43^ 



NA TURE 



[September 7, 189^ 



Recit de la Gratide Experience deS Equilibre des Liqueurs. 

 By Blaise Pascal. (Berlin: A. Asher and Co., 1893.) 



This work forms No. 2 of the new series of publications 

 of old books relating to meteorology and terrestrial mag- 

 netism, issued in facsimile by Prof G. Hellmann,and was 

 first printed in Paris in 1648. There is no copy of the 

 work in the British Museum, and Dr. Hellmann has only 

 been able to trace three copies, two of which are in Paris, 

 and one in Breslau. This little work is of the greatest 

 importance to the history of physics, to meteorology, and 

 physical geography ; it gives the first conclusive proof of 

 the pressure of the atmosphere, and puts an end to the 

 doctrine of yhe horror vacui. This famous experiment was 

 made at Clermont Ferrand, and on the Puy de Dome, on 

 September 19,1648,50 that Pascal lost no time in making 

 his discovery public, but it is not generally known that 

 any account had been issued prior to the publication of 

 the Traitez de V Equilibre, printed in 1663. The work is 

 prefaced by an interesting introduction by Prof Hellmann, 

 in which he refers to the doubt which exists whether the 

 idea of the experiment was taken from Descartes. The 

 latter has expressly asserted this to be the case, in two 

 letters (dated June 11 and August 17, 1649), addressed to 

 Carcavi,and the fact that Pascal never replied in anyway 

 to the letters in question, has induced many writers to 

 adopt this view. 



LETTERS TO THE EDITOR. 



[ The Editor does not hold himself responsible for opinions ex- 

 pressed by his correspondents. Neither can he undertake 

 to return, or to correspond with the writers of, rejected 

 manuscripts intended for this or any other part of N xtvk'e 

 No notice is taken of anonymous communications,] 



The Organisation of Scientific Literature. 



I HAVE followed the correspondence in your columns on the 

 question of the organisation of scientific literature with very 

 keen interest, and should esteem it a favour to be allowed to 

 add a few remarks to what has been said. There are two ways 

 in which the present disorganisation might be dealt with. The 

 first is exemplified in Prof Bonney's " Year-book of Science "; 

 that is to attempt to provide a key to the present complex state 

 of affairs in the form of yearly abstracts. But even supposing 

 this year-book (invaluable as it is) were comprehensive, which 

 it admittedly is not, of what use would it be to the many 

 workers who have neither the time nor the opportunity to spend 

 hours in first-class libraries, nor the means to buy even a toler- 

 al)le number of the innumerable magazines, journals, reports, 

 &c., dealing with their special subject. 



This infinite multiplicity of publication is the root of all the 

 evil, and "Free Lance" strikes at it hard and well in his 

 pamphlet on the organisation of science. 



This brings us to the second method. As pointed out by 

 ' ' Free Lance, " the only true solution of the difficulty is that in 

 each country each subdivision of science should have its one 

 central and accredited journal in which all papers on that subject 

 worthy of publication should be published. In fact, a central- 

 isation of publishing, with as much decentralisation of scientific 

 meeting as the intellectual wants of the country may need. 



Were this condition of things realised, then by consulting one 

 or two journals in each country a specialist might easily, and 

 comparatively cheaply, keep himself abreast of current work. 

 In addition, an annual index or indexes of the books published 

 in the various departments of science and in various countries, 

 would render very great service. 



Briefly, and in conclusion, my view of an ideal organisation 

 of scientific literature is somewhat as follows : — 



(1) In each country one central and accredited journal for 

 each branch or subdivision of science. 



(2) An international bureau working somewhat as follows : — 

 (a) In each country the (a) papers (/3) books and pamphlets, 

 published in that country to be abstracted or indexed by well- 

 paid men. {i) The several countries to exchange abstracts. 

 {c) Finally, each country to translate the other abstracts and 

 indexes into its own language, and publish these along with its 



NO. 1245, VOL. 48] 



own abstracts in, say, quarterly or monthly volunes, classified 

 and subdivided for each science and branch of science. 



In the case of such an international bureau proving imprac- 

 ticable, then each journal might abstract the work done in its 

 department in other countries, after the admirable manner of 

 the Chemical Saciety. 



It is to be hoped that the British Association this year will 

 take up the question seriously and in its widest aspect. There 

 is no use organising one portion of science and leaving the 

 remainder in disorder. F. G. Donnan. 



Ardmore Terrace, Holyv/ood, Co. Down, August 28. 



Several of your correspondents have called attention to the 

 importance of distributing copies of papers in quarters where 

 they are likely to be read. It may therefore be well to em- 

 phasise the fact that the Philosophical Magazine refuses to 

 supply gratuitous copies. When this fact is appreciated, I 

 think most persons will see that it is rather an unbusinesslike 

 proceeding to pay the Philosophical Magazine for separate 

 copies, when they can be obtained for nothing by communicating 

 the paper to a society. 



The " full publication of . . . papers of the societies, &c.," 

 as recommended by Mr. Trotter, would be an infringement of 

 copyright, and would lead to the Physical Society becoming 

 more closely acquainted with the mysteries of the Chancery 

 Division than its members would probably desire. 



The Physical Society is a young and precocious one, and, in 

 conjunction with its partner, the Philosophical Magazini,'*io\^ 

 doubtless like to obtain a monopoly of all mathematical papers 

 except those strictly denominated pure, which it does not care 

 about. But its legitimate sphere of action is experimental and 

 app'.ied science, and if it shows a disposition to poach upon the 

 preserves of its neighbours it cannot fail to excite hostility. 



I do not see any objection to the word "physicist," the literal 

 meaning of which is "naturalist"; but is not the word 

 "scientific" more appropriate to this discussion than 

 " physical " ? A. B. Basset. 



Hotel de Russie, Ems, Germany, September 3. 



Drought and Heat at Shirenewton Hall in 1S93. 

 Rain. 



Since March i, 122 days without rain. 

 I/eat in Shade, 1S93. 



