166 



THE AMERICAN MONTHLY 



[September, 



lowed to harden until theywill shrink 

 no more from loss of the volatile sol- 

 vent. The hardness may be knovv-n 

 by testing with the thumb nail. 

 No time for drying can be stated, as 

 it varies with the weather. The leak- 

 age is due to shrinkage of cells not 

 sufficiently hardened. 



Hon. J. D. Cox then read an article 

 on ' The Actinic and Visual in Micro- 

 photography with High Powers.' 



The President, Prof. H. L. Smith, 

 delivered his address in the evening. 

 His subject was ' The Influence of 

 Science Studies.' After a few well- 

 chosen words by way of introduction 

 from Mr. Cox, he said : — 



As I was writing this address far 

 from home came the news of the death 

 of Thaddeus C. Up de Graft', one of 

 nature's gentlemen, and an eminent 

 biologist, who did much for the suc- 

 cess of this society. As a micro- 

 scopist and physician he must long 

 have known the inevitable result of 

 the disease that was preying upon him , 

 hut he was always of good cheer. 

 I wish that some one else might have 

 been selected to give you the history 

 of what has been done in microscopy 

 the past year. While in a general 

 way I may touch upon that subject, 

 I shall take as my theme the uncon- 

 scious influence of natural science 

 study on the development of society. 

 We are apt to lose sight of those 

 quiet influences which are aftecting 

 our social life. The speaker then, 

 in the course of his address, likened 

 the progress of this influence to the 

 steady movement of the world. Cy- 

 clones and tempests may claim all 

 our attention for a time, but the world 

 keeps on in its course undistiulu'd bv 

 those influences. 



Happily, we in the study of micro- 

 scopy are untrammelled by metaphys- 

 ical thoughts. We microscopists do 

 not trouble ourselves with cause and 

 effect, but leave the leaven in the 

 lump, feeling assured that it will in 

 time leaven the whole. The old 

 world has passed away. The age 

 of the hero has passed awa\ . Tlie 



people have arrived. Science has 

 arrived, and theology, law and all 

 are on trial. Those who devote 

 their lives to scientific research de- 

 velop a love for truth. Do not 

 think that I claim that the study of 

 nature is all, however. There are 

 men who look upon the scientific 

 man as one who must snap, snarl, and 

 sneer, and that where science appears 

 religion must retire. It is a real re- 

 lief to turn aside from this distrust to 

 men who have made ears dull with 

 pain hear the sweet music of nature. 

 In discussing the depreciation of la- 

 bor and the tyranny of office, men 

 have often, in offering remedies, put 

 in motion forces which, if uncon- 

 trolled, would have done more harm 

 than good. The plans for the ab- 

 solution of railroads and telegraphs 

 by the governinent are miserable fail- 

 ures. We must solve the difficulties 

 that confront us with some other 

 power. We must have a unification 

 of nations in the good work, and this 

 is already shadowed in a universal 

 system of time and of weights and 

 measures. 



A civilization based on science can- 

 not so revert. Our trustworthy hopes 

 for a glorious future are based on scien- 

 tific research. No one is more to be 

 pitied than the pessimist and agnos- 

 tic. We, as students of nature, are 

 not dependent on metaphysics, but 

 find at our doors constantly the evi- 

 dence of the truth. 



Professor Smith hinted at the great 

 work already accomplished by the 

 study of science which has resulted 

 in the ocean cable and other inven- 

 tions having a bearing on our com- 

 fort and progress. He said that he 

 presumed that all the members of his 

 society are believers in the Darwinian 

 theory, and spoke of the evidences 

 of development as shown in a pure 

 tone from the pidpit and bitter things 

 from the forum and the exchange. It 

 was far from his purpose, he said, to 

 urge a further stutly of science in the 

 schools and more science from the 

 pulpit. All this will come in time.. 



