the Condition of the Poor, the New York Skin and Cancer Hospital and the Laboratory of Surgical Research of the New York University, which were bequeathed $25,000 each, are apportioned $23,883. The Metropolitan Museum of Art will get art objects worth $21,830. Bequests to individuals are likewise reduced.

THE faculty of medicine of Harvard University offers as usual this year a course of free public lectures, to be given at the Medical School, Longwood Avenue, on Sunday afternoons, at four o'clock. The program follows:

January 7.-Rev. Dr. Francis G. Peabody, "Alcohol and Efficiency."

January 14.-Dr. Hugh Cabot, "The Care of the Wounded with the British Expeditionary Force in France.'

January 21.-Dr. E. W. Taylor, "Infantile Paralysis; Precautions Necessary and Unnecessary." January 28.-Dr. W. T. Porter, "Shock' in the Trenches."'

February 4.-Dr. J. L. Morse, "Feeding and Its Relation to the Infant's Development."

February 11.-Dr. F. J. Cotton, "The Development of Employer's Liability Insurance in Accident and Sickness."'

February 18.-Dr. E. H. Place, "Does it Pay to Have the Contagious Diseases during Childhood?'' February 25.—Dr. Percy G. Stiles, “Sleep.” March 4.-Dr. L. M. S. Miner, "Diseases of the Teeth and the Use of the X-ray in their Diagnosis and Treatment."

March 11.-Miss Ida M. Cannon, "Social Service in Medicine.'

March 18.-Dr. Cleveland Floyd, "Tuberculosis; its Cause and Prevention."

March 25.-Dr. W. B. Cannon, "Methods of Medical Progress."'

April 1.-Dr. C. T. Brues, "Fleas and Other Insect Parasites in Their Relation to Public Health."

April 8.-Dr. J. Bapst Blake, "Accident and Injury; First Aid" (with demonstration of simple methods and materials).

April 15.-Dr. Paul Thorndike, Urinary Troubles in Elderly Men" (to men only).

April 22.-Dr. W. H. Robey, "Some Facts and Fancies about Heart Disease."

A SERIES of popular medical lectures will be given at the Stanford University Medical School during January, February and March, 1917. The program is as follows:

January 12: "What Every One Should Know

about Cancer," Dr. Harry M. Sherman, representing the American Society for the Control of Cancer.

January 26: "Modern Efforts to secure Painless Childbirth," Dr. Frank W. Lynch, professor of obstetrics and gynecology, University of California.

February 9: "Poliomyelitis," Dr. William C. Hassler, health officer of San Francisco. February 23: "The Importance of Proper Habits of Carriage as a Basis of Health." Illustrated. Dr. Harry D. Langnecker, clinical instructor in orthopedic surgery, Stanford Medical School.

March 9: "The Problem of Race and Race

Prejudice,'' Professor Arthur W. Meyer, professor of anatomy, Stanford Medical School.

March 23: "Prevention of Blindness.'' Illustrated. Dr. Hans Barkan, clinical instructor in ophthalmology, Stanford Medical School.

WE learn from Nature that a meeting was held on November 9 in the University of Sheffield to discuss the formation of a Society of Glass Technology. The widespread interest in the scheme was demonstrated by the presence of representatives of cities as far apart as London, Edinburgh and Cardiff, whilst every glass-manufacturing district was well represented. Mr. W. F. J. Wood, of Messrs. Wood Bros., Ltd., Barnsley, was elected to the chair, and the meeting opened with a cordial welcome from the vice-chancellor of the university, Dr. H. A. L. Fisher, who remarked that Sheffield had cause for legitimate pride in the knowledge that its university had been proposed as the headquarters of a society representing such an important industry. He emphasized the fact that this industry, among others, had suffered in the past owing to its detachment, wholly or partially, from its scientific aspects. The formation of the department of glass technology in the university was serving to remedy this state of affairs, and the inauguration of this society was a distinct step in the same direction. Dr. W. E. S. Turner outlined the steps that had led up to the formation of the society, and spoke of the remarkable response from those interested in glass. Expressions of approval and promises of support had been received from all over the country. Dr. Turner pointed out that there was no

