JtJLT 18, 1919] 



SCIENCE 



67 



to follow. The pioneer work of George Brown 

 Goode shows what is possible, brief as his 

 studies were. The following titles will show 

 the best that has as yet been accomplished, 

 especially in the specific sciences. 



In chemistry we have Dr. E. F. Smith, 

 " Chemistry in America," and his " Life of 

 Eobert Hare"; G. P. Merrill's "Contribu- 

 tion of the History of American Geology," 

 published by Smithsonian Institution, 1906, 

 and Florian Cajori's " The Teaching of His- 

 tory of Mathematics in the United States," 

 published by the U. S. Bureau of Education, 

 1890. Cajori's treatise is somewhat old, but 

 still an excellent text, both in mathematics 

 and astronomy for the period it covers. 



In astronomy no definite history has yet 

 been written. A number of addresses and 

 pajjers have attempted to outline its history, 

 and a number of biogTaphical sketches give a 

 good cross-section of a period. A history of 

 astronomical progress in this country is ur- 

 gently needed, since for the last decade we 

 have attained the most prominent position, 

 and the war will leave us undisturbed for 

 generations to come. 



Brief mention should be made of a very 

 recent work entitled " A Century of Science 

 in America, 1818-1919 " by E. S. Dana. This, 

 however, only covers the field of geology, min- 

 eralogy, physics and biology during this 

 period. 



A forecast of the possibilities of research 

 and study, may be made by observing what 

 has gone on before. In the matter of re- 

 sources for research in the great libraries of 

 the country, one library whose efforts have 

 been fairly well directed towards this end is 

 the John Crerar Library. The publications 

 entitled " List of Books upon the History of 

 Science and the History of Industry " serve 

 as excellent bibliographical aid for the student 

 in the history of science. For the study in 

 the history of mathematics, undoubtedly Co- 

 lumbia University, under the leadership of 

 Dr. E. D. Smith, offers good sources. In 

 chemistry and physics, Pennsylvania, Yale 

 and Harvard universities have excellent mate- 

 rial. For astronomy. Harvard University li- 



brary offers riches imtold in the Colonial 

 period, and Harvard Observatory for the 

 material beginning in the early nineteenth 

 century. 



' As a further indication of the times, our 

 universities and colleges have recognized to an 

 encouraging extent the great worth of courses 

 pertaining to the development and evolution 

 of the sciences.'^ The courses thus established 

 are varied and numerous, as well as the meth- 

 ods of instruction and text used. 



In view of what has been said concerning 

 the subject of astronomy, it is interesting and 

 worthy of note to call attention to the fact 

 that courses in the history of astronomy in 

 America have been established. Also within 

 the last two years the University of California 

 has established a chair devoted entirely to the 

 history of mathematics. 



Again attention should be drawn to the 

 matter of text and treatise published in the 

 country. Within the last two years there have 

 appeared two books, " The History of Sci- 

 ence," by Dr. W. Libby, and a second by 

 Sedgwick and Tyler, entitled, "A Short. His- 

 tory of Science." 



We have also within our borders to-day the 

 greatest authority in the field of history of 

 science. Dr. George Sarton, of Ghent, Bel- 

 gium. Dr. Sarton has lectured upon this sub- 

 ject in nearly all of the universities of the 

 eastern and middle western states, and has 

 been lecturer for two years in the department 

 of History of Science at Harvard University, 

 and is now research scholar in the Carnegie 

 Institution. 



We are well aware of a movement to 

 establish in the United States an institute 

 devoted entirely to the research and advance- 

 ment of the history of science and civiliza- 

 tion.^ Also, recently we have been informed 

 that Isis, the international journal of history 

 of science* is to resimie publication in all 

 probability in this country. 



2 Science, N. S., Vol. XLII., No. 1091, Novem- 

 ber 26, 1915, pp. 746-760. 



3 Science, N. S., Vol. XLV., No. 1160, March 23, 

 1917, pp. 284-286. See also Vol. XLVI., No. 1191, 

 October 26, 1917, pp. 299-402. 



< Science, N. S., Vol. XLIX., No. 1259, Feb- 

 ruary 14, 1919, pp. 170-171. 



