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living and dead, and many other contributions to the history of medicine. Judged by the illustrations alone, this periodical will always remain one of the most important reference repositories of medical history. Among his other works were monographs on the "Tania" (1891), the "Coccidia" (1900), a large and important treatise on "Mosquitoes," (1905), a German-French dictionary of anatomical and zoological terms (1908) and a series of monographs on the rôle of insects in infection, which was continued during the recent war in a series of booklets on insects dangerous to soldiers in the trenches, not unlike the series gotten up by Professor A. E. Shipley in England. To anthropology, Blanchard made contributions on "steatopygy in African women (1883), the seventh cervical rib of man 66 atavism in man (1895), "" (1885), "polymastia" (1885) and on "animals injurious to the human race" (1888). Early and late, he did much for medical and zoological nomenclature (1889-1917).2

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In 1902, Blanchard founded the Institut de médecine coloniale. the first French school of tropical medicine, and in the same year (1902), he also founded the French Society of History of Medicine, a pleiad of talented workers, who met in one of the halls of the medical faculty and whose transactions have been preserved to date. This society has been known to travelers as the most hospitable and attractive of all organizations devoted to this subject, a sort of Mecca for the medical historians.

The last seven years of Blanchard's hard working life were crowned by his great work on medical epigraphy (1909-1915), the intent of which is well described in the subtitle, "Corpus inscriptionum ad medicinam biologiamque spectantium," in other words, no less than a complete collection of all European inscriptions and epitaphs relating to medicine from the time of the Middle Ages down. The plan of this undertaking was originally proposed by Blanchard to the Société française d'histoire de medecine on December 11, 1907, but it was soon discovered that funds were

2 His last contribution to the subject is in Bull. Acad. de méd., Paris, 1916, LXXVI., 380–389.

not available and the financing of the proposition was then assumed by Blanchard himself. As it stands, it is one of the most enduring monuments ever made to medico-historical research by the travel method. As far as published, the work comprises some 1,258 inscriptions collected all over Europe and the United States by Blanchard, Wickersheimer and others, each inscription being furnished with an appropriate commentary. Before the appearance of this work, little had been done in medical epigraphy beyond a monograph on medicine in the Roman inscriptions by Jacopo Arata (1902) and a study of the Greek medical inscriptions by J. Oehler (1909). It is now well known that our knowledge of public medicine in antiquity has been largely evolved from the Greek and Roman inscriptions. It is to be hoped that the subject of medical epigraphy will henceforth become an international matter of continuous record and research, to carry out the intention of Blanchard's great work. He was himself one of the noblest advocates of internationalism in science.

Blanchard had been described by those who knew him as a man of the most genial, debonair and attractive type. An engraving in the Surgeon General's Library represents him in the costly vestments of the Paris Faculty, with jabot and dalmatic, his breast covered with many decorations; a towering figure, the countenance expressive of the utmost intellectual refinement. The clean-cut ironic features betoken the type of character which might be either godlike or satanic, but the abiding impression is one of ineffable bonté de cœur. In the many group pictures which have appeared, representing Blanchard among his colleagues, he invariably stands out as the gentilhomme Kar' toxýv, as Liszt, Tchaikovski, Saint Saëns did among the musicians. In the decease of this distinguished savant, French science sustains a grave loss.

ARMY MEDICAL MUSEUM

F. H. GARRISON

4 Ehler, Janus, Amsterdam, 1909, XIV., 4, 111. 3 Arata, "L'arte medica nelle iscrizioni latini,” Genoa, 1902.

JOHN WALLACE BAIRD JOHN WALLACE BAIRD, professor of experimental psychology in Clark University, died at Baltimore on February 2, 1919.

Baird was born on May 21, 1869, at Motherwell, western Ontario. From the local school he passed to the high school at St. Marys, and thence to the University of Toronto. His undergraduate course was prolonged, partly by disability due to eye-strain and partly by ventures in teaching; he took his B.A. in 1897.

