572 TRANS. OP THE ACAD. OP SCIENCE. 



I regret to communicate the fact that of all these works not many- 

 more than 400 volumes are bound. I would not here allude to the 

 painful subject of the want of pecuniary means from which the 

 Academy has ever been suffering, were I not confident of advancing the 

 best interests of the institution by earnestly calling the attention of mem- 

 bers to the urgent necessity of providing means for the preservation of 

 the library. The latter has gradually attained a size which demands 

 more care and expenditure than it has hitherto received. During the time 

 in which I have controlled the library, I have become fully convinced 

 that it will be impossible to save it from unnecessary loss and destruc- 

 tion without devoting to it a sum large enough to allow most books to 

 be bound as soon as practicable after their receipt. Experience lias 

 taught me that the prompt binding of all books will be the means indis- 

 pensible both to preserve the library and to make it readily accessible 

 «nd useful. Other expenditures are very essential to increase its dura- 

 bility, but for the present I will confine myself to press this one point, 

 and hope that members will bear in mind its necessity and its urgency. 



There is another matter of some importance to which I would draw 

 attention. Excepting a very few purchases, the books now in our pos- 

 session have been obtained by either exchange or donation. But the ac- 

 cessions from the latter source have been so trifling within the last years 

 tbat the growth of the library has been essentially due to exchange 

 alone. Hence, although the serial literature of science is so well repre- 

 sented on our shelves, systematic works and monographs on special 

 branches are relatively deficient. Being confident, that the private libra- 

 ries of many members contain much material which is of no great value 

 to them, while it would be precious to a general library like ours, I be- 

 lieve it only necessary to announce how welcome would be such dona- 

 tions in order to reopen this source of augmentation, and to induce gen- 

 tlemen in disposing of their superfluity kindly to remember the wants of 

 the Academy. 



G. Baumgarten, M.D., Librarian. 



The following gentlemen were elected officers of the Acad- 

 emy for the ensuing year: 



President — George Engelmann, M.D. 

 First Vice-President — A. Wislizenus, M.D. 

 Second Vice-President — Hon. N. Holmes. 

 Corresponding Secretary — B. F. Shumard, M D. 

 Recording Secretary — O. F. Potter, M.D. 

 Librarian — G. H. E. Baumgarten, M.D. 

 IVeasurer — Enno Sander, Ph. D. 



Committee of Publication — G. Engelmann, M.D., B. F. 

 Shumard, M.D., Hon. N. Holmes. 



The Treasurer submitted his report for the year 1866, which 

 was examined and approved. 



January 21, 1867. 

 The President, Dr. Engelmann, in the chair. 



Eight members present. 



Dr. Englemann laid before the Academy his reduction of 

 the observations of the City Engineer, on the stage of the 

 Mississippi for the year 1866, with diagrams showing the 



