1913] Editoriah 499 



matter Stands, any person whose interests are at all broad has the oppor- 

 tunity to join a fairly large number of societies and associations, each 

 of which has something to offer. Local associations, which will bring 

 men together, are of undoubted value, but I have a feeling that multi- 

 plying the number of national societies is less desirable than strengthen- 

 ing and enlarging the scope of existing bodies. 



J. J. R. Macleod, Western Reserve Univ. I am heartily in favor 

 of the formation of some such Biological Society as Mathews suggests. 

 Before further steps are taken, hovvever, I think that a very compre- 

 hensive canvass should be made of those who would likely be members, 

 in Order to ascertain (i) What annual subscription they would be 

 willing to guarantee; (2) what Journals they would take; (3) whether 

 they think the scheme advisable. 



W. J. MacNeal, A^. Y. Post-Grad. Med. School. The plan out- 

 lined by Professor Mathews for the Organization of the Amer. Biolog. 

 Soc'y deserves careful consideration, which I am unable to give to it 

 at present. The biological societies and publications are already so 

 numerous that the problem is much more complex than that of organ- 

 izing the Amer. Chem. Soc'y. I hope that the project may meet with 

 success. 



Gustav Mann, Tidane Univ. In reply to your letter regarding the 

 Mathews plan for the Organization of an Amer. Biolog. Soc'y, I wish 

 to express my complete sympathy with this movement, as the spreading 

 of interest in biological problems will make people realize that biology 

 is a question of chemistry and physics and of nothing eise, and thus will 

 allow the Substitution of knowledge for dogma. I understand the two 

 main objects to be (i) the establishment of an Abstract Jour. which 

 will help not only the members of such a society but also many univer- 

 sities which at present are not in a position to subscribe to every Jour- 

 nal, and thereby to make it possible for teachers to keep abreast with 

 the work which is being done all over the world. (2) The second aim 

 of consolidating the different Journals and so obtaining them at a 

 cheaper rate is one of almost equal importance. 



I should like to make the following suggestions: that if the Amer. 

 Biolog. Soc'y be organized, let there be some arrangement, with the 

 consent of each society, whereby, for example, more purely chemical 

 questions should be taken out of the Jonr. of Physiol. and placed in the 

 Jour. of Biolog. Chem., and that papers dealing with neurological prob- 

 lems should be taken out of the Jour. of Anat. and be placed in the Jour. 

 of Compar. Neuro!., etc. 



