July 3, 1908] 



SCIENCE 



11 



International Catalogue is undoubtedly the 

 greatest of all cooperative bibliographical en- 

 terprises, it would not seem out of place to 

 here briefly outline its present condition, its 

 history having been sufficiently recorded in 

 several papers by Dr. Cyrus Adler published 

 in Science, August 6, 1897, June 2, 9, 1899, 

 and August 28, 1903. 



The first volumes of the International Cata- 

 logue dealt vs^ith the literature of 1901; since 

 that date seventeen volumes have appeared 

 annually, covering the whole field of science, 

 classified under the following heads, each sub- 

 ject being the title of an annual volume: 

 Mathematics, Mechanics, Physics, Chemistry, 

 Astronomy, Meteorology (including Terres- 

 trial Magnetism), Mineralogy (including 

 Petrology and Crystallography), Geology, 

 Geography (Mathematical and Physical), 

 Paleontology, General Biology, Botany, Zool- 

 ogy, Anatomy, Anthropology, Physiology (in- 

 cluding Experimental Psychology, Pharma- 

 cology and Experimental Pathology) and 

 Bacteriology. 



The aim of the International Catalogue is 

 not only to cite the title of each scientific 

 paper published since January 1, 1901; but 

 to briefly supply an analytical digest of the 

 subject of each paper. This is accomplished 

 by means of classiflcation schedules arranged 

 to include in systematic order each minute 

 subdivision or subject of all of the sciences 

 named above. Not only was it necessary to 

 provide in the schedules for the subjects of all 

 previous scientific activities, but also to make 

 ample and elastic provision for the present 

 trend of scientific thought and investigation, 

 and so far as possible to anticipate future 

 need. It will be seen that such a broad sys- 

 tem of classification must, to prevent its be- 

 coming unwieldy, be provided with some 

 shorthand method of classifying the subject 

 contents of scientific papers, not only for 

 convenience in preparation, but for conveni- 

 ence in use. This has been successfully 

 accomplished in the following manner: To 

 each one of the sciences is assigned one of 

 the letters of the alphabet, and to each of the 

 subheadings in these sciences is assigned a 

 number; in classifying the subject contents 



of any scientific paper instead of writing an 

 abstract of the contents a letter and a number 

 for each important subject treated is added 

 to the citation, thus not only analyzing but 

 classifying the author's work. The printed 

 volumes are arranged first as author cata- 

 logues and second as subject catalogues. In 

 the subject catalogues the classified references 

 are assembled and grouped under each of the 

 common heads to which they appertain, fur- 

 nishing thereby a ready means of learning at 

 a glance all that has been written on a given 

 subject of scientific investigation. It will be 

 seen that it is necessary for each paper to be 

 examined by some one competent to appreciate 

 its contents and note the salient points and 

 principal subjects by means of the combined 

 alphabetical and numerical method noted 

 above. 



The International Catalogue of Scientific 

 Literature is more than an index, it is a con- 

 densed digest of the world's scientific lit- 

 erature. 



As the editing and publishing of the Inter- 

 national Catalogue is paid for entirely by the 

 funds received from the subscribers, it has 

 been necessary to charge $85 per annum for 

 the complete set of seventeen annual volumes, 

 although this sum has, up to the present time, 

 barely been sufiicient for the purpose intended. 

 It is felt that the comparatively high price 

 has greatly limited the sale of the catalogue 

 and therefore limited its general usefulness, 

 although no way can at present be seen to 

 reduce the cost. Should a large endowment 

 at any time be made for this work the gen- 

 eral usefulness of the index could be extended 

 by materially reducing the price of the vol- 

 umes. 



The organization of the catalogue is co- 

 operative to the fullest extent; all of the 

 nations of the world taking part in the 

 work through the agencies of regional bureaus 

 established in central locations in all of the 

 principal countries of the world. These bu- 

 reaus are supported by the countries in which 

 they are established; in no case is any part 

 of the subscription receipts used for their 

 maintenance. 



The Smithsonian Institution is and has 



