SCIENCE 



A WEEKLY JOURNAL DEVOTED TO THE ADVANCEMENT OF SCIENCE, PUBLISHING THE 



OFFICIAL NOTICES AND PROCEEDINGS OF THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION 



FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF SCIENCE. 



Editoeial Committee : S. Newcomb, Mathematics ; E. S. Woodward, Mechanics ; E. C. Pickering, 

 Astronomy ; T. C. Mbndknhall, Physics ; R. H. Thurston, Engineering ; Ira Eemsen, Chemistry ; 

 Charles D. Walcott, Geology ; W. M. Davis, Physiography ; Henry F. Osborn, Paleon- 

 tology ; W. K. Brooks, C. Hart Merbiam, Zoology ; S. H. Scuddee, Entomology ; C. E. 

 Bessey, N. L. Britton, Botany ; C. S. Minot, Embryology, Histology ; H. P. Bow- 

 ditch, Physiology ; J. S. Billings, Hygiene ; William H. Welch, Pathol- 

 ogy ; J. McKeen Cattell, Psychology ; J. W. Powell, Anthropology. 



Friday, Makch 28, 1902. 



CONTENTS: 



The Intellectual Conditions for Ennbryological 

 Science (II.) : Professor W. K. Brooks.. 481 



The Nature of Nerve Stimulation and of 

 Changes in Irritability: Dr. A. P. 

 Mathews 492 



Nodules and Molecules of Red Blood-cor- 

 puscles: Professor G. Macloskie 499 



Scientific Books: — 



Borel's Legons sur les series divergentes; 

 Hadamard's La Sirie de Taylor: Profess- 

 or E. B. Van Vleck. Young's Elementary 

 Principles of Chemistry: Professor E. 

 Eenouf. Beecher's Studies in Evolution: 

 Professor A. S. Packard 500 



Societies and Academies: — 



The American Philosophical Society. The 

 American Electro-chemical Society. The 

 Geological Society of Washington: Alfred 

 H. Brooks. Neic York Academy of Sci- 

 ences. Section of Biology: Professor 

 Henry E. Crampton. The Academy of 

 Sciences of St. Louis: Professor William 

 Teelease. The Torrey Botanical Cluh : 

 Professor Edward S. Burgess. The North- 

 eastern Section of the American Chemical 

 Society: Professor H. Fat. The Onondaga 

 Academy of Science : T. C. Hopkins 504 



Discussion and Correspondence: — 



American Association for the Advancement 

 of Science, Anthropology : Harlan I. Smith. 

 Felis Oregonensis Raf. Again! Dr. Wrr- 

 MER Stone. A Very Sensitive Thermostat : 

 Professor W. P. Bradley. Scientific No- 

 menclature : De. Horace White 509 



Botanical Notes:- — • 



A Popular Book on Trees; Gattinger's Flora 

 of Tennessee; Engler's Pflansenreich : Pro- 

 fessoe Chaeles E. Bessey 511 



Notes on Inorganic Chemistry: J. L. H 513 



Recent Zoopaleontology : — 



Fritsche's Fauna der Gashohle : H. P. O. . . 514 



Gravity on the Ocean: O. H. T 514 



Bryan Donhin: R. H. T 515 



Scientific Notes and Neirs 516 



University and Educational Nev:s 520 



THE INTELLECTUAL CONDITIONS FOR 

 EMBRYOLOGICAL SCIENCE. 



II. 



NATURAL HISTORY AND NATURAL 

 KNOVfLEDGE. 



The definition of science as the analysis 

 and classification of facts leads the philo- 

 sophical spokesmen of modern science to 

 believe that an embryologieal account of 

 thinking men is impossible, because it leads 

 them to believe there is a chasm which is 

 intellectually impassable between the facts 

 of physics and the facts of consciousness. 



Since the minds and senses by the aid of 

 which we make scientific discoveries are 

 generated from eggs, the progress of em- 

 bryologieal science must bring us around 

 sooner or later to the old question: What 

 is science? What is it to know a thing? 



In this paper I shall show the fitness of 

 biological science for helping us to recon- 

 sider this great question. 



1. May it not he that we understand a 

 thing ivhen we can tell what it means, and 

 use it? 



Philosophers tell us we understand a 

 thing when we comprehend it, but it is my 

 purpose to ask whether the progress of 

 biological science may not lead us to think, 

 Avith Berkeley, that we understand a thing 

 ivhen ive can tell what it means and use it, 

 and whether this definition of science may 



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