SCIENCE 



Friday, March 9, 1917 



CONTENTS 

 Botany as a National Asset: Professor John 

 M. Coulter 225 



Reports of the Subcommittees of tlie Com- 

 mittee of One Hundred on Scientific Re- 

 search of the American Association for the 

 Advancement of Science: — 

 Engineering: Professor A. E. Kennellt. 231 

 Pathology : Professor Eichard M. Pearce. 233 



Mathematics : Professor G. A. Miller 



233 



Scientific Notes and News 234 



University and Educational News 238 



Discussion and Correspondence: — 



A Culture Medium for Euglena: Clarence 

 L. Turner. A Relief Map of the United 

 States: Professor T. "W. Kinkaid. Leidy 

 on the Cause of Malaria: Dr. Frank E. 

 LuTZ 239 



Scientific Books: — 

 Mason on the Water Supply: Professor 

 George C. Whipple. Aldrich on Sarcophaga 

 and Allies in North America: Professor 

 T. D. A. COCKERELL 240 



The Origin of the Fre-Columiian Civilization 

 in America: Professor G. Elliot Smith. 241 



The American Physiological Society: Pro- 

 fessor C. W. Greene -J46 



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

 review stiouldbesent to Professor J. McKeenCattell, Ga 

 On-Hudson. N. Y. 



BOTANY AS A NATIONAL ASSET i 



It seems timely to consider the relation 

 of botany to national welfare, when all the 

 sciences are being called upon to render 

 such service as they can in the develop- 

 ment of national resources, both material 

 and intellectual. As botanists we realize 

 the important points of contact between 

 our science and human welfare, but the 

 relation between the science of botany and 

 these contacts is not generally appreciated. 

 I am not concerned at present with our 

 usefulness so much as with our reputa- 

 tion, which is in danger of limiting the 

 development of both our science and our 

 service. My attention has been called to 

 this situation in two ways. 



1. An increasing number of students of 

 a practical turn of mind are being attracted 

 to the physical sciences because such 

 training is understood to connect definitely 

 with practical activities of various kinds. 

 These sciences are to be congratulated 

 upon having established this connection in 

 such a way that the general public can 

 see it. This has not been accomplished by 

 slighting ' the fundamentals, but by show- 

 ing that the fundamentals must underlie 

 all rational practise. Failure to establish 

 this connection in the case of our science 

 means that botany is in danger of being 

 regarded by the general public, and by 

 students who simply record public opinion, 

 as the least practical of the sciences. This 

 attitude is the result of various causes, but 

 chief among them are the attitude of pro- 

 fessional botanists, and the fact that the 



1 Address of the president of the Botanical So- 

 ciety of America, New York, December, 1916. 



