uio;).] 



SCIENCE. 



807 



pulilic iK'ulth in its muuicipal, national aud 

 iuteruatioual relations. 



Nine numbers of the volume have been 

 issued, and the volume will be eomplete 

 with the January number, when the 'an- 

 nual index' will be compiled. The index is 

 a very elaborate piece of work, and will 

 eompi-ise 200 pages in double or triple 

 columns. The work is of great value to 

 all the medical profession, especially to 

 professors in medical schools and colleges, 

 ofJicers of health and workers in scientific 

 laboratories. 



The subscribers to the 'Index iledicus' 

 are chietiy residents of the United States, 

 but the list includes subscribers in Eng- 

 land. Ireland, Scotland. Canada, Australia, 

 France, Germany. Spain, Portugal, Rou- 

 mania, Sweden, Switzerland and ^lanila. 

 There are now 4;'55 subscribers. 



IIkrbkrt Putnam, Librarian of Congress, 

 Washington, D. C. For prepariinj and 

 publishiny a 'Handbook of Lianiid So- 

 cit'tics.' $.").000. 



In order tliat the scientific investigators 

 of this country, and especially those con- 

 nected with the Carnegie Institution, might 

 have an accurate knowledge of the agencies 

 which now exist for the promotion of sci- 

 entific incpiiry in every part of the world, 

 the advisory committee on bibliography 

 rcconujiended that a descriptive catalogue 

 he prepared of all the learned societies of 

 the world. 



At the present time such information, 

 and particularly regarding the publications 

 of learned societies, i.s incomplete and un- 

 organized, being scattered through a large 

 and miscellaneous collection of volumes, 

 many of which are inaccessible and not well 

 known. A careful and comprehensive list 

 would l)e of great value to all the librarians 

 of the country who aim at the preservation 

 of the transactions of learned bodies. It 

 would also furnish a basis for exchanses. 

 The funds for research work held bv these 



various institutions have s|)oeial signifi- 

 cance with reference to the activities of 

 the Carnegie Institution. The plan of the 

 handbook included information a.s to these 

 eleven points: (1) Name or names of the 

 society or institution, imlicating any 

 change which may have occurred, with 

 cross references; (2) objects of the society; 

 (3) brief historical note; (4) endowments, 

 research funds, prizes, etc; (5) officers of 

 the .society; (6) membership, nmnbei-s, con- 

 ditions and manner of election, dues, etc. ; 

 (7) meetings— their character, frequency, 

 time and place; (8) comnninications— 

 regulations for presentation and publica- 

 tion of papers; (9) list of ol!icei-s, with ad- 

 dress of corresponding secretary; (10) 

 complete and detailed bibliography of all 

 regular or special publications since the 

 foundation of the society, editions (how 

 large?) to satisfy all the above mentioned 

 reciuiremcnts: (11) publications— condi- 

 tions aud jnethods of distribution; prices. 



Accoi-iling to the plan of work approved, 

 the handlxMik is to be in volumes; societies 

 to he classified by sub.ieets. with local ar- 

 rangement, and each cla.ss to constitute a 

 separate part. The following order of pro- 

 cedure has been adopted: (a) To prepare 

 a list of societies from the exchange lists 

 at the Smithsonian Institution and else- 

 where in Washington, and a card catalogue 

 to keep orderly record of communications; 

 (/)) to issue a suitable circular to these so- 

 cieties, I'equesting the desired information ; 

 (r) to prepare for publication the material 

 received, filling out lacuna- by further 

 correspondence and reference to various 

 sources of information; (d) in the case of 

 societies not replying to circular or letter. 

 and in regard to which sufficient informa- 

 tion can not be obtained from printed 

 sources, to adopt such other methods as the 

 progress of the work may suggest. 



The first stage of this work was the pre- 

 pariiitr of a card catalotrue of names of 



