566 



SCIENCE 



[N. S. Vol. XL. No. 1033 



the effect that it might be advantageous for 

 colleges and universities to demand that a 

 certain number of admission units, say ten or 

 twelve, be confined to a small number of sub- 

 jects, say three or four, and that only a defi- 

 nite minimum be made up of isolated sub- 

 jects. After much discussion, it was voted 

 without dissent that these questions be re- 

 ferred to the constituent bodies for considera- 

 tion and advice; and for that purpose the fol- 

 lowing circular letter was later prepared by 

 Dean Keppel and Secretary Furst for sub- 

 mission to the members of the organizations 

 whose delegates constitute the National Con- 

 ference Committee on Standards of Colleges 

 and Secondary Schools: 



In spite of the marked progress toward uniform- 

 ity in college entrance credits, this committee is in- 

 formed of certain recurring difficulties in admin- 

 istration. It appears, for example, from our gen- 

 eral inquiry concerning the subject, that elemen- 

 tary algebra is usually given more time than is 

 represented by the unit and a half of credit given 

 to this subject, and that certain branches of his- 

 tory are usually given less time than is represented 

 by the unit of credit that they receive. There is, 

 on the other hand, a tendency toward a strictly me- 

 chanical interpretation of the unit, even to the 

 point of counting minutes, which emphasizes the 

 letter rather than the spirit of a system of merely 

 approximate measures. 



The committee realizes the importance of recom- 

 mending as few changes in the regulations as pos- 

 sible, but it believes that it will be of service if the 

 organizations that it represents will consider and 

 report to the committee their official judgment or 

 the attitude of their members toward the following 

 suggestions : 



A. That the unit credits assigned to the subjects 

 of elementary algebra and history be modified so 

 as to represent more nearly the amount of time 

 given to these subjects. 



B. That in certain subjects — ^as for example, 

 history- — the amount of credit to be assigned should 

 not be uniform in all cases but should vary with 

 the time and attention given. 



C. That some distinction be made between the 

 amount of credit that is given to subjects taken in 

 the early years of the high school and those taken 

 in the later years. 



U. That there be adopted some uniform plan of 

 limiting the number of subjects in which credit 



may be gained in order that continuity of work 

 may be secured in at least two subjects. 



The committee having received many re- 

 quests for a uniform blank for the submission 

 to the college of a statement of the school 

 record, and it being understood that com- 

 mittees of the Association of Colleges and 

 Preparatory Schools and of the College and 

 University Presidents Association of Penn- 

 sylvania are already engaged in the prepara- 

 tion of such a paper, it was voted that the 

 subcommittee seek information on this sub- 

 ject, consult with other committees, and re- 

 port to the committee at its next meeting. 



Commissioner Claxton asked that the Na- 

 tional Conference Committee undertake the 

 task of defining many terms which have come 

 into use in modern education, school admin- 

 istration, etc., and have not had certain and 

 clear meanings assigned to them. It was 

 agreed that the committee should undertake 

 this work with the expectation that some part 

 of it, at least, could be successfully accom- 

 plished. It was accordingly voted that the 

 subcommittee be instructed to take this sub- 

 ject under consideration with a view to the 

 extension of the field of the committee to the 

 desired determination of definitions and that 

 a report be made at the next meeting. 



Officers for the ensuing year were elected 

 as follows: 



President, Headmaster Wilson Farrand. 



Vice-president, Chancellor James H. Kirkland. 



Secretary-treasurer, Dean Frederick C. Ferry. 



The choice of the subcommittee was left to 

 the president with the provision that he serve 

 as its chairman. The other members, as ap- 

 pointed by him, are Chancellor Kirkland, 

 Dean Ferry and Dean Keppel. 



Frederick C. Ferry, 

 Secretary 



SPECIAL ARTICLES 



THE " MULTIPLE UNIT " SYSTEM AS A SOURCE OF 



ELECTRICITY FOR LABORATORIES '■ 



The problem of furnishing electricity, 

 adapted to physiologic and pharmacologic ex- 



1 From the pharmacology laboratory of the 

 Northwestern University Medical School. 



