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POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



ments of science in our day, their most 

 important indication to us is that there 

 is indefinite room for improvement 

 and advancement. While we have wit- 

 nessed the establishment of the two 

 widest generalizations of science, the 

 doctrine of energy and the doctrine of 

 evolution, we have also witnessed the 

 accumulation of an appalling aggre- 

 gate of unrelated facts. The proper in- 

 terpretation of these must lead to sim- 

 plification and unification, and thence 

 on to additional generalizations. An 

 almost inevitable result of the rapid de- 

 velopments of the past three decades 

 especially is that much that goes by the 

 name of science is quite unscientific. 

 The elementary teaching and the popu- 

 lar exposition of science have fallen, un- 

 luckily, into the keeping largely of 

 those who can not rise above the level 

 of a purely literary view of phenomena. 

 Many of the bare facts of science are so 

 far stranger than fiction that the gen- 

 eral public has become somewhat over- 

 credulous, and untrained minds fall 

 an easy prey to the tricks of the maga- 

 zine romancer or to the schemes of the 

 perpetual motion promoter. Along with 

 the growth of real science there has 

 gone on also a growth of pseudo-science. 

 It is so much easier to accept sensa- 

 tional than to interpret sound scientific 

 literature, so much easier to acquire the 

 form than it is to possess the substance 

 of thought that the deluded enthusiast 

 and the designing charlatan are not in- 

 frequently mistaken by the expectant 

 public for true men of science. There is, 

 therefore, plenty of work before us; and 

 while our principal business is the di- 

 rect advancement of science, an im- 

 portant, though less agreeable duty, at 

 times, is the elimination of error and 

 the exposure of fraud." 



The meeting of the Association in 

 New York was of more than usual im- 

 portance. Not only did the nine sec- 

 tions of the Association hold their daily 

 sessions, but there were also fifteen 

 special scientific societies meeting sim- 

 ultaneously at Columbia University. 



Men of science came together from all 

 parts of the country to present the re- 

 sults of the year's research, to gain 

 profit and pleasure from association 

 with other workers, and to return to 

 their homes with increased knowledge 

 and renewed interest. It is obviously 

 impossible to give here an account of 

 the hundreds of scientific papers pre- 

 sented, or even to report upon the gen- 

 eral proceedings of the Association. 

 Two of the more important actions 

 may, however, be mentioned. It was 

 decided to send 'Science,' our weekly 

 journal of general science, to all mem- 

 bers of the Association without charge, 

 and a section devoted to physiology 

 and experimental medicine was estab- 

 lished. It was thought that the re- 

 ceipt of a journal such as 'Science' 

 would increase the membership of the 

 Association and lead to a greater in- 

 terest in its work, as even those who 

 are unable to attend the meetings will 

 hereafter have a definite return for 

 membership. The Association will be 

 greatly strengthened by giving recog- 

 nition to the great group of sciences — 

 physiology, experimental psychology, 

 anatomy, embryology, histology, mor- 

 phology, pathology, bacteriology and 

 their applications — which have devel- 

 oped with such remarkable activity 

 within the past few years. 



It is not possible to report on the 

 scientific work of the meeting in part 

 owing to its magnitude — the papers 

 would fill the volumes of this journal 

 for several years to come. It is also 

 true that each paper taken singly is 

 likely to be of interest only to the spe- 

 cial student. Specialization in science is 

 absolutely necessary for its advance, 

 but the terminology required for exact- 

 ness and economy makes the work in 

 each department scarcely intelligible to 

 those not immediately concerned, while 

 the great detail necessary in careful re- 

 search seems almost trivial until we 

 realize that it is upon such special work 

 that the general principles and the ap- 

 plications of science depend. We all 



