PHILOSOPHICAL SOCIETY OF WASHINGTON. 105 



living aud dead protoplasm to an electric battery in action and at 

 rest, and maintained that life is a property of matter, and that it 

 cannot be conceived of separated from matter. 



Mr. Harkness avowed his belief in force, and hence in vital force, 

 aud further iu a little religion, and was, therefore, moved to make 

 iuquiry coucerning the chemical difference between living aud dead 

 matter. 



Mr. Ward pointed out that very diverse views were held upon 

 this subject by two classes of thinkers who do not come into intel- 

 lectual contact. Furthermore, while not asserting that a belief in 

 vital force was a superstition, attentiou was drawn to the fact that 

 infantile races attribute all phenomena to supernatural agencies, 

 and that, with increasing knowledge, there is a decrease in the num- 

 ber of these appeals to supernatural agencies. 



The corner stone of modern science, said Mr. Doolittle, is meas- 

 ure. We must have a biometer. What electrical science would be 

 without ohms, astronomy without graduated circles, chemistry with- 

 out the balance, such is biology without a measure. Is there more 

 life in two mice than in one mouse? In a horse than iu a mouse? 

 Until we can answer these questions substantial progress iu biology 

 is not to be expected. 



The term automatic, as used here, he considered a confession of 

 biologic ignorance. Automatic motion, as used in the discussion, 

 seemed to mean simply motion which cannot be relegated to auy 

 known law. 



After some further desultory discussion the Society adjourned. 



218th Meeting. ' May 20, 1882. 



President Wm. B. Taylor in the chair. 

 Thirty-two members aud visitors pi'eseut. 



A series of resolutions concerniug the death of Admiral John 

 Rodgers, a member of this Society, which resolutious had been 

 adopted by the General Committee, were read by the Secretary ; 

 after which Prof. Charles W. Shields, of Princeton College, read 

 to the Society a communication 



ON THE PHILOSOPHICAL ORDER OF THE SCIENCES. 



This communication has been published by Scribuer's Sons in a 



