Oxford Science

Abstract

THE second quarterly issue of this publication maintains the high standard and interest of the first number. There are two articles on the teaching of chemistry at Oxford, one by an undergraduate, the other by Dr. J. H. Wolfenden, the former deliberately critical and even fault-finding, the latter an admirable exposition and defence of the unique system of training that has been in force at Oxford during the past seventeen years. The possibilities of science as an education are discussed by Dr. J. Z. Young. He advocates means of making scientific courses more valuable as a part of general education so that whoever takes them may hi some sense be educated and not, as too often at present, merely filled with plain facts. There are two articles on popular lines. Dr. A. H. Cooke of the Clarendon Laboratory gives a short account of the technique used there in attaining low temperatures and discusses briefly the more important results that have been obtained; Prof. J. H. Burn discusses the phrase ‘suffering from blood-pressure’ in a paper which will be read with interest by all and with relief by some. In “Correspondence” the Nuffield professor of clinical medicine criticizes some of the suggestions about the medical curriculum made by one of the medical tutors in an article in the first issue. There are also reviews of scientific books and short accounts of the activities of the scientific and medical undergraduate societies.