SCIENCE 



Friday, July 30, 1909 



CONTENTS 

 The Medical School as Part of the Univer- 

 sity : Pbofessob W. H. Howell 129 



The Winnipeg Meeting of the British Asso- 

 ciation 140 



The Smithsonian African Expedition 143 



Professor Newcomb's Lihrary 144 



Scientific Notes and News 144 



University and Educational News 147 



Discussion and Correspondence : — 



A Nomenclaiorial Courtf Db. W. H. Dall. 

 The Comparative Enrolment of Students of 

 Engineering : Dr. M. G. Lloyd, Pbofessob 

 Eltjolf Tombo, Jb 147 



Scientific Books: — 



Miinsterberg's Psychotherapy: Pbofessob 

 Adolf Meyeb. Anwendung elementarer 

 Mathematik auf biologische Probleme: Dr. 

 Eatmoxd Peabl. Archiv fiir Zellforsch- 

 ung: Pbofessob E. G. Coxklix 150 



Botanical Notes: — 



Cytology, Embryology and Histology; The 

 Grapes of New York; A Botanical Oppor- 

 tunity : Pbofessob Chables E. Bessey . . 156 



The Growth of Nerve Fibers 158 



Special Articles: — 



Hydrogen Polysulphid^ as a Reducing 

 Agent : Alfeed Tixgle 158 



Societies and Academies: — 



The Ohio Academy of Science: Pbofessob 



L. B. Walton 159 



H5S. intended for publication and books, etc., inteDdt.'d lor 

 review should be sent to tlie Editor of Sciesce, Garrison-oQ- 

 ludson, X. Y, 



THE MEDICAL SCHOOL AS PART OF THE 

 UNIVERSITY ' 



In our educational systems, as in most of 

 the complex institutions of human origin, 

 the changes that are constantly occurring 

 do not seem to follow a coui-se of continuous 

 symmetrical development. The manner of 

 growth appears to resemble rather that 

 process of exuviation with which we have 

 been made familiar in the life history of 

 the humble crab and his crustacean rela- 

 tives. That is to say, at certain more or 

 less regular periods our systems become 

 enveloped in a case of customs and tradi- 

 tions of shelly consistency, which, while it 

 serves as a protection toward dangers from 

 without, afflicts greviously by and by the 

 growing parts within. In the end the in- 

 creasing pressure becomes distressiug or 

 painful and the only way out of the pre- 

 dicament is to moult the old shell and grow 

 as fast as possible before a new one takes 

 its place. The system of education in 

 medicine has in fact been undergoing a 

 moult for some years past and what I have 

 in mind to-day is to call attention to the 

 fact, perhaps already sufficiently obvious, 

 that the process is not entirely completed. 

 While certain parts of the system are free 

 from the old constricting influences and are 

 at liberty to grow and expand in proportion 

 to the measure of vitality with which they 

 are endowed, other parts are still encased 

 in ancient shell which serves as an ob- 

 stacle to their proper development. 



During the last twenty years especially 

 medical education and the condition of 

 medicine in general in this country have 

 been the subjects of much earnest discus- 

 sion. Critics within and without the pro- 



' Annual address in Medicine, Yale University. 



