble at the 

 age of fifty-six years, of Dr. A. W. Krassnow, 

 professor of astronomy and director of the 

 observatory at Warsaw, at the age of forty- 

 one years, and of Dr. H. Giessler, formerly 

 professor of chemistry at Stuttgart Chemical 

 Institute at the age of sixty years. 



The U. S. Civil Service Commission an- 

 nounces an examination on February 5-6, to 

 fill vacancies as they may occur in the position 

 of topographic aid, in the Geological Survey, 

 at salaries ranging from $840 to $1,200 per 

 annum, depending upon the experience and 



ability of the applicant, and in other branches 

 of the service. It also announces an exam- 

 ination on February 5 to fill a vacancy in the 

 position of scientific assistant, $720 per an- 

 num, in the Bureau of Fisheries, and vacan- 

 cies requiring similar qualifications as they 

 may occur. 



Senator Dick, of Ohio, introduced in the 

 senate on January 15 a joint resolution to 

 provide for a Mining Technology Branch in 

 the Geological Survey and a bill for the estab- 

 lishment of a Bureau of Mining Technology. 



Me. Smith, of California, has introduced 

 in the house of representatives a bill for the 

 protection of animals, birds and fishes, in the 

 forest reserves in California, which was re- 

 ferred to the committee on the public lands. 



The city of Berlin has appropriated $12,500 

 toward the fund for combating tuberculosis 

 to be named in honor of Dr. Robert Koch. 

 About $40,000 have been subscribed from pri- 

 vate sources. 



At the examinations recently held in Peking 

 for ofiicial degrees men who had studied in 

 American universities were awarded the high- 

 est honors. Out of a large number examined, 

 only seven were given the highest degree ob- 

 tainable, and of these five were graduates of 

 the University of California, while the other 

 two had studied in Japan. 



The third meeting of the Commission for 

 the Study of Problems relating to Human 

 Nutrition, appointed by the University of 

 Illinois, was held at the university, Urbana, 

 December 27-28. All the members of the 

 commission were present, including Dr. Theo- 

 bald Smith, of Harvard; Professor Chitten- 

 den, of Tale; Professor Abel, of Johns Hop- 

 kins; Professor A. P. Mathews, of the 

 University of Chicago, and Professor Grind- 

 ley, of the University of Ulinois. The com- 

 mission considered fully the detailed plans at 

 present being used in connection with the 

 nutrition investigations which are being made 

 at the University of Illinois in the study of 

 the influence of cured meats upon the health 

 of man. They also thoroughly inspected the 

 laboratories, the equipment and the houses 

 used for the experiments. The members of 



