ANGLO-COLONIAL NOTES

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXIII, Issue 13712, 1 April 1905, Page 10

ANGLO-COLONIAL NOTES

PERSONAL AND GENERAL. [From Our Correspondent.] LONDON, February 17. The Selection Committee appointed by the University of Otago to fill the vacant chair of physiology have chosen, out of a number of applicants, Mr John Malcolm, M.D., of the Physiology Department of Edinburgh University. At present Dr Malcolm is Lecturer on Chemical Physiology at Edinburgh, and assistant to the Professor of Physiology, a position ho has held for five years. His testimonials are exceedingly good. The Dean of the Faculty .of Medicine at Edinburgh, Mr A. R. Simpson, M.D., D.Sc., F.R.S., describes Dr Malcolm as an able and strenuous worker of unusual promise,; and adds:—“Trained as ho has been under the most accomplished physiologists of our time, ho is nob only familiar with all the best methods of modern research, but he has shown himself to be capable of making important original investigations, and to be a most efficient and acceptable lecturer in his teaching of the students in our University. The University of Otago is to'be congratulated on having as a candidate for its chair of physiology' a man so well fitted as Dr Melcolm to fill it with success.” Dr W. S. Greenfield, Pu r ossor of General Pathology at Edinghurgh, says he can bear “ personal testimony to the value of Dr Malcolm's scientific research work in a very difficult lino of investigation from a careful study of his thesis for the Ivi.D. degree, and from other papers which he has published, and also on the ground of various pieces of work ho has done for me from time to time. He is a most diligent and thorough worker, and has become especially export in some of the most difficult aid important of those branches of physiology, which are the most important for future physiological and pathological advance.” Dr Malcolm has also excellent testimonials from Sir Thomas Fraser, physician in ordinary to the King for Scotland; Dr Neil Stewart, Professor of Physiology at Chicago University; Dr D. Noel Paton, Superintendent of the Research Laboratories at Edinburgh; Professor Zuntz, Director of the Institute of Animal Physiology at Berlin; and others. Dr Malcolm is thirty-one years of age, and unmarried. Before taking up medicine, he had "four y;eare’ training as a public school teacher. During his medical course at Edinburgh, he obtained first-class honours in nearly all the University classes, with medals in six subjects. He won a £42 prize in his second year, a £2O bursary in his third year, and a £3OO scholarship tor pathology, medical jurisprudence, and public health in his fifth year. After graduating M. 8., C’n. B. (with honours), in 1697, lie was invited to assist the Professor of Physiology,in research work ,in his laboratory at 1 Edinburgh University ; and since then Dr Malcolm has been more or less engaged in either teaching physiology or in researches into physiological problems. A thesis on his two years’ researches, obtained for him the degree of M.D. in 1899, together with a gold medal—the highest distinction conferred by the University. Afterwards he served six months as outpatient medical officer of the Victria Hospital for Consumptives, and also at the Royal Infirmary, and in 1901 studied for six months at the Physiological Institute of the Agricultural University, Berlin. From time to time ho has contributed papers to the “Journal of Physiology.” Altogether, Dr Malcolm appears to have made the most of the exceptional opportunities he- has had for observing and practising the host and most recent methods of teaching physiology. Ho ' leaves for New Zealand on March 18, travelling via San Francisco. Two welhknown New Zealand vocalists, Mr John Prouse, of ‘Wellington, and Mr Arthur L. Edwards, late of Auckland,' were amongst the pcrfolmers at the London Press Club’s monthly “smoker” last Saturday. Each was in splendid form, and each had to respond to an imperative demand for more. Mr Prouso and his family are now residing in Dorchester Terrace, London, W. Mr Leslie Smith, a Dunedin artist, who came Homo last month via Durban and the Canary islands, intends making a prolonged study of Art in Europe, and will probably take up his abode on this side of the world. Mr Smith is at present painting a copy of an “old master ” in tire National Gallery for a colonial commission, and, is also studying at the Westminster School of Painting. Callers at the Agent-General’s office this week:—Captain Hooper (Wellington), Mr Herbert Fitahsrbort (Wellington), Mr IT. Vernon Wylie (Wellington), Mr W. R. Hackworth (Wellington), Mr Wernyss C. Bear (Napier), Mr D. H. Madill (Tuakau), Captain and Mrs 1 rvine (Dunedin) and Mr E. J. Greensfereet (Christchurch). The ngenc-Generai s department '\ao overwhelmed with applications from New Zealanders for seats to see the opening of Parliament in the House of Lords on Tuesday. As the department had only five tickets at its disposal, the number of requests that could be granted was decidedly limited. The favoured New Zealanders who received the tickets were Mr. and Airs Moss Davis, of Auckland; the Misses Beauchamp, of Wellington; and Mr P. A. Vaile. The Rev Haskett Smith, well known in the colonics as an entertaining lecturer, gave an address at the Gaston Hall on Sunday, under the. auspices of the League of the Empire, on “ The Evolution of Australia from Bush to Commonwealth.” Incidentally, the reverend gentleman told a good story which, though not now, will bear repeating. At a dinner given in the Prince of Wales's honour in Melbourne, at which the lecturer was present, the Prince stated that when taking leave of bis parents at Portsmouth a little nervous, and told the King he was rather sorry ho had undertaken the Australasian tour, as he know nothing about the opening of Parliaments.. The King replied, “ Don’t be nervous; you can open anything in Australia with a corkscrew.”