THE NEW SCIENCE 11 



not yet fully come. In fact, everything was grist that came to the 

 Royal Society's mill. Tliey discussed a universal language,^' the 

 power of imagination,^^ the grafting of oranges, lemons and cit- 

 rons,^^ tlie teaching of Latin,''** the best method of catching carp,^" 

 the means ''to facilitate the education of youth",*" considerations 

 about the possibility of Resurrection,*^ raising tobacco,*- and the 

 philosophy of music.*^ The new interest was practically universal. 

 The Royal Society early found need for a permanent record of 

 its activities. It was agreed, therefore, that the secretary should 

 prepare a transcript of all papers read before the Society and re- 

 view new books of interest to science, and should describe the 

 experiments performed at the meetings. As a consequence of this 

 action, Henry Oldenburg, the first secretary, an enthusiastic and 

 self-sacrificing scientist, made ready for publication a complete 

 account of the meetings from the granting of the Royal Charter 

 (1662) to the end of the year, (March) 1665. Oldenburg wrote 

 and published the pamphlets on his own responsibility, the Society 

 merely sanctioning the action. "Whereas 'tis taken notice of, that 

 these Philosophical Transactions are published by the Royal Society, 

 notwithstanding many circumstances to be met with in the already 

 published ones, that import the contrary; the writer thereof hath 

 thought fit, expressly here to declare, that that persuasion, if there 

 be such indeed, is a meer mistake; and that he, upon his Private 

 account (as a well-wisher to the advancement of usefull knowledge 

 and a Furtherer thereof by such Communications, as he is capable 

 to furnish by the Philosophical Correspondency, which he enter- 

 tains, and hopes to enlarge) hath begun and continues both the 

 composure and publication thereof."** It was he who first called 

 these tracts the Philosophical Transactions, by which name they are 

 known today. 



» Phil. Trans. June 20, 1686. 



»Ibid. July-Aug., 1687. 



»^Ibid. Nov. 11, 1667. 



"Ibid. June 23, 1773. 



»» Ibid. Jan. 25, 1675. 



"Ibid. Feb. 22, 1675. 



" Ibid. May-June, 1702. 



«Ibid. Mar. 25, 1677. 



«Ibid. Mar. 25, 1677. 



**Phil. Trans, vol. Ill, pp. 213-214, May 7, 1666. 