In his senior year at Toronto Baird came under the influence of Professor A. Kirschmann, who aroused in him the psychological interest that was to dominate the rest of his life. After graduation he spent a further year with Kirschmann, and then-working his passage on a cattle-boat-made his way to Wundt at Leipsic. On his return, he was appointed fellow in psychology at the University of Wisconsin. This appointment was renewed for the following year; but a position fell vacant at Cornell, and Professor Jastrow generously consented to release Baird from his obligations in order that he might accept it. He accordingly came to me as personal assistant in March, 1901, and was made fellow for 1901-02. In 1902 he took his Ph.D. degree. He remained two more years at Cornell, first as assistant in the department of psychology, and then as research assistant on the Carnegie Foundation. From 1904 to 1906 he was instructor in psychology at the Johns Hopkins University, and from 1906 to 1910 assistant professor in the University of Illinois. In 1910 he was called as assistant professor to Clark University, and in 1913 was advanced to the rank of professor.

Baird's productive work is shown by his own writings and by the publications of the students he inspired to have covered a wide range. He spoke with especial authority on the phenomena of visual sensation and perception and on the processes of memory and learning. His interest in vision dates from his Toronto time; a study of abnormal colorsense, published in collaboration with R. J. Richardson in 1898, is, I believe, his first essay in psychological research. He took as the sub

ject of his doctorate thesis the influence of accommodation and convergence on the perception of depth, and his Carnegie Foundation memoir-an admirable bit of work-is an experimental study of the color-sensitivity of the peripheral retina. On the side of memory and learning we have his translation of Meumann's "Psychology of Learning" (1913), and the yearly summaries of experimental papers which he furnished to the Psychological Bulletin from 1911 to 1917. Baird's advanced lectures on memory and learning and on the higher intellectual processes would have ripened into books, and indeed would be well worth publishing in the form in which they were last delivered. Unfortunately, he appears never to have written them out in full. He was a born debater, and was openly proud of his ability to speak logically and fluently, on a complex topic, from the scantiest and raggedest of notes. The pride, in a man of extreme modesty, was delightful, and the lectures were always as clear and interesting as he could have wished; but it is doubtful whether enough of their substance can now be recovered to warrant publication. His two latest articles bear witness both to the range of his interest and to the generosity which was an abiding trait of his character. They are entitled "Memory for Absolute Pitch" and "The Rôle of Intent in Mental Functioning," and appear in volumes of essays dedicated to former teachers.

Baird's scientific output, considerable as it was, fails-even if we add his students' work to his own-adequately to reflect his ability and industry. He suffered for many years, and he suffered more than any of us knew, from the malady that was to prove fatal. He seemed able, however, to meet the attacks as they came, and at the time of his marriage in 1914 his friends had reason to hope that his recovery was complete. He threw himself, with zest and humor, into the task of building a house a house whose hospitality was to rival those other Worcester houses that many psychologists have come to look upon almost as second homes. The house was built, but, alas! was hardly occupied before it was

abandoned. In April, 1918, Baird received an imperative call to Washington, to serve on the committee concerned with plans for the reeducation and reestablishment of disabled soldiers. He devoted himself strenuously to this new work, the burden of which undoubtedly hastened his end. He broke down in November, and did not again leave the hospital.

The loss of a man of Baird's caliber would be a heavy blow to any science at any juncture: it is an especially heavy blow to psychology, whose academic representation is meager and which has recently suffered other and serious losses. His untimely death leaves a gap in our professional ranks, of which we shall become more and more sensible as the years go on. But what is now uppermost in our minds is the feeling of personal bereavement. Baird had, in very exceptional degree, the gift of loyal friendship. He made friends everywhere, with all sorts and conditions of men, and the friendships held; his open and cordial nature, his sturdy optimism, and his frank address, were irresistible. Those who were privileged to be his intimates will miss him sorely. It is a satisfaction to remember that during the last year of his life he received the highest honor his colleagues could bestow, the presidency of the American Psychological Association. E. B. TITCHENER

SCIENTIFIC EVENTS

REWARDS FOR BRITISH WAR INVENTIONS THE appointment of a royal commission to determine what awards and royalties shall be paid to inventors in respect of the use of their inventions by government departments during the war is announced in The London Times. Mr. Justice Sargant is the chairman of the commission, and its other members are: Professor the Hon. R. J. Strutt, F.R.S., Sir James Johnston Dobbie, D.Sc., LL.D., Mr. G. L. Barstow, C.B., Mr. W. Temple Franks, C.B., Mr. A. Clayton Cole, Mr. H. J. Mackinder, M.P., and Mr. Robert Young, M.P. The commission has now issued, and is published in the London Gazette.

