Science

HYDROGEN IN ZEPPELINS.

Hydrogen is the gas used to fill the Zeppelins, and we learn from 7. P.'s Weekly that it was originally discovered by an Englishman named Cavendish

"Paracelsus suspected its existence, but it was Cavendish who provided it with an individuality. He was doubtful whether water was as simple as it looked, and proceeded to test the matter. This he did by passing through the liquid an electric current which destroyed the water and took away its reputation, for with earth, air, and fire it had been classed with the elements. Having destroyed water's reputation he tried to build up one for hydrogen, but not with much success. As discoverer of the gas he stood sponsor to it and dubbed it 'inflammable air.' Then later it was suspected to be the highly mythical substance phlogiston, and finally it became hydrogen, the water-maker."

UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF SCIENCE.

We are glad to see, says the Bengalee, that the Department of Applied Mathematics of the University College of Science is doing excellent work under Dr. Ganesh Prasad and Sir Rash Behari Ghose, Professor of Applied Mathematics. Two of the research scholars have had their merits recently recognised by the University. One of them, Mr. Sudhansukumar Banerji, M.Sc., has been awarded the full Premchand Roychand Studentship in the teeth of opposition from many noted chemical competitors for two mathematical theses, which have already been published by such a highclass Mathematical Society as that of Calcutta. These theses have attracted considerable attention outside India, and Dr. Carslaw, a distinguished expert, has written to express his appreciation. The other research scholar, Mr. Hariprasanna Banerji, M.Sc., who has already published an original paper, has been appointed Assistant University Professor.

WOMEN INVENTORS.

A reprsentative of Messrs. Hughes and Young, patent agents, remarked that during 1914 there had been 360 women applicants for patents in the United Kingdom.

"That is still a very small number when you compare it with the 30,000 applications from men," he added, "but the fact remains that women inventors are on the increase, and are rapidly entering highly specialised fields hitherto only touched by men."

THE INVENTOR OF AEROPLANE.

Mouillard was a French Draughtsman and Naturalist who, in his book The Empire of the Air, explained the laws of the flight of birds. He was the first to construct an aeroplane and made it fly. It is now proved that Chanute, the French Engineer established in the United States, made use of all Mouillard's works, thanks to which, he taught the brothers Wright who wrongly and unjustly proclaimed themselves the creators of the aeroplane.

NEW SIGNALLING DEVICE.

While on the subject of motor cars, it is appropriate to mention a means of signalling at night, very convenient for chauffeurs. The device in question consists of a small electric globe enclosed in a transparent cover. This is attached to the back of the motor driver's glove, a connection being made to a pocket battery. By pressing the two points on the leather of the finger and thumb, the light may be switched on when the hand is extended to indicate which way the car is going.

AERIAL TELEPHONE.

Conversation in an aeroplane, owing to the noise of the engine, is practically impossible between the pilot and passenger. This inconvenience has been obviated by a telephone apparatus which enables travellers in the air to talk to one another.

Personal.

SIR THOMAS HOLLAND,

Sir Thomas Holland, who has been appointed Chairman of the Indian Economic and Industrial Commission, is now 48 years of age. He joined the Indian service in 1880, and successively held the offices of the Director of the Geological Survey, President of the Mining and Geological Institute of India, Chairman of the Trustees of the Indian Museum, President of the Burma Oil Reserves Committee, Dean of the Faculty of Science of Calcutta University, President of the Board of Studies in Geology and Mineralogy. He is also Fellow of the Royal Society, Hon. D. Sc. of Calcutta, Member of the Advisory Committee of the Imperial Institute, President of the Institute of Mining Engineers, Member of the Council of the Institution of Mining and Metallurgy, Vice-President of the Institution of Petroleum Technologists, and Professor of Geology and Mineralogy at the Manchester University since 1901.

MR. BIRRELL'S CAREER.

Mr. Augustine Birrell, who has resigned the Chief Secretaryship to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland as the result of his failure to foresee the recent disturbance, was President of the Board of Education under Sir H. Campbell Bannerman, but he could not survive the disappointment of the loss of the Education Bill of 1906, and he threw up the post. Then he was appointed to the Irish Chief Secretaryship on January 24th, 1907. He justified the change somewhat, said the "Pall Mall Gazette House of Commons Guide, by his skill in piloting the Irish University Bill through in 1908, and the Irish Land Bill in 1909; but he succeeded neither in allaying the suspicions of the Irish Unionists nor in pleasing the Nationalists. Born in 1850, he was the youngest son of the late Rev. Charles Birrell, a Baptist Minister at Liverpool. He was educated

at Amersham Hall School and at Trinity Hall' Cambridge, of which society he is an Honorary Fellow. Called to the Bar in 1875, he was Quain Professor of Law in University College, London, from 1899 to 1898, became a Bencher of the Inner Temple in 1903, and a K. C. His Parliamentary career dates from 1889, when he was returned for the Western Division of Fifeshire, which he represented until 1900 when he was beaten in N. E. Manchester. As the author of "Obiter Dicta" and "Res Judicatae," he is well known among the lovers of belle lettre. Mr. Birrell has been twice married, his second wife being the daughter of Frederick and Lady Charlattee Locker, and widow of the Hon. Lionel Tennyson.

