Decembeb 27, 1907] 



SCIENCE 



891 



and with others following the same science 

 to form a national society. The members 

 of the local academies and national socie- 

 ties, in so far as they have common inter- 

 ests, would unite in a national association 

 for the advancement of science. Among 

 the questions open are the size of the local 

 group— whether it should be limited to a 

 city or include a state or have some other 

 basis— whether it should be limited to the 

 natural and exact sciences or should include 

 other groups, as the historical and linguis- 

 tic sciences or medicine and engineering. 

 In the case of the special societies there is 

 a tacit agreement to make them national 

 or rather continental, but there is a tend- 

 ency to hold sectional meetings. Thus this 

 year the zoologists are meeting both in Chi- 

 cago and in New Haven, and the mathe- 

 maticians are meeting both in Chicago and 

 in New York. It seems certain that the 

 national societies will be maintained for 

 purposes of publication, and it seems prob- 

 able that they will continue to hold general 

 meetings. 



The American Medical Association has 

 an organization devised with great care. 

 There are county societies, which unite in 

 state societies and these form a national 

 association. The national association con- 

 ducts an admirable weekly journal and 

 holds annual migrating meetings. There is 

 a house of delegates for legislative purposes 

 having strong standing committees. The 

 teachers of the country, who, like the physi- 

 cians, are subject to county regulations and 

 state laws, are organized along similar lines, 

 but less effectively. The chemists, who in- 

 clude those engaged in professional work 

 as well as those devoted to pure science. 



have an excellent monthly journal and 

 regional sections with two annual migrating 

 meetings, one of which is held in affiliation 

 with the American Association. Bach of 

 the natural and exact sciences has now its 

 organization, and in some cases the society 

 has regional sections. Thus the American 

 Mathematical Society holds meetings in the 

 eastern, central and western states and the 

 American Society of Zoologists in the east- 

 ern and central states. There are also local 

 societies for special sciences, which are not 

 as yet affiliated with the national organ- 

 izations. 



"We surely need a general association to 

 represent the united scientific interests of 

 the country, but the relations that should 

 subsist between it and the special national 

 societies and the local and state academies 

 are not entirely clear. The American As- 

 sociation may become an affiliation of scien- 

 tific societies rather than of individuals, its 

 work being done by a council or senate 

 representing the separate societies. It may 

 hold meetings that are national or sectional 

 or both. It may include only the natural 

 and exact sciences, being coordinate with 

 the associations for philology, history, 

 medicine, engineering, education, etc., or 

 it may aim to represent all the scientific 

 interests of the country. 



Under existing conditions of our civiliza- 

 tion cooperation and organization are re- 

 quired, and there are at least four reasons, 

 which make them essential in science. The 

 first of these is that science is by its nature 

 cooperative ; men of science must work to- 

 gether for a common end. The second is 

 the vast importance of science for the sta- 

 bility and progress of society. The third 