Certain special conditions are provided as follows:

1. In any case of user or alleged user of any patented invention for the services of the Crown by any government department and of default of agreement as to the terms of user, the commissioners, upon the application of the patentee and agreement to accept their determination, may proceed to settle,, and may settle the terms of user in lieu and place of the treasury: Provided that the commissioners shall not actually award to the patentee any sum or sums of money whether by way of a gross sum or by way of royalty or otherwise which shall together exceed an aggregate sum of £50,000 beyond and in addition to any allowance the commissioners may think fit to make for outlay and expenses in connection with the invention; but the commissioners, if of opinion that the patentee is fairly entitled to a remuneration exceeding the said aggregate sum of £50,000, may make a recommendation to the treasury as to any such excess, with a statement of their reasons for such recommendation.

2. In any case where terms of user of any patented invention (including any terms as to selling for use, licensing, or otherwise dealing with any article made in accordance therewith, or any terms as to assignment of an invention under section 30 of the Patents and Designs Act, 1907), have been agreed, or are in course of agreement, between the patentee and any government department, the commissioners may on the application of the treasury make any recommendation as to the giving or withholding by the treasury of approval of such agreement or proposed agreement, and may assist in adjusting or determining any term or terms of any proposed agreement as to which the parties may not be fully agreed.

3. In any case of user or alleged user for the services of the Crown by any government department of any inventions, designs, drawings or processes which, though not conferring any monopoly against the Crown or any statutory right to payment or compensation, may nevertheless appear from their exceptional utility or otherwise to entitle the inventor, author or owner thereof to some remuneration for such user (including user or by way of selling for

use, licensing or otherwise dealing with any articles made in accordance therewith) the commissioners may, on the request of the treasury, inquire into the circumstances of the case, and may make a recommendation to the treasury as to the remuneration (if any) that is proper to be allowed therefor.

THE REVISION OF PRITZEL'S BOTANICAL

DICTIONARY

PRITZEL in the middle of the last century compiled a dictionary of every important published picture or illustration of every known plant, of which he enumerates more than 100,000, giving a reference to the book and page where each illustration may be found; so that any one hearing of a plant he never happened to have seen could look out the name in "Pritzel," and on referring to the book and page given, find a representation of the plant

-colored or otherwise.

Pritzel's book is long out of print, and as he finished his work in 1866 it is desirable to bring Pritzel's work up to date. Different scientific bodies (and private individuals) in England and in the United States have from time to time made suggestions for undertaking this work of revision, but as yet none of their suggestions have taken effect, chiefly on account of the very large expenditures and scientific work it involves.

The original Pritzel, which must of course be reprinted, contains about 100,000 entries, and it is estimated that at least 125,000 more entries will have to be incorporated with them. The Royal Horticultural Society has at last definitely undertaken to carry out the work with the assistance of botanists attached to the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, the Natural History Museum and the Linnean, Society, and in friendly cooperation with the United States government Bureau of Plant Industry.

In 1913 the society began to raise the required amount, the International Horticultural Exhibition held in 1912 starting the fund with a donation of £250 followed by £100 from the Veitch Memorial Trustees and the council of the Royal Horticultural Society voted £250 to which they have since added

another £250 to enable the work to be begun. The work has now been actually started, the typists having accommodation found for them at Kew through the assistance of the director, and the whole is under the immediate supervision of the following committee, viz.: Professor I. Bayley, Mr. E. A. Bowles, Mr. F. J. Hanbury, Captain Arthur W. Hill, Dr. B. Daydon Jackson, Mr. Gerald W. E. Loder, Sir Daniel Morris, Sir David Prain, Dr. A. B. Rendle, Dr. O. Stapf, Sir Harry J. Veitch, to which, as has been said, will be added direct assistance from Kew, the Natural History Museum, the Linnean Society and the Bureau of Plant Industry.

