SCIENCE 



Friday, Mat 22, 1914 



CONTENTS 

 The Social Obligations of the Botanist: Dr. 

 W. W. Stockberger 733 



Premedical Education: Dr. Paul G. Woollet. 743 



Professor Theobald Smith and a New OutlooTc 

 in Animal Pathology ; T. M. P 751 



Scientific Notes and News 754 



University and Educational Neivs 758 



Discussion and Correspondence : — 



Two Undescribed Specimens of Castoroides: 

 NoEMAN A. Wood 759 



Scientific Boohs: — 

 Kellicott on Cherdate Development: J. P. 

 McM. Lemkowitsch on Oils, Fats and 

 Waxes: Professor A. H. Gill 759 



Scientific Journ-als and Articles 760 



Special Articles: — 



The Systematic Position of the Mylodont 

 Sloths from Bancho la Brea: Dr. Chester 

 Stock 761 



The Society of American Bacteriologists: Dr. 

 A. Parker Hitchens 763 



Societies and Academies : — 

 The American Mathematical Society: Pro- 

 fessor F. N. Cole. Philosophical Society 

 of the University of Virginia: Professor 

 L. G. HoxTON. The American Philosophical 

 Society 769 



MSS. Intended for publication and boots, etc.. intended for 

 reyiew should be sent to Professor J. McKeen Cattell, Garriaon- 

 On-Hudsou, N. Y. 



THE SOCIAL OBLIGATIONS OF THE 

 BOTANIST^ 



The subject of the address which I am to 

 have the honor of presenting before you 

 this evening was suggested to me on hearing 

 recently a statement to the effect that it is 

 the duty of society to pay for the services 

 of the botanist. It seems to me that there 

 is something to be said on the other side of 

 this question, and, although my predeces- 

 sors on similar occasions have almost invari- 

 ably favored you with learned scientific dis- 

 cussions, I shall depart from that ancient 

 and time-honored custom and invite your 

 attention to a consideration of some of the 

 social obligations of the botanist. 



A distinguished and honored member of 

 this society has defined botany as that sci- 

 ence "that occupies itself with the contem- 

 plation of plant as related to plant, and 

 with the whole vegetable kingdom as viewed 

 philosophically — not economically or com- 

 mercially in its relation to the mineral, on 

 the one hand, and to the animal on the 

 other." From this definition it naturally 

 follows that a true botanist is one who is 

 engaged in research upon plants as such 

 without regard to the relationship they 

 may bear to the welfare and activities of 

 mankind. The history of botany clearly 

 shows that botanists have ever been largely 

 devoted to their science for its own sake, 

 for the pleasure which they might derive 

 from a knowledge of plants. The specula- 

 tions in which they Avere absorbed con- 

 cerned questions of truth and not those of 

 economic values. But throughout the his- 

 tory of the race, the economic aspect of 



1 Address of the retiring president before the 

 Botanical Society of Washington, March 3, 1914. 



