662 



SCIENCE 



[N. S. Vol. XXVII. No. 695 



bers of the American Chemical Society see 

 the "Berichte" regularly, and probably less 

 than five per cent, read any other German 

 journal. The relatively small number of 

 Americans who belong to the German 

 Chemical Society speaks for itself. 



Science is world- v^^ide but "charity be- 

 ginneth at home." It would appear to be 

 only fair that the country which provides 

 the expenses of an investigation should 

 have the first opportunity of enjoying its 

 results, whether these be in the realm of 

 pure or of applied chemistry. Is it too 

 much to ask those American chemists who 

 are so happy as to combine unusual natural 

 ability with the most favorable opportuni- 

 ties for its cultivation, if they will not 

 make the results of their work more di- 

 rectly and easily available to those of us 

 who are less highly favored? Publication 

 in American journals, even when it in- 

 volves delay, will in no way diminish the 

 authors' fame and will undoubtedly prove 

 to be a great help and inspiration to their 

 younger and less well-known colleagues. 

 J. Bishop Tingle 



McMasteb Univeesitt, 

 Toronto, Canada, 

 March, 1908 



SCIENTIFIC JOURNALS AND ARTICLES 



Some montlis ago it was announced that the 

 publication of The Journal of Morphology 

 would be resumed under the auspices of the 

 Wistar Institute. The first number of Vol. 

 XLX. has just been issued. 



The rfeorganization of this journal suggested 

 the possible advantages which might accrue 

 from a centralization in one publication office 

 of a number of anatomical and biological 

 periodicals. There seemed to be no doubt that 

 more material could be published with the 

 same funds and that there might be other 

 advantages in publishing a number of journals 

 from one office. The economies are too evi- 

 dent to need enumeration. The most vital 

 point, however, and the one which seems to 



offer reasonable doubt is the question of rep- 

 resentative editorship. It is essential that our 

 best anatomical and biological periodicals con- 

 tinue as national organs edited by representa- 

 tive anatomists and biologists. The danger 

 of a central office of publication is that the 

 journals, thus centralized, may perhaps become 

 local organs of the institution producing them. 

 This danger must be carefully guarded against. 



The Wistar Institute, by means of its ad- 

 visory board, is making every effort to do 

 national work and for this reason the danger 

 referred to seemed so remote that four other 

 journals, namely. The Journal of Comparative 

 Neurology and Psychology, The American 

 Journal of Anatomy, The Anatomical Record 

 and The Journal of Experimental Zoology, 

 have been assigned to the Wistar Institute. 

 The institute has accepted these journals on 

 condition that the same editorial boards shall 

 continue responsible for the scientific material 

 published, and that these boards be made up 

 of representative men. The institute accepts 

 the responsibility as an opportunity to aid by 

 cooperation in the increase and improvement 

 of the various means for publishing contribu- 

 tions in the field of anatomy and biology, and 

 to relieve the various editors of some of the 

 more arduous duties connected with an edi- 

 torial office. 



Any financial support which the institute 

 may be called on to give will be at the expense 

 of its own research work, and it must be 

 understood that other institutions are not re- 

 leased from their responsibilities by the fact 

 that the Wistar Institute has assumed the 

 burden of publishing these journals in the 

 interests of economy and improvement. 



Fortunately, the financial burden is borne, 

 for the present, by private contributions, but 

 it is hoped that institutions and individuals 

 will, nevertheless, take active interest in 

 placing all these journals upon a self-support- 

 ing basis. 



Acting through its advisory board and 

 tlu'ough the various editorial boards of the 

 above mentioned journals, the Wistar Institute 

 will make every effort to establish high stand- 

 ards in the various departments of its publi- 



