492 THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



During the administration of Mr. Winsor, some new features have 

 been introduced into the management of the library, which, though 

 hardly coming under the head of original work, are important and 

 interesting. At intervals of a week or less, printed lists are struck off 

 of the books received, and posted up for reference. These are collect- 

 ed and published monthly. A quarterly bulletin is issued, containing 

 valuable bibliographical contributions by members of the faculty and 

 the librarian. The most important publication of last year was the 

 " Catalogue of Scientific Serials from 1633-1876," an octavo volume 

 of three hundred and seventy pages, by Mr. S. H. Scudder, the ento- 

 mologist, who is assistant librarian. This book constitutes Vol. I. of 

 the special publications of the library. 



The instructors in the various departments indicate the books which 

 their students will need to consult frequently, and all such books are 

 reserved and placed in special alcoves where they can be freely con- 

 sulted during library hours. One or two advanced classes meet and 

 work at the library in the midst of the reference-books bearing on their 

 subjects. The tendency of this method necessarily is to excite a spirit 

 of investigation in the student, and, to a good degree, students as well 

 as professors pursue original research. 



It would seem unfair to leave Cambridge without a glance at the 

 beautiful gymnasium, the lack of which was so long a heavy cross for 

 Harvard students. 



The medical director has devised various new and yet wonder- 

 fully simple forms of apparatus for strengthening the muscles of the 

 neck, back, loins, and abdomen, as well as of the arms and legs. A 

 physical examination and carefully supervised gradation of exercise 

 distinguish the new era of Harvard muscular Christianity from the 

 old. 



At the medical school the largest amount of original investigation 

 is carried on in the physiological and chemical laboratories. In the 

 former a number of new forms of apparatus are in use, which have 

 been designed by Professor Bowditch and his assistants. Among these 

 are an apparatus for keeping animals alive by artificial respiration ; 

 a dog-holder, canulse for observations on the vocal cords of animals, 

 without interfering with their natural respiration ; unpokrizable elec- 

 trodes used in studying certain problems in the physiology of the 

 nervous system, a new form of apparatus for barometric measurements, 

 and a novel plan for measuring the volume of air inspired and expelled 

 in respiration. A new form of plethysmograph has been devised by 

 Dr. Bowditch. This is an instrument for measuring the changes in 

 the size of organs, either hollow or solid, which are produced by varia- 

 tions in the conditions to which they are subjected. The essential 

 part of Dr. Bowditch's invention is a contrivance by which fluid is 

 allowed to flow freely to and from the organ to be measured without 

 changing its absolute level in the receptacle into which it flows, while 



