TEE PROGRESS OF SCIENCE. 



6oi 



Association that this week — that in 

 which the first day of the new year 

 falls — will hereafter be devoted to the 

 purpose designated. The meeting of 

 the American Association next year 

 will be at Pittsburg at the beginning 

 of July, and will be presided over by 

 the great astronomer, Professor Asaph 

 Hall. It will undoubtedly be large and 

 important; while the meeting at Wash- 

 ington will probably be the greatest 

 scientific congress ever held in Amer- 

 ica. 



There was published in this Journal 

 for July last an article on the Ameri- 

 can Association for the Advancement 

 of Science calling attention to the great 

 importance and responsibility of this 

 institution for the development of 

 science. Trusts and trade unions are 

 an integral part of our present civiliza- 

 tion, and it is our duty not to protest 

 against them, but to direct them for 

 the common good. Those interests that 

 are most important for civilization 

 should have the strongest organization, 

 and it is gratifying to find that under 

 the auspices of the American Associa- 

 tion a union is being effected that will 

 adequately represent the scientific in- 

 terests of the country. There was a 

 period of disintegration when the 

 development of the special sciences re- 

 quired the formation of special socie- 

 ties, but we are apparently now in the 

 midst of a movement toward such a 

 concentration of authority as will not 

 interfere with local autonomy. Here- 

 with is given a curve showing the total 

 membership of the American Associa- 

 tion and the attendance at the meet- 

 ings since that in Washington in 1891, 

 when the membership reached its 

 maximum. It will be noticed that 

 there was a tendency for the member- 

 ship gradually to decrease, broken only 

 by an accession at the large Brooklyn 

 meeting of 1894. The curve, however, 

 rises in a remarkable way for the New 

 York and Denver meetings. This has 

 doubtless been largely due to the ar- 



rangement with 'Science,' mentioned 

 above, and to the efficiency of the pres- 

 ent permanent secretary. Dr. L. 0. 

 Howard, in bringing the desirability 

 of membership in the Association be- 

 fore the scientific men of the country. 

 These, however, are only incidents that 

 have hastened the development of a 

 movement demanded by modern con- 

 ditions. 



MORTALITY STATISTICS. 

 A BULLETIN issued from the census 

 bureau at the end of August gives vital 

 statistics of more than usual interest. 

 The death rates of 1900 and 1890 are 

 compared both as regards different 

 regions and as regards different causes 

 of death. It appears that careful 

 registration of deaths is undertaken in 

 ten States and in a large number of 

 cities, including about twenty-nine mil- 

 lion of the inhabitants of the country. 



