August 7, 1908] 



SCIENCE 



175 



years ago, has been asked by the senate of the 

 Berlin University to accept the chair of phar- 

 macology in that institution. The Journal of 

 the American Medical Association states that 

 in order to dissuade him from accepting this 

 offer a deputation of ten of the most eminent 

 members of the profession, all professors of 

 the Vienna medical faculty, waited on him 

 and asked him not to desert Vienna, both for 

 scientific and national reasons. This unusual 

 act not only caused a widespread sensation in 

 the profession, but also reminded the govern- 

 ment that it is its duty to retain such eminent 

 men at any cost. Professor Meyer will not 

 leave Vienna. ^ 



Professor Harms, of Jena, has declined the 

 call to Kiel in succession to Professor Bern- 

 hardt, in order that Professor Bernhardt may 

 be free to remain in Kiel. It will be remem- 

 bered that Professor Bernhardt was offered a 

 chair at Berlin by the Ministry of Education, 

 but declined because this action had been 

 taken without consultation with the faculty. 



DISCUSSION AND CORRESPONDENCE 



A protest 



To THE Editor op Science: Prom the an- 

 nouncements made at the recent college com- 

 mencements in this country I learned with 

 regret the surprising and disappointing fact 

 that at various medical colleges the chairs of 

 physiology were filled by foreign appoint- 

 ments. Two Englishmen were called to fill 

 the chairs of physiology and of physiological 

 chemistry at the medical department of 

 Cornell University. The chair of physiology 

 at Tulane University was also filled by an 

 Englishman. And a recent cable informs us 

 that a young German was called to fill the 

 chair of physiology at the school of medicine 

 now in process of formation in the Philip- 

 pines, presumably an institution of the 

 United States government. Permit me to say 

 that this is an anomalous state of affairs, and 

 is disheartening to those who are interested in 

 the development of an active scientific spirit 

 among the younger medical men in this 

 country. How can the talented men among 

 the medical students in this country be per- 



suaded to devote themselves to research, to a 

 scientific career in the face of the tendency to 

 fill desirable places with foreigners? The ob- 

 jections are not raised simply because the men 

 called to the above-mentioned places are for- 

 eigners. Newell Martin who was called some 

 thirty years ago to fill the chair of physiology 

 at Johns Hopkins, or Jacques Loeb who was 

 called some fifteen years ago to Brjm Mawr, 

 were then also foreigners, and fortunate would 

 this country be if again another Loeb or 

 another Martin could be added to its store of 

 first-class investigators and teachers. Indeed, 

 all of us, old and young, would have been only 

 too glad if one of these colleges would have 

 made a serious effort to bring over from Eng- 

 land such men as Sherrington or Starling. 

 The objections are raised because the men 

 called from abroad are not better than some of 

 our ovm younger physiologists. Furthermore, 

 in one instance the appointment to a chair of 

 physiology is puzzling indeed. It is true the 

 appointee is a meritorious histologist and 

 microchemist and recently translated a book 

 on the chemistry of the proteids. But one 

 searches in vain through the English litera- 

 ture for an original contribution to phys- 

 iology which is associated vnth his name. 

 Why then was the preference given to him 

 over such American men who have identified 

 themselves with physiology and contributed 

 meritoriously to its literature? 



In conclusion I wish to emphasize that the 

 above comment is made solely in the interest 

 of the younger generation of physiologists of 

 this country and to obtain jiistice for them, if 

 possible, on future occasions. But under no 

 circumstances should these remarks be in- 

 terpreted as being derogatory to the scientists 

 who have accepted these positions. It is no 

 offence to them to assume that we have in this 

 country physiologists who can bear com- 

 parison with them. Their coming here is an 

 accomplished fact and they may be sure of a 

 hearty welcome from the members of the 

 scientific community of this country. 



S. J. Meltzer 

 e0cb3efeixer institute foe 

 Medical Reseabch 