GERMAN SCIENCE AFTER THE WAR

Nature quotes from an editorial in Die Umschau, for November 30, 1918, by the editor, Professor J. H. Bechhold, in which he indicates the manner in which German science can aid the Fatherland in its hour of defeat and assist it to gain the supremacy in the economic sphere. After pointing out that reconstructed Germany must perforce be simple in order to conform to the new conditions of life imposed upon her by recent events, he asks the question: In what relation shall science, technics and art stand in the new state? Germany, it is explained, must in future seek to live upon her own resources; further, she will have only a small amount of raw material surplus to her own needs, and for this reason it will be incumbent upon her to export the output of her genius; to meet the situation as it should be met, Germany will have to build herself up on efficiency management. She is told that she must attempt to excel all other countries in the quality of her precision instruments and lenses, artificial silks and textiles, dyes and medicines, high-class furniture and works of art, in order to create a demand for these valuable products of her industry in foreign lands. For this reason, Germany will require, says Professor Bechhold, highly trained engineers, chemists, electricians, skilled mechanics and artificers, and, in order that her needs in these directions may be suitably met, she will further require first-class teachers,

first-class training institutions and research laboratories, as well as colleges. These matters are, it is stated, of such overwhelming importance that they must not be permitted to become a class or caste question; there is little danger of this at the present time for already the intellectual men in Germany are combining forces in various directions: this is so in the case of the technical man and the academician, as well as in that of the artificer and the university professor. Finally, an inventors' institute must be founded in order that the inventor may be furnished with advice, the commercial possibilities of his work tested, a selection made of what is best, and a good market found for that which is of real worth.

APPROPRIATIONS FOR THE KANSAS STATE AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE

THE Kansas legislature of 1919 appropriated a total of $1,675,500 for the support of the Kansas State Agricultural College for the biennium July 1, 1919, to June 30, 1921. This appropriation is in addition to the amount set apart for extension and demonstration work in accordance with the terms of the Smith-Lever Act. In accordance with this law, the legislature appropriated $63,073.65 for 1919-20 and $75,203.20 for 1920-21, the federal government supplying a like amount for each year of the biennium. The appropriations for the college proper represent an increase of more than $400,000 or approximately 33 per cent., over the appropriation for the present biennium.

One hundred and ninety thousand dollars was appropriated for completing the central part of Engineering Hall. This will more than double the floor space and will house the electrical engineering department which is now located temporarily in Denison Hall. It will also permit of the proper growth and development of the department of farm engineering. More space will be made available for the physics department, and the chemistry department will be able to expand its quarters. The erection of the new portions of the building will also afford proper coal storage facilities, thus economizing tremendously on labor.

Work on the building will be begun at once as the sum of $50,000 is available immediately.

The biennial appropriations also include $12,500 for a new water plant for the college, and $10,000 for a new hog plant, buildings and equipment. Ten thousand dollars will be spent in the two years in testing road materials for the state highway commission, the Agricultural College having been made the official testing laboratory for the commission. Forty thousand dollars was appropriated for repairs and improvements each year-an increase of 60 per cent. over the present appropriation. The appropriation for the support of the Agricultural Experiment Station will be increased from $40,000 to $55,000 each year of the biennium.

SCIENTIFIC NOTES AND NEWS

DR. GEORGE FERDINAND BECKER, geologist of the U. S. Geological Survey since 1879, died in Washington on April 20, at the age of seventytwo years.

THE Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology is meeting this week at the Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore. The societies included in the federation are: The Physiological Society, the Society of Biological Chemists, the Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics and the Society for Experimental Pathology.

THE annual meeting of the Association of American Anatomists was held from April 17 to 19 in Pittsburgh under the presidency of Robert R. Bensley, of the University of Chi

cago.

THE executive committee of the American Society of Zoologists has voted to hold the annual Christmas meeting in 1919 in St. Louis in conjunction with the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

PROFESSOR ROLAND THAXTER, professor of cryptogamic botany at Harvard University since 1901, has been appointed professor emeri

tus.

THE Distinguished Service Medal has been awarded to Colonel John J. Carty "for exceptionally meritorious and distinguished services.

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