Septembek 2, 1898.] 



SGIENGK. 



275 



you the kind of reception which you will 

 most prize, those tokens of sympathy, of 

 respect and of appreciation which spring 

 from knowledge ; for educated men know 

 that men of science are discovering those 

 truths which form the newest and truest 

 part of their education. Sometimes the 

 surroundings of a scientific man impress 

 upon him a sense of isolation. He is asked : 

 What good are such things ? when he has 

 discovered a new formula or a new exhibi- 

 tion of energy or a new substance, or has 

 dissected the nervous system of a worm. 

 He has no leisure to answer such questions, 

 but he works on contented if he is not dis- 

 turbed, and expects little applause unless 

 he turns out a salable product. Let him, 

 however, come in contact with those whom 

 modern methods have trained to some 

 knowledge of science, and he immediately 

 finds ready support and sympathy and some 

 share of the enthusiasm which he feels him- 

 self. 



It is now as much a part of a good educa- 

 tion to know something of scientific facts 

 as it is to know the causes which led to the 

 fall of the Eoman Empire. I do not mean 

 that we make scientific men of the great 

 body of our students any more than the 

 study of history transforms scholars to 

 statesmen. When freshmen enter our 

 laboratories we have small hope that they 

 will make original discoveries, but we are 

 well content if, while fitting themselves for 

 some practical occupations, they learn the 

 great lesson that new truths can only be 

 found out by observation and experiment, 

 and if they learn habits of honesty of 

 thought by dealings with nature, which 

 never lies. These men form the great pub- 

 lic who have come forward so willingly and 

 so generously to lend a helping hand to 

 science. Perhaps in their college life their 

 unskilful experiments have taught them to 

 admire the skill which has made yours suc- 

 cessful, their attempts at observation have 



given them some idea of the acuteness of 

 powers which can be acquired by long years 

 of faithful training. 



Those who have pleasure in scientific 

 occupations are ready sympathizers, and 

 know something of the joy which a dis- 

 covery brings with it even if there is no 

 money in it. As to those among us— and 

 there are many who have devoted their 

 lives to scientific work — I have no need to 

 assure you of their hearty welcome, of their 

 desire to meet you in this congress, and to 

 listen to the news of your latest achieve- 

 ments and perhaps to tell you some of 

 theirs. Your connection with our colleges 

 is very direct, for many of the members of 

 this Association have taken a leading part 

 in this work of education, and in this neigh- 

 borhood we have been fortunate in our 

 teachers. Scholars who have walked the 

 fields with Gray and Agassiz, who have 

 learnt their mathematics from Peirce, their 

 anatomy from Wyman, or their chemistry 

 fi-om your retiring president, might look 

 the world over without finding leaders 

 better fitted to guide them to the innermost 

 chambers of scientific knowledge. In this 

 place it is most fitting to mention the chair- 

 man of the first meeting of this Association, 

 William E. Kogers, who was a born educa- 

 tor. He loved science for its own sake, 

 and he had a patriotic desire to see his 

 country call upon science to aid in its ma- 

 terial progress. His efforts began so far 

 back as 1828, when he thought it useful to 

 lecture to the American people in Baltimore 

 upon the advantages which he hoped would 

 be derived from building railroads in this 

 country. He demonstrated the known 

 principles of railroad building, and showed 

 that traction upon smooth iron rails was 

 possible. Afterwards, when he came to 

 Boston, his thoughts were full of a project 

 for interesting the community in providing 

 means for the education of men to direct 

 our growing industries. This Institute was 



