(viii) 



organization msij produce the desired effect, must be largely 

 composed of men who, by education and experience in the 

 processes of investigation, are justly entitled to the appel- 

 lation of "scientific," and who, from their j^ositive contri- 

 butions to the science of the day, are acknowledged by 

 the scientific world as worthy of this distinction. It is 

 true, useful societies are formed for the self-improvement 

 of their members by the production of essays on various 

 subjects, or by cultivation of branches of natural history 

 requiring no previous special training : the city of Wash.- 

 ington, however, needs something of a higher order, 

 namely, a society for the advancement of science, since in 

 no other city in the Union are there so many men, in pro- 

 portion to the population, connected with scientific pur- 

 suits, or so many facilities for scientific investigation. 



The Philosophical Society of Washington, though of a 

 local and unostentatious character, may, if true to itself and 

 its mission, accomplish much towards increasing the repu- 

 tation of the country and influencing public opinion with 

 regard to questions of a scientific character. However 

 wide the diffusion of general knowledge, public opinion in 

 regard to scientific questions must eventually be determined 

 by the authority of societies, journals, and individuals, of 

 established scientific reputation. It is therefore of the first 

 importance that the operations of this Society be conducted 

 with great care, and that nothing be given to the world 

 under its sanction which is not based upon thorough inves- 

 tigation or established scientific principles. We should be 

 warned by the fate of a society established in this city 

 some thirty years ago, which, although it included among 

 its members a few men of true science, was under the con- 

 trol principally of amateurs and politicians, and therefore 



