478 



SCIENCE. 



[N. S. Vol. XL No. 273. 



Aurelio Masera, for new processes connected 

 ■with the textile industry ; and to M. Eusconi, 

 for developing the ' Mercer ' process in the 

 cotton industry. In addition, gold medals and 

 400 lire are awarded to Carlo Carloni, for his 

 invention of a mastic called magnesite, as a 

 substitute for red lead for junctions of pipes, 

 also for a bicycle brake ; to Demetrio Prada 

 and Co., for extracts used in tanning and for 

 the manufacture of oxj'genated water ; and to 

 J. Loflfler, for introducing into Milan the manu- 

 facture of artificial flowers in porcelain. A 

 gold medal and 800 lire is awarded to the 

 Italian Color Manufactory under Max Meyer 

 & Co., and a bonus of 300 lire to E. TufFanelli, 

 of Milan, for an invention connected with 

 water and gas pipes. 



At the Royal Institution on March 2d, Major 

 Ronald Ross delivered a lecture on ' Malaria 

 and Mosquitoes.' According to the London 

 Times, he first alluded to the discovery of the 

 parasite of malaria by Laveran in 1880, and the 

 failure of the subsequent attempts to find the 

 parasites in the water and soil of malarious 

 places. He described the theories of King, 

 Laveran, Manson and Blgnami that mosquitoes 

 conveyed the disease, and said that it was Man- 

 son's theory alone which led to the solution of 

 the problem. Believing that it was the only 

 one of practical value, he undertook to verify 

 Hanson's theory, and began work in India in 

 1895. The task presented many difficulties, 

 but after two and a-half years of failure he 

 at last found the parasites growing in mosqui- 

 toes belonging to the genus called Anopheles. 

 That was in August, 1897. The following 

 year he completely traced the development of 

 the malaria parasite of birds in the mosquito, 

 and finally, in June, 1898, he succeeded in in- 

 fecting a number of healthy birds with malaria 

 by the bites of mosquitoes. His investigations 

 had proved that not only the infection itself 

 but the severity of it could be transmitted 

 through the mosquito. Out of 28 healthy spar- 

 rows which were used, he succeeded in infecting 

 22, although he failed to transmit the infection 

 from sparrows to several other kinds of birds. 

 In December, 1898, his investigations were re- 

 peated and confirmed by Professor Koch and 

 Professor Grassi, and Drs. Bignami and Basti- 



anelli, who also succeeded in infecting healthy 

 men by the bites of mosquitoes in Italy. The 

 investigations had undergone great develop- 

 ment since then. The mosquito theory ex- 

 plained all the facts about malaria. 



UNIVERSITY AND EDUCATIONAL NEWS. 



AN ASSOCIATION OF AMERICAN UNIVERSITIES. 



The Chicago University Record gives an ac- 

 count of the meeting of representatives of 

 certain institutions held at the University of 

 Chicago, February 27th and 28th. The invita- 

 tion to this meeting was made by the Presidents 

 of Harvard University, Columbia Univer- 

 sity, Johns Hopkins University, the University 

 of Chicago, and the University of California. 

 There were present representatives of the Uni- 

 versity of California, the Catholic University of 

 America, the University of Chicago, Clark 

 University, Columbia Universitj', Harvard 

 University, Johns Hopkins University, Leland 

 Stanford Jr. University, the University of Mich- 

 igan, the University of Pennsylvania, Princeton 

 University, the Federation of Graduate Clubs, 

 and the United States Commissioner of Educa- 

 tion. 



After a full discussion, it w-as unanimously 

 voted that the universities represented in the 

 conference organize themselves into an associa- 

 tion. A committee was appointed, consisting 

 of President Jordan, President Harper, Pro- 

 fessor Pettie, President Conaty, and Professor 

 Newbold, to prepare the constitution of the 

 association. At an adjourned meeting the fol- 

 lowing articles wei-e adopted : 



CONSTITUTtON. 



This organization is called the Association of Amer- 

 ican Universities. 



It is founded for the purpose of considering matters 

 of common interest relating to graduate study. 



It is composed of institiitions on the North Amer- 

 ican Continent engaged in giving ad%'anoed or gradu- 

 ate instruction. 



Its initial membership consists of the following 

 institutions : 



University of California. Clark University. 

 University of Chicago. Cornell University. 



Columbia University. Johns Hopkins Univer- 



Harvard University. sity. 



University of Michigan. Princeton University. 



