SCIENCE 



Friday, July 29, 1921 



CONTENTS 



"Progressive Education" in the Teaching of 

 Pathology: PROrEssoR Howard T. Kars- 

 NER 81 



A Novel Magneto-optical Effect: Dr. Elihu 

 Thomson 84 



Scientific Events: — 



Thomas Harriot; The International Insti- 

 tute of Agriculture ; The Edinburgh Meet- 

 ing of the British Association 85 



Scientific Notes and News 87 



University and EdvMition43l News 90 



Discussion and Correspondence : — 



A Living Galvanometer: Dr. George G. 

 ■Scott, Joseph Tulgan. An Exception to 

 Dollo's Law of the Irreversibility of Evo- 

 lution : Dr. G. C. Crampton 90 



Scientific Boohs: — 

 Jonston's Natural History of Fishes: Dr. 

 Davto Starr Jordan.. 92 



Special Articles: — 



On a Method of estimating the Number of 

 Genetic Factors concerned in Cases of Blend- 

 ing Inheritance : Professor W. E. Castle. 93 



The Vtcth Academy of Sciences: C. Arthue 

 Smith 96 



The American Associatio^i for the Advancement 

 of Science: — 



Section H — Anthropology: Professor E. 

 A. HooTON 98 



MSS. intended for publication and books, etc., intended for 

 review should be sent to The Editor of Science, Garriaon-on- 

 Hudaon, N. Y. 



"PROGRESSIVE EDUCATION" IN THE 

 TEACHING OF PATHOLOGY' 



In an article in the Atlantic Monthly of 

 February, 1921, Mr. Stanwood Cobb describes 

 " A new movement in education." The type 

 of education which he considers has been given 

 the name " Progressive Education." Although 

 the article deals particularly with education 

 in the primary grades, nevertheless, the ques- 

 tion arises as to whether or not the principle 

 which directs this movement may have appli- 

 cation in more advanced technical education. 

 A fundamental aim is to have the interest of 

 the student aroused before his work is as- 

 signed. Although it might be presumed that 

 the mere fact of a student's entrance into a 

 school of medicine presupposes that his interest 

 is sufficiently aroused to dictate the most active 

 work in the furtherance of his technical train- 

 ing, yet all those who have taught in such 

 schools know full well that such is not neces- 

 sarily the ease. The motives underlying the 

 student's selection of a profession sometimes 

 are extrinsic in origin; the purpose may have 

 originated in the minds of parents or others. 

 Again, the aim of the student may be differ- 

 ent from the highest ideals of professional 

 work. All too often the student regards cer- 

 tain of his subjects, particularly those of the 

 preclinical years, as of little importance. 

 Therefore, it becomes necessary to arouse in- 

 terest on the part of a considerable number of 

 students in any given class. Fundamentally, 

 it might be assumed that were the teachers of 

 the preclinical subjects to emphasize continu- 

 ously the importance of these materials in the 

 subsequent clinical work of the student that 

 would be sufficient, but long experience in 

 teaching pathology where this view has been 

 particularly emphasized shows that even this 



1 Prom the department of pathology, school of 

 medicine of Western Reserve University, Cleve- 

 land, Ohio. 



