66 ANALES DE LA SOCIEDAD CIENTÍFICA ARGENTINA 



ble are given the absolute number of works for tlie several countrieí^ 

 mentioned for the years 1913 to 1916, biit dates for 1916 were only 

 accessible in tbe case of otber countries, especially France, certain 

 figures are wanting. Tlie table, bowever, indicates, tbe quantity and 

 cbaracter of tbe mental prodncts of some of tbe nations at war, and 

 shows the efifects of tbe war. Tbe surprising regnlarity of tbe figure» 

 adds to tbeir weigbt. In tbe second part of the table tbe percentages 

 of the different branches as related to each otber have been worked 

 out. Tbe various sources upon which tbe table is based are given at 

 tbe bottom of the table, Mucb of the original matter was variously 

 classified, and in order to present it as a wbole, it was necessary to 

 inake a new and more general classification. Tbis required, of course, 

 many new combinations of figures, which will not be found in tbe 

 original sources, except where tbere was an agreeraent in classifica- 

 tion between tbe countries, which was only tbe case in pbilosophy,. 

 religión, military science and medicine. 



Corning now to a more careful examination of tbe table, it will be 

 seen from the percentages of increase and decrease (see middle of ta- 

 ble) of tbe production of books for tbe years 1914 and 1915 in the 

 different countries that France has been most affected, her decrease 

 being 20,8 per cent for 1914 and 54.2 i^er cent for 1915, that is, more 

 than half of her pnblication of books was stopped by tbe war in 1915. 

 Hungary suffered 31.5 per cent decrease in 1915 ; Germany 16.4 and 

 19.6 per cent decrease in 1914 and 1915, respectively, Grreat Britam 

 6.8 (1914), 7.5 (1915) and 14.2 (1916) per cent. Italy seem to have been 

 affected very little, in fact in 1914, tbere was a gain of 3.7 per cent in 

 number of publications. Perbaps one of themain reasons for France and 

 Hungary suffering most was thatthe war was wagedupon tbeir territory. 



Having now a general idea as to the quantity of mental productof 

 each nation as affected by the war, it will be interesting to find the 

 comparative effect upon tbe different branches of knowledge, as re- 

 presented by tbeir literature publisbed in each country. 



Examining tbe table 11 where the percentages (based upon tbe 

 above numbers iu tbe table 10) are given, we find that in Great Bri- 

 tain, where tbe statistics are fullest, that tbere are relative incre- 

 ases in pbilosophy, religión and military science, carrying out the 

 idea of tbe meeting of extremes. In all otber subjects tbere has been 

 a relative decrease in literary production. Onthe otber hand, in 191 G 

 there is a distinct increase of one per cent in art, fiction, drama and 

 rausic from 1914 to 1916. 