intention of making the society a local institution; but that it was in every way a national one. The report of the provisional committee was adopted, and a formal resolution giving actual being to the society was passed unanimously. The following officers were then elected: President, Mr. W. F. J. Wood; Vicepresidents, Mr. S. B. Bagley, Mr. F. J. Cheshire, Sir William Crookes, Mr. A. S. Esslemont, Professor H. Jackson, Mr. S. N. Jenkinson, Mr. H. J. Powell, Dr. W. Rosenhain, F.R.S., Mr. H. J. Stobart, Dr. M. W. Travers, F.R.S., Mr. Duncan Webb and Mr. H. S. Williams-Thomas; Treasurer, Mr. F. Sweeting; Secretary, Dr. W. E. S. Turner; Assistant Secretary, Mr. C. J. Peddle.

Most

Ir is stated in the daily papers that the Federal Bureau of Mines has succeeded in producing radium which is worth $1,000,000 at market prices at a cost of $340,000. of this radium will go to the Memorial Hospital of New York and the private cancer hospital conducted by Dr. Howard A. Kelly, of Baltimore.

Now that it is possible to obtain photographic records of events of historical importance the question of preserving really valuable films is again engaging attention. Two difficulties stand in the way of securing a permanent national collection of films. One is the risk of fire owing to the inflammable character of the material used, and the other is the fact that the life of a cinematograph film is limited to a few years. According to the London Times the attention of the British Museum was recently called to the question of the permanent preservation of the cinema films illustrating the South Polar Expedition of the late Captain Scott. These films are shown by Mr. Herbert G. Ponting in his lecture "With Captain Scott in the Antarctic," which is now being given at the Philharmonic Hall. The director of the museum replied that the matter of preserving historic films had not been overlooked, but as special risk was incidental to the storage of films the trustees, in the interest of the national collections generally, felt disinclined to receive favorably such proposals. Preservation of the films

taken of the fighting in the war is so desirable that it is hoped that some way of solving the existing difficulties may be found.

IN August the Congress of the United States appropriated $175,000 for the investigation of sources of potash within the United States. This appropriation was designed to make possible the continuation on a large scale of the work inaugurated and carried on by the Bureau of Soils of the U. S. Department of Agriculture. As a result of this work, and of the operations to date of the various commercial organizations engaged in the extraction of potash from kelp on the Pacific coast, it appeared to the officials of the Department of Agriculture that the giant kelps of the Pacific coast represented the largest and most immediately available source of potash in the country. Accordingly the secretary of agriculture has authorized the construction at some point on the coast of Southern California of a plant to be designed and operated to demonstrate on a commercial scale the various processes of extracting potash and by-products from kelp. This work will be carried on by the Bureau of Soils under the personal supervision of J. W. Turrentine. The bureau proposes to proceed at once with the execution of its plans.

THE white pine blister rust has been discovered in Minnesota in four localities along the St. Croix River, close to the eastern boundary of the state. A careful survey of other portions of the state last summer failed to disclose the presence of the disease elsewhere. It is believed that the infestation came from the adjoining state, Wisconsin, which in turn was first infested from a shipment of pines from Germany. An emergency appropriation was allowed to the Minnesota state entomologist, and field work, both survey and eradication, has been pushed during the past season. A special appropriation will be asked from the legislature this winter in order that the work may be continued for a number of years. It would appear that Minnesota has a good chance to stamp out the disease before it obtains a foothold.

THE New York Sun states that a suggestion is being made in England to establish a cen

tral department of minerals and metals" under government auspices to collect and impart information bearing on the sources of minerals and the production of metals, as being imperatively necessary in the public interest. This is advanced in a letter sent to the chairman of the 66 advisory council of scientific and industrial research" by the presidents of the "institution of mining engineers," "institute of mining and metallurgy" and "institute of metals." The letter points out that there is at present no connecting link between various organizations, that there is considerable overlapping and much waste and confusion. If a properly organized and efficiently conducted department of minerals and metals had been in existence much valuable time, many lives and vast sums of money would have been saved to the nation in the conduct of the present war, and much of the cost and inconvenience to British industries depending largely for their raw material on mineral products would have been saved. The following are some of the duties suggested by the new department: Arrangement for expediting the completion of mineral surveys of the United Kingdom and crown colonies and other British possessions. Systematic collection and coordination of information bearing on the occurrence, uses and economical value of minerals and their products; special attention being devoted to securing industrial applications for newly discovered minerals or metallurgical products and to finding mineral materials required for new metallurgical products or inventions.

