612 PROCEEDINGS OF THE AMERICAN ACADEMY. 



The work reported upon in the preceding chapters is only a frac- 

 tion of the task which the author hopes to accomplish, or to see accom- 

 plished by others. The investigation — already fifteen years old — 

 was undertaken, in the first instance, with a view to developing a 

 practicable and fairly precise method for the direct measurement of 

 the osmotic pressure of aqueous solutions. The need of such a method 

 for the investigation of solutions seemed to the author very great and 

 very urgent. 



Honors came to him rather late but they came, the chief among 

 these was the award of the Avogadro Medal of the Turin Academy of 

 Sciences, in 1916. 



In 1911 an international congress of scientists assembled at Turin, 

 Italy, to celebrate the centennial of the announcement of the hypo- 

 thesis of Avogadro. Those in attendance decided to award a medal 

 to be known as the Avogadro Medal. This medal was to be awarded 

 to the investigator who should, in the judgment of the awarding 

 committee, make the most valuable contribution to the subject of 

 molecular physics during the years 1912, 1913 and 1914. 



A few words in regard to Morse, the man. He was quiet and uneff u- 

 sive. He did not care for the ordinary intercourse with his fellowmen. 

 He lived, when not in the laboratory, for his family and a few kindred 

 spirits. He married twice and had four children — a daughter and 

 three sons. His second wife, who was Miss Elizabeth Dennis Clark, 

 of Portland, Maine, his daughter and two sons survive him. In his 

 later years his wife was of great assistance to him in preparing his 

 articles for publication and was a true helpmate in every way. 



For many years he spent his summers at Chebeague in the beautiful 

 Casco Bay. Here he had a simple comfortable cottage and a garden. 

 He delighted to work, both in and out of the house, and this gave him 

 his exercise. He was rather stout and he knew that he needed exer- 

 cise to keep his weight down. He therefore indulged in walking, 

 bicycling, and finally in motoring, and he managed to keep fairly well. 

 But after his retirement in 1916, his health failed. His strength 

 gave out and his courage also. He did not dare to take his car out 

 of the garage, and his walks were very short. I saw him in May, just 

 before he went to Maine, and thought he seemed more like his old self. 

 He even talked of taking up his work again. It was not to be. I 

 heard nothing from him after that. And then came the dispatch 



