PREFACE. 



The IxrERNATiONAL Catalo<;ue of Scientific Literature, com- 

 mencing- with the literatnre of the year 1001, is an outgrowth of the 

 Catalogue of Scientijic Fa/ters relating- to the scientific literature (^f the 

 nineteenth century, published by the Royal Society of London. 



The sug'o-estion to catalogue scientific jxipers may be traced back 

 to Prof. Henry, of Washing-ton, V S.A., wJio broug-ht the subject 

 under the notice of the l^ritish Association for the Advancement of 

 Science at its meeting- in (Glasgow, in 1855. The history of the incep- 

 tion of the enterprise is recorded in the first volume of the Catalogue 

 of Sckntlfic Paptrs issued by the Royal Society in 1867. Twelve 

 large quarto volumes have been printed in which the titles of papers 

 pui)lished during the period 1800-1883 are arranged under authors' 

 names. A subject index, which will serve as a key to these volumes 

 and also form an independent record, is in an advanced state of 

 preparation. A catalogue of the scientific papers published during the 

 period 1884-1900 is now being prejjared by the Royal Society of 

 London. 



The possibility of preparing a complete index of currert scientific 

 literature by international co-opei-ation was first taken into considera- 

 tion by the Royal Society about the year 1893. It had long been 

 apparent that the woi-k was beyond the resources of the Societ}^, or 

 indeed of any .single body. Moreover, it was felt that an authors' 

 catalogue could not supply the required information, and that it was 

 essential that scientific workers should be kept fully and quickly 

 informed of all new discoveries by means of complete subject indexes. 

 International co-operation appeared to be the only means of carrying 

 out such a work with the necessarj^ completeness and rapidity. The 

 Society tiierefore sought the opinion of a very large number of 

 representative bodies and individuals abroad; and, as the replies 

 were idniost uniformly in favour of the work beiug undertaken 

 by int( rnational co-operation, steps were taken to sunnnon an 

 International Conference of Delegates appointed by various 

 Governments. 



The Conference took place in Loudon on July 14-17, 1811(1, 

 and was attended by delegates from Canada, Cape Colony, Denmaik 

 France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, India, Italy, Japan, Mexico, 

 Natal, the Netherlands, New South Wales, New Zealand, Norway, 

 Queensland, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the United 

 States 



