PKO(;kK8.S of anthropology in 1S90. 537 



abnormal psychology, and an advanced coarse in jdiysiological an<l 

 experimental ])sychology. These conrses inclnde either piaclical work 

 or research on the part oi" the student. A lecturer on ])hilos(>phy and 

 an assistant in psychology are about to be ap})ointed, and additional 

 courses will be given next ye;ir. 



"In addition to these spe(;ial courses, ])hysiological. abnormal, and 

 comparative psychology may be studied in the medical an<l biological 

 departments of the university. These are probably without rival in 

 America, and otiter complete courses of lectures, i)ractical work, aiul 

 clinics. Psychology borrows from and lends to all tlie sciences. Every 

 one of the large number of advan(;ed (bourses offered by the university 

 bears some relation to psycliology, and may prove useful to the stu 

 dent. The asylums and hospitals will be found of special advantage to 

 the student of psychology. 



The new library bnilding of the university is nearly completed. There 

 is a special endowment for the i)arcliase of philosophical and psycho 

 logical books, and any books needed by students for special work will 

 be obtained. The university press is about to begin the issue of a series 

 of monographs representing work done in the fields of philosojjhy and 

 psychology. The lirst number, now in i)ress, is a i>sycliological study 

 on "Sameness and Identity," by Professor Fullerton. Following this 

 number will be a series of researches from the laboratory of psychology 

 and an edition of Descartes' •' iMeditations," with Latin and English 

 texts and philosophical commentary." 



Professor Cattell makes the following report of work done in the 

 psychological laboratory. "The (;hief work before experimental i)sy- 

 chology is the measnrement of mental processes. As exi)erimental 

 l)hysics is devoted to the measurement of time, space, and mass in the 

 material world, so experimental psychology may measure time, com- 

 plexity, and intensity in consciousiu'ss. In so far as cases are investi- 

 gated in which one mental magnitude is the function of another, a 

 mental mechanics is develoi)ed. 



"The laboratory possesses apparatus, which measures mental times 

 conveniently and accurately. This apparatus has been described iu 

 3Iind (No. 42), but since then it has been improved. T!ie chronoscope 

 has been altered and a new regulator made, so that the mean variation 

 of the apparatus is now under one-thousandth of a second. New 

 pieces have been built for the production of sound, light, and electric 

 stimuli. Apparatus for measuring the rate of movement and for other 

 l)ur[)oses have been added. The observer is placed in a compartment 

 separated from the exi)erimenter and measuring ai)paratus. With this 

 apparatus researches are being carried out in several directions. Pro- 

 fessor Dolley is measuring the rate at which the nervous impulse trav- 

 els, using two different methods. In one series of experiments an 

 electrical stimulus is applied to different parts of the body, and a reac- 

 tion is made eilher with the hand or foot. The rate of trausmissiou iu 