ACCORDING to Nature the Gazette de Hollande emphasizes the use made in Germany of geological advice in trench warfare, and Professor Salomon, of Heidelberg, is said to have urged the formation of a special organization of geologists in connection with the army. It is said that excellent use has been made by the British military authorities of the Geological Survey staff, members of which have been of technical assistance in fields as wide apart as the deeply dissected strata of Gallipoli and the undulating Cretaceous expanses of

UNIVERSITY AND EDUCATIONAL
NEWS

MUSKINGUM COLLEGE, New Concord, Ohio, has received an anonymous gift of $150,000 for endowment and buildings, on condition that the college pay an equal amount.

WITH the desire to encourage the study of Russian, in view of the commercial intercourse between Russia and Hull, Capt. H. Samman has expressed to the Hull Chamber of Commerce his willingness to start an endowment fund for the purpose with a sum of £10,000.

O. R. SWEENEY, Ph.D. (Penna.), for the past six years instructor in qualitative analysis at the University of Pennsylvania has been appointed instructor in industrial chemistry at the Ohio State University where he formerly graduated from the chemical engineering course.

C. H. SNYDER, the consulting structural engineer, has been appointed lecturer in civil engineering in the University of California.

DISCUSSION AND CORRESPONDENCE

PHOSPHATES

SOME experimental results in a comparison of different phosphates at the Tennessee Agricultural Experiment Station have recently been referred to by Dr. C. G. Hopkins1 in such a way as to be easily misunderstood. The writer wishes to say that neither now nor in the past have these results allowed us to advocate, as intimated by Dr. Hopkins, the use of unacidulated bone meal. From the standpoint of economy the data obtained here have been

1 SCIENCE, p. 652, November 3, 1916.

decidedly in favor of acid phosphate as compared with either bone meal or phosphate rock. In Dr. Hopkins's article omission was made of the fact that in the table referred to

-Bulletin 90, p. 89, Tennessee Agricultural Experiment Station-every $1.00 invested in acid phosphate gave on the average a calculated profit of $4.28 where the cowpea crops were turned under, and of $5.42 where they were removed for hay. Phosphate rock, on the other hand, gave by a similar calculation a profit of only $2.58 where the pea crops were turned under and the same amount where they were removed for hay. These results are the average of three series of experiments, one conducted for five years at the Knoxville Station, another conducted for four years at the Ford farm in Knox County and the third conducted for three years at the Weaver farm in Warren County.

C. A. MOOERS AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION, UNIVERSITY OF TENNESSEE

SOIL SOLUTION

IN an article on "Acidity and Adsorption in Soils as Measured by the Hydrogen Electrode," Sharp and Hoagland truly say, as far as the literature is concerned, "Our present methods do not enable us to study the soil solution itself" (p. 127), but the writer hopes that the Van Suchetelen and Itano method as developed in this laboratory will forward this study. Description of this method will be published soon by this station. The soil solution thus obtained is considered as closely representing the one in the soil. The writer is using this soil solution for bacteriological studies of soils and sees no reason why it should not be used in the study of other soil conditions. This method by which sufficient solution can be obtained for the study of chemical composition, physical properties, etc., should be an aid in the study of soil fertility.

J. FRANKLIN MORGAN AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE EXPERIMENT

STATION,

EAST LANSING, MICHIGAN

OLIGAEROBE, HISTANAEROBE

THERE has lately come into use the word microaerophilic1 to designate the oxygen requirements of a class of microorganisms (Meningococcus, Gonococcus, Bacillus abortus) that require free oxygen for their growth, but which succeed best only when the oxygen is in less amount than it is in the atmosphere.

From the etymologic standpoint, the word appears fairly satisfactory, although μkpós is more applicable to smallness of size than quantity. It seems unfortunate that a word based on the form of the well-established aerobe and anaerobe was not coined. In its place I would suggest the word oligaerobe, from 'oXiyos, meaning few, with special reference to number or quantity.

