826 
we form a small and unique body of men, 
a new variety of the human race as one of 
our greatest scientists calls it, whose views 
of what constitutes the greatest achieve- 
ment in life are very different from those 
around us, In this respect we form an 
aristocracy, not of wealth, not of pedigree, 
but of intellect and of ideals, holding him in 
the highest respect who adds the most to 
our knowledge or who strives after it as the 
highest good. 
Thus we meet together for mutual sym- 
pathy and the interchange of knowledge, 
and may we do so ever with appreciation of 
the benefits to ourselves and possibly to our 
science. Above all, let us cultivate the idea 
of the dignity of our pursuit so that this 
feeling may sustain us in the midst of a 
world which gives its highest praise, not to 
the investigation in the pure etherial physics 
which our Society is formed to cultivate, 
but to one who uses it for satisfying the 
physical rather than the intellectual needs 
of mankind. He who makes two blades of 
grass grow where one grew before is the 
benefactor of mankind; but he who ob- 
securely worked to find the laws of such 
growth is the intellectual superior as wellas 
the greater benefactor of the two. 
How stands our country, then, in this re- 
spect? My answer must still be, now, as it 
was fifteen years ago, that much of the in- 
tellect of the country is still wasted in the 
pursuit of so-called practical science which 
ministers to our physical needs and but 
little thought and money is given to the 
grander portion of the subject which ap- 
peals to our intellect alone. But your pres- 
ence here gives evidence that such a con- 
dition is not to last forever. 
Even in the past we have a few names 
whom scientists throughout the world de- 
light to honor. Franklin, who almost revo- 
lutionized the science of electricity by a few 
simple but profound experiments. Count 
Rumford, whose experiments almost demon- 
SCIENCE. 
[N.S. Von. X. No. 258. 
strated the nature of heat. Henry, who 
might have done much for the progress of 
physics had he published more fully the re- 
sults of his investigations. Mayer, whose 
simple and ingenious experiments have been 
a source of pleasure and profit to many. 
This is the meager list of those whom death 
allows me to speak of and who have earned 
mention here by doing something for the 
progress of our science. And yet the record 
has been searched for more than a hundred 
years. How different had I started to re- 
cord those who have made useful and bene- 
ficial inventions ! 
But I know, when I look in the faces of 
those before me, where the eager intellect 
and high purpose sit enthroned on bodies 
possessing the vigor and strength of youth, 
that the writer of a hundred years hence 
can no longer throw such a reproach upon 
our country. Nor can we blame those who 
have gone before us. The progress of every 
science shows us the condition of its growth. 
Very few persons, if isolated in a semi- 
civilized land, have either the desire or the 
opportunity of pursuing the higher branches 
of science. Even if they should be able to 
do so, their influence on their science de- 
pends upon what they publish and make 
known to the world. A hermit philosopher 
we can imagine might make many useful 
discoveries. Yet, if he keeps them to him- 
self, he can never claim to have benefited 
the world in any degree. His unpublished 
results are his private gain, but the world 
is no better off until he has made them 
known in language strong enough to call 
attention to them and to convince the world 
of their truth. Thus, to encourage the 
growth of any science, the best thing we 
can do is to meet together in its interest, to 
discuss its problems, to criticize each other’s 
work and, best of all, to provide means by 
which the better portion of it may be made 
known tothe world. Furthermore, let us 
encourage discrimination in our thoughts 
