153 Williolm His 



aiul {2) to c'olloet, classify and conserve all the material relating to such 

 problems. After a whole life-time has been occn'[3ie(l in collecting 

 material, it seems a great pity that so much work should be lost at the 

 death of the collector; could such material and such lives be made availa- 

 ble for the solution of the great problems by an institute or institnte 

 of institutes (as is the case in astronomy) more progress might be made. 

 In the foundation of such an institute the many details of embryology 

 and neurology shonld first be surveyed ; were the field divided, this could 

 be done quickly. Problems would have to be formulated, and a com- 

 mon nomenclature and standard of measurements agreed upon. In no 

 case should individual effort be hampered. Conferences would be neces- 

 sary from time to time to compare, to criticise results and to formulate 

 new problems and new plans for their solution, thus aiding all with the 

 best, as should be the case in ideal scientific investigation. The under- 

 lying thought is to extend the power of able investigators through the 

 whole science without dwarfing in any way individual effort; in this way 

 the best qualities of all could be made to serve the progress of science.^" 

 The Anatomische Gesellschaft was founded with this as one of its objects 

 in view ; it naturally resulted as we have seen in the casting of a imif orm 

 nomenclature. Two great steps had thus been taken and His lived to see 

 the beginning of a third. 



The tendency in the world during all of His's life was more and more 

 towards specialization and organization in science, a movement which 

 gradually became international. An index of this tendency may be seen 

 in the organization of the International Association of Academics and 

 through its machinery. His was able to launch his favorite scheme. 



Unlike many promoters of science. His was not an impressario and 

 consequently the learned world had full faith in him. What he advocated 

 always was the advancement of science. Tha possibility of personal gain 

 was excluded from his thoughts as is shown by his attitude towards en- 

 dowments, especially the N"obcl Fund." He maintained all along that 

 a research fund must fall into the right hands if it is to benefit science 

 and that it was of positive injury to science when in the hands of im- 

 pressarios." 



His proposed at the first meeting of the International Association of 

 Academies, held in Paris in 1901, that a commission be appointed for 

 the promotion of the stndv of human embryolos^y and another for the 

 study of the anatomy of the brain. The Association agreed to the ap- 

 pointment of the latter, at the same time recommending that for the 

 present, hirman embryology should be taken up by the anatomical socie- 

 ties. Later, upon the recommendation of the Saxon Academy, the Eoyal 



