October 11, 1912] 



SCIENCE 



477 



physiology in the State University of Oregon 

 Medical College at Portland. The Oregon 

 physiological laboratories are now officered by 

 John T>. MacLaren, M.S., M.D., director; L. 

 W. Tetzer, Ph.D., M.D., physiologic chemist; 

 Horace Fenton, A.B., M.D., clinician; Mary 

 V. Madigan, M.D., anesthetist; O. W. Curran, 

 Ph.B., assistant, and J. C. Einehart, B.S., 

 technician. 



DISCUSSION AND CORRESPONDENCE 



ONE PHASE OP WASHINGTON SCIENCE 



In a presidential address' before the Geo- 

 logical Society of Washington, Mr. Alfred H. 

 Brooks has reviewed the evolution of applied 

 geology and sought to point out the relation of 



the material condition of mankind, the ad- 

 dress throws an interesting but perhaps wholly 

 unintended side-light upon one phase of 

 " Washington Science." 



The address may be said to constitute both 

 an apology for and a glorification of the al- 

 most complete exclusion of pure science from 

 the later work of the United States Geological 

 Survey, and the attempt is further made to 

 show that a like metamorphism has charac- 

 terized the work of our American universities 

 during the last two decades. The concluding 

 sentences of the address, if taken alone, might 

 indeed seem to contradict the earlier state- 

 ments of the report. They are worth quoting : 



--- Pov><el 1 



-JkS\-nitK 



Pbrctntal* <* T«t«l Rifcfis«tieii» of U.6.G«ete|ic»l Sarvey R«l»tinJ to ApplieJ Soology 



Fig. 1. Diagrams to show by annual increments the number of publications relating to North 

 American geology and applied geology since 1886, and the percentage of total publications of the 

 United States Geological Survey relating to applied geology during the same period. 



its advance to that of the science of pure geol- 

 ogy, as well as to the evolution of economic, 

 political and social conditions. Though the 

 keynote of the address is made the importance 

 of the scientific investigator having always in 

 view a result which in some way is to improve 



'Alfred H. Brooks, "Applied Geology," presi- 

 dential address delivered before the Geological So- 

 ciety of Washington, December 13, 1911, Jour. 

 Washington Acad. Sci., Vol. 2, No. 2, January 19, 

 1912, pp. 14-48. 



There is, however, grave danger that, carried 

 away by the present furor for practical results, we 

 may lose sight of our scientific ideals. Applied 

 geology can only maintain its present high position 

 of usefulness by continuing the researches which 

 advance the knowledge of basic principles. 



To his address Brooks has contributed the 

 results of an inquiry to determine what per- 

 centage of American geological publications 

 issued during the last quarter of a cen- 

 tury has been devoted either wholly or in part 