For organisms like Treponema pallidum that require a small piece of sterile tissue added to the medium in addition to anaerobic conditions, the word histanaerobe would appear to be a suitable designation.

M. W. LYON, JR.

GEORGE WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY

FILEABLE ANNOUNCEMENTS OF NEW BOOKS

TO THE EDITOR OF SCIENCE: One who receives the numerous advertising circulars of book publishers is often at a loss to decide how much of this material to keep and how to file it, and the result is that when some particular information is wanted it is not always easy to get at it quickly. Having found the card system such a time and labor saver for such data as needs filing in a chemical laboratory, I have long wished that I might have a catalogue of all new books bearing on the subjects in which I am interested. It has seemed to me that the publishers in general would gain much if, instead of sending out the usual leaflets and circulars which vary in size and make-up as widely as the territory over which they are scattered, they would send out 3 X5 cards giving the complete title, name of author, size of book, number of pages and of illustrations, table of contents, and a short paragraph indicating the scope of the work. If all publishers 1 Dorland, The American Illustrated Medical

Amer. Med. Ass., Vol. 67, p. 1302, October 28, 1916.

sent out their information about new books in this form, the recipients could file the cards in any way which fitted their needs best and could feel reasonably sure of being able to find quickly the necessary information, when the need should arise. Printing some of the information on the reverse of the card should not be objectionable. One or two publishers have recently done a little along this line of advertising and doubtless many teachers have wished that publishers would introduce the plan generally. I am sending you this information in the hopes that publishers of educational books may have their attention brought to the desirability of putting their announcements in the form suggested. It should be a good business investment for them.

WILHELM SEgerblom

DEPARTMENT OF CHEMISTRY,

THE PHILLIPS EXETER ACADEMY,

EXETER, N. H.

QUOTATIONS

THE WORK OF THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION

THE meeting in New York this week of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and fifty other affiliated national scientific societies, is an event which ought to loom large in the minds of thoughtful people. Not only do the thousand papers and reports read at the various section meetings themselves represent a large part of recent scientific achievement, but the meeting and exchange of views between men occupied in different fields can not but stimulate and liberalize the great human effort to conquer the jungle of ignorance and prejudice that surrounds the little clearing of cultivated science. Yet despite the fact that the meeting this week gives due prominence to the chemical conditions of "preparedness," and other matters affecting our national prosperity, it does not seem likely that it will do much to shake the massive apathy toward the spread of science and scientific method which characterizes our educated classes. A large part of this apathy is due to the vague but widespread feeling that science no longer needs any champions, that since the days of Tyndal, Huxley and Youmans, it has

conquered and taken possession of all our educational institutions.

Nothing could be farther from the truth. ` Compared with the provisions for scientific research in countries like France and Germany, ours are pitifully meager. The energy of our colleges and universities is primarily directed to increasing the number of students, buildings and degrees conferred. The professors are so loaded up with routine teaching and such an unconscionable amount of administrative work, that he who would engage in genuine scientific research must do so by stealth and at the expense of his health. Nor do we provide many incentives for that kind of work. The public reward and recognition extended to technologic promoters is out of all proportion to that extended to scientific achievement itself-witness the millions of people who have heard of Edison but not of Theobald Smith, or who think that Marconi invented wireless telegraphy. Probably thousands of Yale men have not heard of Willard Gibbs, one of the most creative minds in nineteenth-century science, whose work at New Haven was possible largely because he was a man of means and of good family. Perhaps the general cause of science might prosper more in this country if there were greater cooperation and less provincial isolation among the various groups of specialists. Thus the great meeting in New York this week is marked by the absence of all the social science associations, which meet in Columbus, Ohio. The separation between the social and the physical scientists can surely not be of any real advantage to either. At any rate the great outstanding and deplorable fact is that on the vital questions requiring their cooperation, e. g., the effect of immigration or of the interbreeding of races we have multitudes of impassioned orations and sophomore essays, but nothing worthy of being called science. Thousands upon thousands of studies have been devoted by the historians to the German migrations of the fifth century. Can it be that recent events because we are in a position to know more about them are necessarily of lesser intrinsic importance?-The New Republic.