April 7, 1922] 



SCIENCE 



379 



THE FEDERATION OF AMERICAN 



SOCIETIES FOR EXPERIMENTAL 



BIOLOGY 



The Federation of American Societies for 

 Experimental Biology, which comprises the 

 American Physiological Society, the American 

 Society of Biological Chemists, Inc., the Amer- 

 ican Society for Pharmacology and Experi- 

 mental Therapeutics, and the American Society 

 for Experimental Pathology, met for their 

 annual scientific program, December 28-30, 

 1921, under the auspices of Yale University. 

 Two joint scientific sessions were held. The 

 first joint session was called at 9:30 on the 

 morning of December 28 under the presidency 

 of Dr. J. J. R. Macleod of the Physiological 

 Society. Twelve scientific papers representa- 

 tive of the research work of the four societies 

 were presented and discussed at this session. 

 An equally strong joint session was held at the 

 close of the third day, beginning at two o'clock 

 on December 30 and consisting of eleven 

 papers. Sessions of the individual societies 

 filled the remaining four periods of the meet- 

 ing. 



The executive committee of the Federation is 

 composed of the presidents and secretaries of 

 the four constituent societies as follows : 

 J. J. R. Macleod, executive chairman; C. W. 

 Greene, secretary; D. D. Van Slyke, C. W. Ed- 

 munds, F. G. Novy, V. C. Myers, E. D. Brown 

 and Wade H. Bown. The first executive com- 

 mittee meeting was called at 4:30 p.m., Decem- 

 ber 27, at which time the following business 

 was transacted. The report of the treasurer 

 of the Information Service Fund, Dr. Joseph 

 Erlanger, was presented showing a net balance 

 of $312.34. The secretary of the Information 

 Service presented the annual report showing 

 progress during the year. This appointment 

 service ixndertakes to call to the attention of 

 universities and scientific institutions and 

 others the availability of scientists in the dif- 

 ferent technical lines represented bj^ the soci- 

 eties. The late Dr. S. J. Meltzer, who keenly 

 appreciated the difficulties confronting the 

 young men preparing in science in the way of 

 securing information of openings in their 

 lines, and the ec^ual difficulty met by institu- 



tions in finding men of scientific preparation 

 and fitness in particular lines, contributed the 

 original fund to meet the expenses of this 

 activity. It is the hope of the Federation that 

 increasing use of this institution will be made 

 through the secretary, Professor E. D. Brown, 

 of the University of Minnesota. 



The problem of correlation of overlapping 

 programs as between the Federation and the 

 American Association for the Advancement of 

 Science, together with the desirability of hold- 

 ing periodical joint meetings, was presented 

 and discussed. Such cooperation was favored 

 by the Federation. Informal discussion was 

 had of the necessity of the appointment of a 

 permanent secretary to care for the increasing 

 general business of the Federation. This was 

 referred to the incoming executive committee. 



The most important act of the Federation 

 was the presentation and discussion of a reso- 

 lution calling attention to the decreasing sup- 

 ply of young men entering the pre-clinical 

 medical sciences. The general discussion tend- 

 ed to show that aside from the effects of recon- 

 struction activities, there are certain special 

 causes operating to deter young men from 

 choosing the biological sciences even though 

 attracted by their intrinsic interest. 



It was recognized that there is always the 

 need of giant personalities and great teachers 

 who stimulate and lead young men by an 

 attractive presentation of the science itself. 

 However, the financial advantages and the 

 secondary rewards of a professional career too 

 generally outstrip the financial income and 

 perquisites of research and teaching in the 

 biological sciences. Scientific investigators do 

 not expect great financial returns but they do 

 have a right to sufficient income from their 

 activities to avail themselves of the usual jour- 

 nals, meetings, and other necessary instru- 

 ments for scientific work. The standards of 

 maintenance of the ■ social and family position 

 of the scientist and the education of his chil- 

 dren are well defined. Many teachers hesitate 

 to urge upon their brilliant students careers 

 which do not of themselves guarantee this 

 degree of support. The net result is that it 

 takes an idealistic temperament with a cer- 



