The Period from 1891 to 1900 33 



Statistical Data 



Year 



1881 

 1882 

 1883 

 1884 

 1885 

 1886 

 1887 

 1888 

 1889 

 1890 



VI. THE PERIOD FROM 1891 TO 1900 



There were several scientific discoveries of the first order of importance 

 during the decade from 1891 to 1900, inclusive. Perhaps the first that 

 should be mentioned was Ostwald's discovery, in 1892, of the profound 

 nature of Gibb's paper "On the Equilibrium of Heterogeneous Substances," 

 published in 1877. In 1894 Bateson found that a great number of exam- 

 ples of large variations in living organisms seemed to indicate that evolu- 

 tion proceeds by finite jumps rather than gradually, as had generally been 

 believed, and de Vries announced his mutation theory at about the close of 

 the decade. In 1895 Roentgen discovered X-rays. The life history of the 

 malarial parasite was worked out by Ross in 1898, and Reed demonstrated 

 the mode of transmission of yellow fever in 1900. Naturally these impor- 

 tant scientific discoveries had little immediate effect upon the meetings of 

 the Association. 



Presidential Addresses 



George Lincoln Goodale (botany), retiring president at the meeting held 

 in Washington, D. C, in August, 1891, delivered an address on "Useful 

 Plants of the Future — Some of the Possibilities of Economic Botany." (Vol. 

 40, pp. 1-38.) 



Albert B. Prescott (chemistry) chose as the subject for his address as 

 retiring president at the meeting held in Rochester, N. Y., in August, 1892, 

 "The Immediate Work in Chemical Science." (Vol. 41, pp. 1-14.) 



Joseph LeConte (geology), retiring president at the meeting held at 

 Madison, Wisconsin, in August, 1893, delivered an address on "Theories 

 of the Origin of Mountain Ranges." (Vol. 42, pp. 1-27.) 



William Harkness (astronomy) delivered his address as retiring presi- 

 dent of the meeting held at Brooklyn, N. Y., in August, 1894, on "The Mag- 

 nitude of the Solar System. (Vol. 43, pp. 1-23.) 



Daniel G. Brinton (anthropology), retiring president at the meeting held 



