Mat 18, 1906.] 



SCIENCE. 



775 



A conmiittee was formed to circulate the 

 theses and the adhesion of about eight 

 huUdred scientists was secured. At the 

 session of the association in Cassel in 1903 

 this committee made a report and proposed 

 that the Hamburg Theses be adopted by 

 the general session of the association. This 

 was done by the adoption of the following 

 motion made by F. Klein, professor of 

 mathematics in the University of Got- 

 tingen : 



The Oesellsohaft deutscher Naturforscher und 

 Aerzte unanimously accepts the Hamburg Theses 

 of the committee for the advancement of biologic 

 instruction in the higher schools, with the reser- 

 vation that the totality of the questions relative 

 to instruction in mathematics and the natural 

 sciences be made the subject of comprehensive dis- 

 cussion at the earliest opportunity. 



In consequence of this resolution, the 

 general session of the association at Breslau 

 in 1904, took up the topic, 'Eeport and 

 Debate on the Instruction in Mathematics 

 and the Natural Sciences in the Higher 

 Schools. ' 



Preparation was made for the session at 

 Breslau in the discussions of various other 

 societies, such as the Verein zur Forderung 

 des Unterrichts in der Mathematik und 

 den Naturwissenschaften, and the Verein 

 deutscher Ingenieure, both of which also 

 sent official delegations to the meeting at 

 Breslau. 



At this meeting the following reports 

 were presented : 



K. Fricke : ' The Present Situation of Instruc- 

 tion in Mathematics and the Natural Sciences in 

 the Higher Schools.' 



F. KJLEiN: 'Remarks on Instruction in Mathe- 

 matics and Physics.' 



F. Merkel : ' Wishes Relative to Instruction in 

 Biology.' 



G. Leubuschee : ' Considerations on School 

 Hygiene.' 



After discussion of these reports, all the 

 questions involved were referred to a com- 

 mission constituted as follows: 



Messrs. Gutzmer, chairman, representing the 

 section for natural sciences. 



Schotten, representing the section of pedagogy. 



Leubuscher and Vervporn, representing the med- 

 ical section. 



Klein, representing the German Mathematical 

 Association. 



Pretzker and Schmid, representing the Society 

 for the Advancement of Instruction in Mathe- 

 matics and the Natural Sciences. 



Poske, representing the German Physical So- 

 ciety. 



Fricke and Kraepelin, representing the biolog- 

 ical committee. 



V. Borries and Duisberg representing the inter- 

 ests of engineers and practical chemists. 



The commission has now published a re- 

 port^ which is a document of great interest 

 and well worth study beyond the confines 

 of the kingdom with whose educational 

 affairs it primarily concerns itself. 



The report consists of four parts: A 

 general report by the chairman, and special 

 reports on instruction in mathematics, in 

 physics and in chemistry (mineralogy), 

 zoology (anthropology), botany and geol- 

 ogy. 



The commission set up unanimously three 

 governing principles: 



I. The commission wishes that instruc- 

 tion in the higher schools be neither one- 

 sidedly linguistico-historical, nor one-sided- 

 ly mathematico-scientific. 



II. The commission recognizes mathe- 

 matics and the natural sciences as of equal 

 culture value with the languages and ad- 

 heres to the principle of specific general 

 culture in the higher schools. 



III. The commission declares that the 

 enjoyment in fact of equal rights by the 

 three classes of higher schools is absolutely 

 necessary and wishes its complete realiza- 

 tion. 



In these three principles the commission 



° ' Bericht der Unterrichtskommission der 

 Gesellschaft deutscher Naturforscher und Aerzts 

 fiber ihre bisherige Tatigkeit,' pp. 57, Leipzig, 

 1905 (F. W. C. Voge], publisher). 



