SCIENCE 



Fbiday, January 12, 1917 



CONTENTS 



The American Association for the Advance- 

 ment of Science: — 



Specialisation and Besearch in the Medical 

 Sciences : Dr. Fsedeeick P. Gat 25 



1 Industrial Laboratories: Dr. 

 Eaymond F. Bacon, Db. C. E. K. Mees, 

 Professor W. H. Walker, Professor M. 

 C. Whitakee, Dr. W. B. Whitney 34 



Scientific Events: — 



The Control of Tuberculosis in France; The 

 National Paries Conference ; A French Na- 

 tional Physical Laboratory ; Dedication of 

 the New York State Museum 39 



Scientific Notes and News 41 



University and Educational News 43 



Discussion and Correspondence: — 



A Case of Synchronic Behavior in Phalan- 

 gidce : Professor H. H. Newman. The 

 Supposed Synchronal Flashing of Fireflies: 

 Philip Laurent. Trimmed Magazines and 

 Efficiency Experts .• H. P 44 



Scientific BooTcs: — 



Die Kultur der Gegenwart : Professor G. 



F. Hull 45 



Special Articles: — 

 Peanut Mosaic: De. J. A. McClintock 47 



The American Association for the Advance- 

 ment of Science: — 

 Section C — Chemistry: Db. John Johnston. 48 



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

 review should be sent to Professor J. McEeen Cattell, Ga 

 On-Hudson, N. Y. 



THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION FOR 



THE ADVANCEMENT OF SCIENCE 



SPECIALIZATION AND RESEARCH IN 



THE MEDICAL SCIENCES 1 



MoDEEN scientists are not encouraged 

 and are become less inclined, except in the 

 afterglow of an active life, to indulge in 

 metaphysics. The visualization of material 

 phenomena, particularly when set in mo- 

 tion by deliberate experiment and observed 

 in their successive stages, tends to replace 

 speculation as to a more complete, though 

 less verifiable series of facts. This reliance 

 in the natural sciences on observation and 

 experiment rather than on ratiocination is 

 responsible for the great and rapidly in- 

 creasing body of useful knowledge we 

 possess. 



Philosophical treatises by even conspicu- 

 ous representatives of the natural sciences 

 have seemed to me to differ from those of 

 the metaphysicians in that the former ap- 

 parently fail to appreciate that the meta- 

 physical game is played subject to certain 

 rules which have the same purpose of order 

 as the rules in other games. Philosophy is 

 apparently a subject like fine arts, about 

 whicli many people think they have intui- 

 tional knowledge. We judge pictures as 

 bad or good not on the basis of certain cri- 

 teria that have come through the ages to be 

 recognized as essential, but in accordance 

 with whether we like or dislike them. In 

 the same way we may think, because we 

 have a certain facility in the exposition of 

 scientific data, that we can offhand write 



1 Address of tlie vice-president and chairman of 

 Section K, American Association for the Advance- 

 ment of Science, New York meeting, December 29, 

 1916. 



