SCIENCE 



Feidat, July 24, 1914 



CONTENTS 

 Modem Views on the Constitution of the 

 Atom: Peoeessoe A. S. Eve 115 



Statistics of Crops: Peofessoe G. F. Waeeen. 121 



Stanford University Medical School: Db. V. 

 C. Vauqhan 126 



Newton Horace Wi/nchell: De. John M. 

 Claeke 127 



Seientifio Notes and News 130 



University and Educational News 133 



Discussion and Correspondence : — 



Fossil Vertebrates of the Judith Biver and 

 Cow Island Beds: Chaeles H. Sternbeeg. 

 "Hydraulics" in the Encyelopcedia Britan- 

 nica: B. F. Geoat 134 



Scientific BooTcs: — 



Grabau's Principles of Stratigraphy: Peo- 

 fessoe Joseph Bareell. Letts' s Some 

 Fundamental Problems in Chemistry: Peo- 

 itessoe Wildee D. Banceoft 135 



Magnetic Observations during the Total 

 Eclipse: De. L. A. Bauee 140 



Special Articles: — 



Ammonifying Power of Soil-inhabiting 

 Fungi: Harry C. McLean, Gut West 

 Wilson 140 



The Iowa Academy of Science: James H. 

 Lees 142 



MSS. intended for publication and books, etc., intended for 

 review should be sent to Professor J. McKeen Cattell, Garrison- 

 on-Hudson, N. Y. 



MODESN VIEWS ON THE CONSTITUTION 

 OF THE ATOM 



At a meeting of the Eoyal Society of 

 Canada held at Montreal, May, 1914, the 

 writer gave by request a summary of re- 

 cent work and ideas on the nature of the 

 atom. The object was to concentrate, as 

 clearly as possible, but not exhaustively, 

 the results and opinions scattered through 

 many different publications. Few men 

 have time or opportunity to collect and 

 analyze for themselves the large output 

 bearing on this fascinating subject. 



1. It may be well to call attention to the 

 general bearing of the situation. Biologists 

 are divided into three camps, vitaHsts, 

 mechanists, and those who sit on the bound- 

 ary fence. The mechanists believe that all 

 phenomena relating to life are attributed 

 to the action of physical and chemical 

 processes only. The vitalists believe that 

 life involves something beyond and behind 

 these. Now those who investigate natural 

 philosophy, or physics, are endeavoring 

 with some fair initial success, to explain 

 all physical and chemical processes in terms 

 of positive electrons, negative electrons, 

 and of the effects produced by these in the 

 ether, or space devoid of matter. 



If both the mechanists are right, and also 

 the physicists, then such phenomena as 

 heredity and memory and intelligence, and 

 our ideas of morality and religion, and all 

 sorts of complicated affairs are explain- 

 able in terms of positive and negative elec- 

 trons and ether. AU of these speculations 

 are really outside the domain of science, 

 at least at present. 



2. It has been remarked by Poincare 

 that each fresh discovery ia physics adds 