HON. MR. SHEPPARD.

The Hon. Mr. W. D. Sheppard, C.I.E., I.C.S., who has been appointed Member of the India Council, has had a very successful career in various departments of administration and as Municipal Commissioner for the city of Bombay for nearly six years. He not only made himself popular by his genial temperament and willingness to look into the grievances of the people, but introduced valuable reforms in municipal administration. His experience and training secured him higher positions, and his many friends in India, while regretting his departure, appreciate the honour Government have bestowed upon Mr. Sheppard by selecting him for a seat on the India Council.

LORD HARDINGE.

Lord Hardinge on his return to England took his seat in the House of Lords. He was introduced by Lords Newton and Henderson. It

is understood that Lord Hardinge will succeed Sir A. Nicholson as Permanent Secretary to the Foreign Office. Sir A. Nicholson is retiring owing to ill health. In the meanwhile Lord Hardinge heads the Commission to enquire into the causes of the Irish rebellion.

In other words, His Excellency the Governor of Bombay, who is authorized to nominate 14 officials, has contented himself with nominating 8 and thus raised the number of nominated non-official members from 7 to 13. In the United Provinces the Lieutenant-Governor could nominate 20 officials but contented himself with nominating 16. The net result is, that while 34 out of 47 members are non-officials in the Bombay Council, 31 out of 47 are such in the U. P. Council.

INDIA'S MILITARY RESOURCES.

We have not begun to tap the Military resources of India which are almost inexhaustible, says a contemporary. Even without going outside the castes and clans that are quite arbitrarily classed as martial by the Government of India, which shuts large bodies of capable Indians out of the Army, there are millions of men of fighting quality and military age, who would willingly take up the Sword of Justice for us if we would only let them do so. Lord Chelmsford may signalise his assumption of office by creating a great citizen army and officering it largely with Indians. We are quite prepared to wait for reforms until he finds his feet, but he is assuming the Viceroyalty

GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS AND ELECTIONS.

A circular on the subject of Government officials and elections, which has been circulated by the Chief Secretary to the Government of Bengal, states:

It has been represented to Government that an order debarring ministerial officers from participation in anything of the nature of an electoral campaign would practically have the effect of preventing them from standing for election to local bodies. The Governor in Council has had under careful consideration the question whether ministerial officers of Government should be deprived in this way of this right, which those of them who are qualified under the election rules at present possess in common with other rate-payers. He has come to the conclusion that it is in most cases unobjectionable for such officers to stand for election, but that it is not unreasonable that, before doing so, they should be required to obtain the permission of the head of the office in which they Such permission might be withheld on such grounds as that the legitimate work of the officer as a Government servant would be interfered with, or the loca! circumstances rendered it undesirable that he should have any connection with municipal affairs. An officer who has obtained such permission will not be precluded from the exercise of reasonable electioneering activities in a private capacity on his own behalf but will be held strictly responsible that no advantage is taken of his official position in order to extend his influence at the poll,

serve.

General.

THE BOMBAY STUDENTS' BROTHERHOOD. To write a short account of this institution is to record the splendid services rendered by a few earnest men like Prof. N. G. Welinkar,

MR. B. S. TURKHUD.

Sir Narayan Chandavarkar, Mr. C. M. Cursetjee, the Rev. Dr. Scot, and last but not least important Mr. B. S. Turkhud, its Honorary Secretary, who has just resigned the post.

Mr. Turkhud's connection dates from the very commencement of the Institution 27 years ago, and his severance will be keenly felt by the student world of Bombay in particular,

COMRADESHIP IN ARMS.

The Secretary of State for India has received the following cablegram from the Commandant, New Zealand Depot, dated 25th April, 1916

"On this anniversary of our great adventure may we, New Zealanders, tender our tribute to the immortal and glorious valour of the Indian troops with whom we had the honour of serving."

SANITATION AND THE INDIAN ARMY.

The annual report of the Sanitary Commissioner with the Government of India for 1914, shows perhaps for the first time the manner in which the war affected army strengths in this country. The average strength of European troops in India during 1914 was 60,500 as compared with 70,750 in the preceding year and that of Indian troops, including those on duty in China and other stations outside India, was 125,000 as compared with 131,500 in 1913. It cannot be said that the vital statistics were in any way abnormal during the year. For both the European and Indian troops the death rate per thousand was above the extremely low rate current in 1913, but still well below the average for the previous quinquennial period.

ARMENIAN CIVILISATION.

Travellers have recognised for centuries, says Sir Edwin Pears, that the Armenian population of Turkey, numbering about two mil lions, is a most valuable element in the country, The people, like ourselves, belong to the Indo-European race. A large portion of them occupy a mountainous country, and the men are usually stalwart and industrious. Their country was civilised and prosperous in the time of Christ, and I cannot doubt that the general average intelligence of Armenians is due to the fact that they are the descendants of parents who have been civilised for centuries. Armenia was the first country to establish Christianity as the religion of the State,