July 24, 1008] 



SCIENCE 



to mathematics covers ahuost the whole 

 range of the subject, from arithmetic to 

 the "elements of the calculus, required of 

 our engineering students, there is nowhere 

 any reference to students of engineering 

 or "to any other special class of students. 

 I might, "therefore, appear out of order in 

 speaking of this report at the present occa- 

 sion. But I wish to say most emphatically 

 that, in my opinion, there is no special 

 "mathematics for engineers"; nor is there 

 any method of teaching mathematics, spe- 

 cially adapted to engineering students. 

 If it is wi-ong to present mathematics in a 

 form so abstract as to make it unintel- 

 ligible to the student, it is just as wrong to 

 present the results of mathematics in a 

 form so concrete as to reduce the science to 

 a mere art of performing certain mechan- 

 ical operations, to make it, as the saying 

 goes, a mere tool, and not a habit of think- 

 ing. 



In conclusion allow me to say that I 

 should be the last to advocate a remodeling 

 of our institutions of learning on the Ger- 

 man plan, or the French plan, or any other 

 existing plan. But I believe that the time 

 has come in this country when one or two 

 years of general college study can be de- 

 manded as preparation for the professional 

 engineering course, at least for those more 

 able students who wish to obtain a thor- 

 oughly scientific preparation for their pro- 

 fessional career. An opportunity should 

 then be offered to students of engineering 

 of scientific ability to extend their knowl- 

 edge on the theoretical side. 



Alexander Ziwet 



University of Michigan 



THE BKlTim BUREAU OF .S7./-.7;/'/ v; 

 SICK1^E88 



The British Colonial Office has issued the 

 following statement: 



At the in.stance of the late secretary of 

 state for the colonies and with the cooperation 



of the government of the bu> 

 Royal Society, his majesty's gov 

 docided to establish in London 

 the collection and general distri 

 formation with regard to sleer 

 The Eoyal Society will find ac 

 for the bureau at Burlington H 

 fourth of the cost of up-keep wi 

 the Sudan government. 



The bureau will be under the 

 trol and direction of an honort 

 of management, appointed by a 

 to the secretary of state for the < 

 committee will be composed of 

 Chairman, tlie Right Honorable 

 Eidgeway, G.C.B., who is also 

 the advisory committee of the tr 

 research fund; Sir Patrick 1 

 K.C.M.G., P.R.S.; Sir Rubert : 

 Dr. Rose Bradford, P.R.S. (re 

 Royal Society) ; Colonel D. 

 F.R.S.; Mr. E. A. Walrond 

 senting the foreign office) ; Mi 

 C.M.G. (representing the colon- 

 Mr. R. Popham Lobb, of the cc 

 secretary. 



The main function of the 

 will be administered by a pai 

 he to collect from all sourc 

 regarding sleeping sickness, 1 

 dense, and, where necessary, 

 information, and to distribute : 

 quickly as possible among the 

 gaged in combating the diseai 

 cations of the bureau will be < 

 categories, viz., scientific publi 

 for those who are engaged ii 

 or in carrying out medical a^ 

 the infected districts, and p 

 less technical character for tli 

 nient officials, missionaries ai 

 duties involve residence in 

 One important piece of wi 

 preparation of a map of the 

 Africa, showiug the distribut 

 and of the different species 

 insects which are suspected 

 A map of this kind showing 

 extent to which the distribu' 

 coincides with the distributi 



