32 PRESIDENTIAL ADDRESS SECTION A. 



THE EOLE OF ASTKONOMY IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF 



SCIENCE. 



BY 



Manuel A. Peres, Jun., D.Sc. Eisbon. 

 Director of the Campos Kodrigues Observatory, Lou.ren<^o Marques 



Presidential Address to Section A, delivered July 10, 1922. 



There is a difficulty, which has almost always been recognised 

 by Sectional Presidents, in' giving an address dealing with all the 

 subjects considered by each section. In the piesent case I must 

 confess that matters relating to engineering, architectui'e and 

 iiTigation are quite unknown to me. 



To the president of a section two ways are open, either to 

 give an address on a special subject which he may develop, or to 

 make a general and vague exposition of the subjects dealt with 

 by that section. 



In the first case his address cannot be distinguished from 

 the papers that can be read by any member, and, to many 

 members of the section a work of that kind cannot be interesting; 

 in the second case he can deal with subjects which will 

 interest everyone, but, aiS he has to touch lightly on all those 

 subjects, he is liable to become tiresome. 



I have decided to take the second way. Nothing of what I 

 am going to say is unknown to the members of this section, but 

 I promise to be short in my address in order to diminish the 

 uninteresting. 



I am going to endeavour to demonstrate what Science owes 

 to astronomy. I shall not inention those sciences which depend 

 directly on astronomical observations, such as geodesy, geography, 

 etc. These sciences could well be considered as chapters of 

 astronomy. As astronomy is the science which studies the move- 

 iTient, form, chemical and physical constitutions of celestial bodies, 

 those who study these problems of the earth, which is also a 

 celestial body, have an objective wjiich could be included in 

 astronomy. 



But my aim is not to put a label on those sciences t > say 

 afterwards that astronomy is a fundamental one. I ti'uly believe 

 that astronomy is a fundamental science, but from a different 

 point of view : I consider it the mother of all other iseiences. 

 But the influence of astronomy upon the other sciences is, in 

 general, very remote. It is only at the end of a long time that 

 a conquest of astronomy will manifest itself in the progress of 

 other sciences. In this manner the primary origin of the great 

 conquests is forgotten. When a notable progress in science arises, 

 few people remember that it is due vei-y often to the investigation 

 of the astronomers. 



