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SCIENCE 



[N. S. Vol. LIII. No. 1379 



spired you. We bring to you the meed of 

 honor which is due to preeminence in science, 

 scholarship, research and humanitarianism. 

 But with it all we bring something more. We 

 lay at your feet the testimony of that love 

 which all the generation of men have been 

 wont to bestow upon the noble woman, the un- 

 selfish wife, the devoted mother. If, indeed, 

 these simpler and commoner relations of life 

 •could not keep you from attainments in the 

 realms of science and intellect, it is also true 

 that the zeal, ambition and unswerving purpose 

 of a lofty career could not bar you from splen- 

 didly doing all the plain but worthy tasks 

 which fall to every woman's lot. 



A number of years ago a reader of one of 

 your earlier works on radioactive substances 

 noted the observation that there was much di- 

 vergence of opinion as to whether the energy 

 of radioactive substances is created within 

 those substances themselves, or is gathered to 

 them from outside sources and then diffused 

 from them. The question suggested an answer 

 which is doubtless hopelessly unscientific. I 

 have liked to believe in an analogy between the 

 spiritual and the physical world. I have been 

 very sure that that which I may call the radio- 

 active soul, or spirit, or intellect — call it 

 what you choose — must first gather to itself, 

 from its surroundings, the power that it after- 

 ward radiates in beneficence to those near it. 

 I believe it is the sum of many inspirations, 

 borne in on great souls, which enables them 

 to warm, to scintillate, to radiate, to illumine 

 and serve those about them. I am so sure 

 of this explanation for the radioactive per- 

 sonality that I feel somehow a conviction that 

 science will one day establish a like explana- 

 tion for radioactivity among inanimate sub- 

 stances. 



Perhaps, in my innocence of science, I am 

 airily rushing in where scientists fear to tread. 

 But I am trying to express to you my convic- 

 tion that the great things achieved by great 

 minds would never have been wrought with- 

 out the inspiration of an appealing need for 

 them. That appeal comes as inspiration to 

 successful effort, and success in turn enables 

 the outgiving of benefits to millions whose 



only contribution has been the power of their 

 united appeal. 



Let me press the analogy a little further. 

 The world to-day is appealing to its statesmen, 

 its sociologists, its humanitarians and its re- 

 ligious leaders for solution of appalling prob- 

 lems. I want to hope that the power and uni- 

 versality of that appeal will inspire strong, do- 

 vout, consecrated men and women to seek out 

 the solution, and, in the light of their wisdom, 

 to carry it to all mankind. I have faith to 

 believe that precisely that will happen, and in 

 your own career of fine achievement I find 

 heartening justification for my faith. 



In testimony of the affection of the Ameri- 

 can people, of their confidence in your scien- 

 tific work, and of their earnest wish that your 

 genius and energy may receive all encourage- 

 ment to carry forward your efforts for the ad- 

 vance of science and conquest of disease, I 

 have been commissioned to present to you this 

 little phial of radium. To you we owe our 

 knowledge and possession of it, and so to you 

 we give it, confident that in your possession it 

 will be the means further to unveil the fasci- 

 nating secrets of nature, to widen the field of 

 useful knowledge, to alleviate suffering among 

 the children of man. Take it to use as your 

 wisdom shall direct and your purpose of ser- 

 vice shall incline you. Be sure that we esteem 

 it but a small earnest of the sentiments for 

 which it stands. It betokens the affection of 

 one great people for another. It will remind 

 you of the love of a grateful people for your- 

 self; and it will testify in the useful work to 

 which you will devote it, the reverence of man- 

 kind for one of its foremost benefactors and 

 most beloved of women. 



HENRY PLATT GUSHING 



The death of Professor Gushing in the 

 month of April last at his home in Cleveland, 

 has already been announced in these columns. 

 His colleagues on the Geological Survey of 

 New York wish to pay the following brief 

 tribute to his friendship and worth. His sci- 

 entific work is a part of the enduring records 

 of the survey with which he was associated for 

 twenty-eight years. His name will be forever 



