SCIENCE 



Friday, April 25, 1919 



CONTENTS 



Sesearch as a University Function : Professor 

 J. C. Arthur 387 



Baphacl Blanchard: Major F. H. Garrison. 391 



John, Wallace Baird: Professor E. B. Titch- 



ENEE 393 



Scientific Events: — 



Rewards for British War Inventions; The 

 Sevision of Pritzel's Botanical Dictionary; 

 German Science after the War; Appropria- 

 tions for the Kansas State Agricultural Col- 

 lege 394 



Scientific Notes and News 396 



University and Educational News 400 



Discussion and Correspondence : — 

 Basis of the Geometrical Mean as a B. Coli 

 Index: Captain William Firth Wells. 

 Cardium corhis, a Monoecious Bivalve: C. H. 

 Edmondson. The Passenger Pigeon: R. 

 Welsh 400 



Quotations: — 



The British Birth Sate 402 



Scientific Books: — 

 Eigenmann on South American Catfishes: 

 Professor A. S. Pe.4.rse 403 



The Paris Academy of Sciences: K 404 



Special Articles: — 



Some Physical Improvements in National 

 Army Men under Military Training: Cap- 

 tain F. M. HiLDEBRASDT 404 



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

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

 Budaoo, N. Y. 



RESEARCH AS A UNIVERSITY 

 FUNCTION! 



Scientific research implies independent and 

 original thinking. It takes for granted that 

 the person has made himself master of recog- 

 nized facts in the domain where he proposes 

 to extend the boimdaries of knowledge, or will 

 proceed to acquire the information. It also 

 takes for granted that everj* conception is to 

 be tested by material manipulation. 



The modem university is derived by in- 

 tegration and adaptation from the learned 

 teaching institutions of early times. As a 

 consequence many medieval features still con- 

 trol the modem institution, often restricting 

 its \isefulness. The medieval universities 

 were founded for monks and clerics, who in- 

 structed boys and young men in the accepted 

 learning of the times. "VVTiat they did in the 

 way of adding to the store of knowledge or 

 arranging it for better presentation was done 

 in the quiet of the cloister without thought 

 of reward. In the modern university the in- 

 vestigator may work because he finds pleasure 

 in doing so, and without expectation of en- 

 couragement or pecuniary assistance, if he so 

 chooses, but it is the medieval way and not 

 consonant either with the requirements or 



1 The local chapter of the Society of the Sigma 

 Xi in Purdue University, desirous of "encourag- 

 ing original investigation in science, pure and ap- 

 plied, ' ' in accordance with the requirements of its 

 constitution, discussed methods of procedure at a 

 meeting in May, 1918. It concluded that the first 

 thing to do was to make "a survey of the re- 

 search work in Purdue. ' ' Accordingly a commit- 

 tee was appointed, which sent a questionnaire to 

 every member of the instructional force of the 

 university without regard to membership in the 

 society. The report of the committee was pre- 

 sented at a meeting of the chapter January 21, 

 1919, and the following remarks were made by the 

 president of the chapter as a part of the discus- 

 sion which followed. 



