from a laboratory period or even, now and then, from a lecture period. I was obliged to take one of the lecture periods. I limited the length of the report to 200 words and thus about five students were able to report in one period. Comments were made and questions asked after each report. The students were required to do this twice a year. Of course, not all of the students were able to report to the class, but they were required to hand in their papers and then to report for a criticism of the same. I think that, with a few modifications, this plan could he carried out with larger classes as well. I would be glad to exchange opinions with you or any of the readers of the JOURNAL on this subject. ADAM J. KELLER
ST. LOUIS UNIVERSITY, ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI
Few Drug Users Found in England. Whik addictinn rc, rnorphinc and heroin ln Great Britain IS growing rare. 3 cnmplrte cure, q r c i a l l v of the herom addirts, i i difficlllt t o obtain. This is the finding of an investigating committee of physicians which has reported t o Parliament. Since harmful use of drugs has often resulted from their use in medical treatment, the committee warned practitioners to administer drugs with caution, especially in the case of very young patients. The most important predisposing cause of addiction was found t o be inherent mental or nervous instability, although chronic pain, insomnia, overwork, and anxiety are also prevalent causes. According to one medical witness examined by the committee, there is, however, danger in some cases of administering the drug too late. The worn out patient has such intense relief that the possibility of the habit becoming fixed is all the greater. Of the three methods of treatment, the abrupt, the rapid, and the gradual withdrawal of the drug, the last is recommended by the committee as the most suitable as it places less strain upon the patient and is unattended by collapse Only 15 t o 20 per cent of the addicts treated achieve a lasting cure. The experts declared that mare successful results could be obtained if the United Kingdom possessed more institutions where special treatment was available which could be made compulsory for all addicts.Science Senice Alcohols and Perfumes Made from Petroleum. The production of a refined and delicate perfume from ill-smelling petroleum was demonstrated by Harold S. Davis of the Arthur D. Little corporation before the American Chemical Society meeting a t Tulsa. Recent investigations in this field indicate that the use of petroleum as a source of raw material for the synthesis of complex carbon compounds may in time transcend its importance as a fuel Various alcohols may be made from crude mineral oils, none of which will interfere with the Volstead Act, but some of which have recently come into common use as solvents for lacquers and the like. Among these alcohols that may be made from petroleum, that known t o chemists as "tertiary butanol" is of particular interest and promise for industrial use as a consequence of certain unique chemical and physical properties.-Science Senice
