May 2G, 1905.] 



SCIENCE. 



839 



Diagnosis and Treatment of Those Diseases 

 and Morbid Growths of Vertebral Column 

 and Spinal Cord and Canal which are Amen- 

 able to Surgical Operations.' 



Although detailed statistics for the. produc- 

 tion of gold during the last year are not yet 

 available, Mr. Waldemar Lindgren, of the U. 

 S. Geological Survey, has made some prognos- 

 tications as to the distribution of the produc- 

 tion among different classes of ore deposits. 

 A preliminary estimate of the production of 

 each state and territory was given out by the 

 director of the Mint at the first of the year. 

 According to this estimate, the production of 

 gold in the United States during 1904 

 amounted to $84,551,300. After a period of 

 very rapid advance in the gold production 

 from 1892 to 1900, inclusive, during which an 

 increase from $33,000,000 to $79,000,000 took 

 place, there were two years of nearly station- 

 ary output and one year of decided decrease. 

 It is, therefore, very satisfactory to find that 

 the production of gold has risen again to 

 record figures, the estimate being $84,551,300 

 against $73,591,700 for 1903. Mr. Lindgren 

 classifies the gold production according to its 

 derivation from placers, dry or quartzose ores, 

 copper ores and lead ores. He estimates the 

 production of gold from placers at $12,900,000, 

 from quartzose gold and silver ores at $62,- 

 754,000, from copper ores at $4,300,000 and 

 from lead ores at $4,600,000, making a total 

 production of $84,554,000, a sum that prac- 

 tically agrees with the estimate of the director 

 of the mint. Alaska is the largest producer 

 of placer gold and should show a gain of at 

 least $200,000, the output being estimated at 

 $5,800,000. California will show an increase 

 which may reach $800,000, the production be- 

 ing estimated at $4,800,000. The production 

 of gold from quartzose gold and silver ores is 

 subdivided by Mr. Lindgren into the produc- 

 tion of pre-Cambrian quartz veins, $5,454,000; 

 of Mesozoic quartz veins in the Pacific coast 

 belt, $21,600,000 ; and of Tertiary gold quartz 

 veins in the Rocky Mountains and- Great 

 Basin, $35,700, making a total of $62,754,000. 



The Belgian Royal Academy has, as re- 

 ported in Nature, issued the following lists of 



prize subjects for 1905 and 1906: for 1905, 

 in mathematical and physical sciences, on the 

 combinations formed by halogens; on phys- 

 ical, particularly thermal, phenomena accom- 

 panying dissolution; on linear complexes of 

 the third order; and on the deviation of the 

 vertical treated from the hypothesis of the 

 non-coincidence of the centers of mass of the 

 earth's crust and nucleus. In natural sci- 

 ences, on the function of albuminoids in nu- 

 trition ; on the reproduction and sexuality of 

 Dicyemidffi ; on the silicates of Belgium ; on 

 the formations of Brabrant between the Brux- 

 ellian and the Tongrian; on certain Belgian 

 deposits of sand, clay and pebbles; on the 

 sexuality of the individuals resulting from a 

 single ovum in certain dioecious plants; and 

 on the development of Amphioxus. For 1906 

 the subjects in mathematical and physical 

 sciences are : on critical phenomena in phys- 

 ics; on n-linear forms (n>3); on thermal 

 conductivity of liquids and solutions; and on 

 the unipolar induction of Weber. In nat- 

 ural sciences, on the Cambrian series of Stave- 

 lot; on the effect of mineral substances on 

 the assimilation of carbon by organisms; on 

 the effects of osmotic pressure in animal life; 

 on the tectonic of Brabrant; on the soluble 

 ferments of milk; and on the physiological 

 action of histones. The essays for 1905 and 

 1906 are to be sent in by August 1 of the 

 respective years, and the prizes range from 

 $120 to $200 in value. In addition, prizes be- 

 queathed by Edward Mailly and in memory 

 of Louis Melsens are offered under the usual 

 conditions for astronomy and applied chem- 

 istry or physics respectively. 



UNIVERSITY AND EDUCATIONAL NEWS. 

 The cornerstone of the library building of 

 Leland Stanford Junior University was laid 

 on May 15. The building will cost $800,000. 

 At the ceremonies an address to the students 

 by Mrs. Stanford was read. In it she makes 

 the amount realized from the sale of her 

 jewels, which are estimated to be worth $500,- 

 000, an endowment fund for the library. 



Graduates of Yale University have arranged 

 to purchase for the university the Hillhouse 



