SCIENCE 



Peidat, April 22, 1910 



CONTENTS 

 The Choice of Medicine as a Profession: Pro- 

 fessor Harold Williams 601 



An International Cooperative Investigation on 

 Electrical Standards: Dr. Edward B. Rosa 608 



Federal Expenditures for the Conservation of 

 the National Health : W. N. Berg 611 



A Department of Public Health 613 



The American Chemical Society 613 



Scientific Notes and News 614 



Unvversity and Educational News 617 



Discussion and Correspondence: — 



The Germ Theory of Disease: Henbt Skin- 

 neb. Does Excessive Light limit Tropical 

 Plankton? Major Chas. E. Woodrtjet. 

 Attendance at the Graduate School of 

 Harvard University: Professor Rudolf 

 TOMBO, JR 617 



Scientific Books: — 



Encyclop4die des Sciences Mathematiques 

 pures et appliqu4es: Professor G. A. Mil- 

 ler. Tutton's Crystalline Structure and 

 Chemical Constitution, Moses's Mineralogy : 

 Professor Chasles Paiacke. Maanvell- 

 Lefroy's Indian Insect Life: E. P. Felt. 

 The Faun<i of British India: Dr. W. J. 

 Holland 621 



Special Articles: — 



Canal-ray Effects in Open Air Discharge: 

 Professor Feancis E. Nipher. A Prelim- 

 inary Report of a New Blood Picture: 

 Margaret A. Reed. Notes on the Food of 

 a King Eider: G. C. Embody. A Large 

 Sperm Whale captured im Texas Waters: 

 Dr. H. H. Newman 628 



The American Association for the Advance- 

 ment of Science: — 

 Section G — Botany: Professor Henbt C. 

 CowLES 632 



The Central Branch of the Am-eri<Mn Society 

 of Zoologists 640 



Societies and Academies: — 



Section of Biology of the New York Acad- 

 emy of Sciences: L. Hussakof 640 



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

 review should be sent to the Editor of Sciekck, Garrison-on- 

 Httdaon, N. Y. 



THE CHOICE OF MEDICINE AS A 

 PROFESSION • 



One of the most difficult and important 

 questions for the college student to decide 

 is the question: "What occupation shall I 

 choose when I graduate from college?" 

 It is a question, moreover, which every 

 student ought to decide for himself. Every 

 person's occupation should be suited to 

 his tastes and capabilities and no one can 

 decide whether a given occupation is suited 

 to an individual's tastes and capacities so 

 well as the individual himself. It makes 

 no difference who the student is or what he 

 is; if he is the millionaire's son and fool- 

 ishly believes he need pursue no occupation 

 at all, or if he is the merchant's son and is 

 destined to fall into some niche prepared 

 for him by parental industry, the truth 

 stiU remains that if he is to enjoy the best 

 gifts of life he must have occupation and 

 that the occupation chosen should be one 

 in which he can labor happily and use- 

 fully. Every student here present should 

 study this question with the conviction that 

 it is in many respects the most important 

 and vital question of his life. 



You are all to be congratulated upon the 

 opportunity which is offered you for se- 

 curing a college education. "Whatever you 

 eventually do, whatever occupation you 

 elect to pursue, this coUege education will 

 stand you in good stead, the higher its 

 value the more wisely you avail yourselves 

 of the opportunity it offers. It is some- 

 what the fashion nowadays to carp at the 

 so-called liberal education and it is cer- 



^ Lecture delivered November 2, 1909, to the 

 students of Tufts College. 



