October 4, 1907] 



SCIENCE 



443 



sterile conditions in his own work, and this 

 was the point on which I based certain criti- 

 cisms in the publication cited. It seems to 

 me that this is the kind of work Dr. Smith 

 " should have done and not left for some one 

 else to do." Howard S. Eeed 



September 20, 1907 



AN OFFICIAL LETTER ON " TKMPEEANCE 

 PHYSIOLOGIES ■" 



The circular letter below was recently re- 

 ceived by certain publishing firms in New 

 York City. While it was intended for the 

 guidance of publishers, it will certainly be 

 suggestive to educators who are interested in 

 freedom in science teaching. Some comment 

 follows the letter. 

 Dear Siks: 



It is probably well known to you that the 

 National Woman's Christian Temperance Union, 

 through the department of Scientific Temperance 

 Instruction, Mrs. Mary H. Hunt, former superin- 

 tendent, has been active in securing the publication 

 of good school physiologies and their introduction 

 into the schools, and that heretofore satisfactory 

 books have borne the printed announcement that 

 they had been endorsed, such endorsement being 

 signed by Mrs. Mary H. Hunt, or by some member 

 of the Advisory Board as appointee of the National 

 W. C. T. U. 



You are also probably aware of the fact that 

 Mrs. Hunt and the W. C. T. U. have been repeat- 

 edly accused of receiving royalties on " endorsed " 

 physiologies. Having been assured by Mrs. Hunt 

 that no such royalties were received by her, we 

 have lor years unhesitatingly and unreservedly 

 denied that any royalties were received by the 

 W. C. T. U. or by any representative of the organ- 

 ization. If any one has received any royalties on 

 endorsed physiologies, such receipt of monies was 

 wholly unauthorized by the W. C. T. U., was posi- 

 tively against its policy, and was never reported 

 to the W. C. T. U. 



Since the death of Mrs. Hunt our organization 

 has considered very carefully the present situation 

 and has decided upon the following policy: 



1. The National W. C. T. U. will continue to 

 encourage the publication of new series of physiol- 

 ogies to replace weak or old series now in use, and 

 urgently requests that all good series be revised 

 frequently, that they may be kept up to date in all 

 scientific and pedagogical points. 



2. We shall encourage the direct relation of au- 

 thors and publishers, exerting our influence to help 

 publishers to find thoroughly competent authors 

 and to help such authors to find good publishers. 



3. We shall request publishers of school physi- 

 ologies to publish a note in the preface of each 

 book giving the name of some well-known spe- 

 cialist in physiology who has approved the book 

 as to its scientific accuracy, especially concerning 

 the latest deductions of science on the alcohol 

 question, and that of some well-known educator 

 who has approved the book as to its pedagogy. 



Our world's and national superintendent of the 

 Department of Scientific Temperance Instruction 

 in Schools and Colleges and director of the Bureau 

 of Scientific Temperance Investigation is Mrs. 

 Edith Smith Davis, 2913 Bro^vn St., Milwaukee, 

 Wisconsin, a woman admirably fitted to lead this 

 great department of our work. Mrs. Davis will 

 have associated with her a number of well-known 

 men in the scientific and educational world as 

 counsellors of the department. Any scientists or 

 educators acceptable to Mrs. Davis and her coun- 

 sellors whose endorsement you may secure for your 

 books will ensure the hearty cooperation of the 

 National W. C. T. U. in the circulation of said 

 books. Any physiology which fails to meet a high 

 and satisfactory standard on the question of the 

 effect of alcohol and narcotics on the human sys- 

 tem will be publicly disapproved by the National 

 W. C. T. U. and our local unions over the entire 

 country will work against the introduction of such 

 books into the schools. 



We shall show no partiality between publishers 

 of satisfactory text-books and will continue to do 

 ail we can to secure the teaching of physiology 

 and hygiene in the schools, and to secure the in- 

 troduction of good books. 



Yours for the presentation of unbiased ti-uth, on 

 behalf of the General Officers of the National 

 W. C. T. U. 



This letter was signed by the president and 

 secretary of the National W. C. T. IT. 



The letter has the following interesting 

 points : 



1. The question of royalties said to have 

 been received is one of minor importance to 

 scientific educators. Certainly no one ever 

 believed that the W. C. T. U. as an organiza- 

 tion could ever have descended to vote ap- 

 proval for accepting " royalties." 



2. Scientific teachers are glad to know that 

 publishers will be " encouraged to replace weak 



