9. CATALOGUES OF SCIENTIFIC LITERATURE 



JoHANN Christian Poggendorff (1796-1877): Biographisch-literarisches Hand- 

 worterbuch (1863-1940; reprint 10 vols. Ann Arbor 1945). For more details, see 

 end of section 6 above. 



Royal Society of London, Catalogue of Scientific Papers, 1800-1900 (Cam- 

 bridge, 1867-1925, 19 vols. ). Subject index ( 1908-14, 4 vols. ). 



This work is so important that we must pause a moment to describe it. Its com- 

 pilation was first suggested at the Glasgow meeting of the B.A.A.S. in 1855 by 

 Joseph Henry (1797-1878), secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, and the plan 

 was drawn up in 1857. After many years of preparation and considerable expendi- 

 ture, the first volume appeared in 1867, and the publication continued as follows: 



First series. Vols, i-vi, cataloguing the papers of 1800-63, 1867-77. 



Second series. Vols, vii-viii, literature of 1864-73, 1877-79. 



Third series. Vols, ix-xi, literature of 1874-83, 1891-96. 



Vol. xii. Supplement to the previous volumes, 1902. 



Fourth series. Vols, xiii-xix, literature of 1884-1900, 1914-25. 



To give an idea of the size of this catalogue it will suffice to remark that the 

 papers catalogued in the fourth series alone, for the period 1884-1900, number 

 384,478, by 68,577 authors. 



The compilation of a subject index, without which the work loses much of its 

 value, was already contemplated in the first plan (1857). It was finally decided to 

 arrange it in accordance with the International Catalogue of Scientific Literature 

 {see below). This meant that it would include seventeen volumes, one for each of 

 the seventeen sciences recognized in that catalogue. The first volume. Pure Mathe- 

 matics, appeared in 1908; the second. Mechanics, in 1909, the third, Physics, in two 

 instalments. Generalities, Heat, Light, Sound in 1912, Electricity and Magnetism 

 in 1914. The publication seems to have been finally discontinued, which is a great 

 pity. Whatever the fate of the International Catalogue may be, there is no justifi- 

 cation for leaving the Royal Society Catalogue essentially incomplete, and thus nul- 

 lifying a large part of the past labor and expenditure. 



International Catalogue of Scientific Literature. Published for the International 

 Council by the Royal Society of London. 



This is an outgrowth of the Royal Society Catalogue, as it was felt that the 

 scientific literature of our century was too extensive to be dealt with by a single 

 scientific society. Its organization was arranged at the initiative of the Royal Society 

 by an international conference which met in London in 1896, then again in 1898, 

 in 1900, etc. It was decided to divide science into seventeen branches: 



A. Mathematics. 



B. Mechanics. 



C. Physics. 



D. Chemistry. 



E. Astronomy. 



F. Meteorology (incl. Terrestrial magnetism). 



G. Mineralogy (incl. Petrology and Crystallography). 

 H. Geology. 



J. Geography (mathematical and physical). 

 K. Palaeontology. 

 L. General biology. 

 M. Botany. 

 N. Zoology. 

 O. Human anatomy. 

 P. Physical anthropology. 

 Q. Physiology (incl. experimental Psychology, Pharmacology, and experimental 



Pathology ) . 

 R. Bacteriology. 



