August 27, 1886.] 



SCIENCE, 



179 



whole, encouraging. The writers of popular 

 •essays were out in rather less force than usual. 

 We did not notice on the programme the title of 

 a single paper attacking the theoiy of gravitation. 

 Communications of doubtful value appeared in 

 about the usual proportion. Statements of care- 

 ful observations, and vrell-matured results ap- 

 peared in larger proportion than usual, yet, there 

 was no announcement of a brilliant discovery, or 

 of a research of extraordinary importance. All 

 that can certainly be noticed is a well-marked 

 tendency to improvement. Notwithstanding this 

 improvement, the question is still open whether 

 the association can reach the highest standard of 

 usefulness by aiming to be primarily a medium 

 for the communication and publication of scien- 

 tific papers. 



That the system in vogue at present is not satis- 

 factory in all points must be conceded by all. A 

 member visits the place of meeting in the morn- 

 ing, and receives a programme for the day, show- 

 ing what papers are to be read before each section. 

 He finds two or three that he wants to hear, and 

 two or three more that he would like to know 

 something about in order to decide whether he 

 does or does not want to hear them. But the 

 -only way to learn anything about one class or the 

 other is to wait patiently till they are called in 

 their turn. There are perhaps two or three papers 

 to precede any in which he is interested. He 

 waits for one, because the author has estimated 

 its length at only ten minutes. But the author 

 occupies twenty minutes with details so prolix and 

 tedious that his hearers are weary when he gets 

 through. Then the presiding offic-er calls for re- 

 marks. No one is ready to proffer any remark, 

 and the next paper is about to be called when 

 some one, out of pure charity, drops a remark. 

 Another replies, and very soon a desultory debate 

 is in progress having little relation to the subject 

 of the paper. Our hearer estimates that an hour 

 will be required to reach the paper he wants to 

 hear, and leaves the room. In order to be sure he 

 returns in half an hour, to find that the authors of 

 the intermediate papers were absent, and that, in 

 consequence, the paper he wanted to hear has al- 

 ready been read. He has thus spent an hour 

 without any profitable result whatever. 



The system which leads to such results calls 

 loudly for improvement. Specified hours should 

 be assigned for hearing and discussing speci- 

 fied paj)ers. Debate upon subjects of interest 

 suggested by any communication should be allowed 



for in advance. Less formality in the presenta- 

 tion of papers should be observed. There is no 

 necessity of entering into the long details with 

 which members so often weary their hearers, who 

 would be satisfied to hear the pith of a communi- 

 cation. It will also be well for members to con- 

 sider whether the conception of the association as 

 a body organized solely for the reception and pub- 

 lication of original researches might not well be 

 modified. Scientific societies meeting at short 

 intervals are now so numerous that a body which 

 assembles only once a year is at a great disadvan- 

 tage as a medium of publication. 



On the other hand, the social feature of the 

 meetings should be more clearly recognized. No 

 class of men are so much in need of contact with 

 their fellow-workers as those who are exploring 

 the fields of science, and in no other enlightened 

 country is this contact so difficult as in ours. As 

 matters now stand, we believe that the association 

 can do more good by bringing men together to 

 talk over the work of the year, and the prospects 

 of the future, than by remaining a medium for 

 receiving original communications. To do this 

 effectively requires a common understanding 

 among the older members, in virtue of which 

 more of them will be in attendance. This again 

 requires extensive, though not very radical changes 

 in the method of procedure adopted by the stand- 

 ing committee, the several sections, and the asso- 

 ciation at large. The system which we think 

 should be aimed at is one in which the exposition, 

 by leading members, of their work during the 

 year, whether published or unpublished, shall be a 

 prominent and well understood feature. In a 

 word, everything that can be done to make the 

 meetings attractive and profitable will add in an 

 increasing ratio to the success of the organization. 

 And the most urgent requirement is a plan by 

 which every member shall be able to hear what he 

 wants to without being required to listen to any- 

 thing he does not want to hear. Such a plan wiU 

 react upon the members by supplying an incentive 

 to the preparation of communications by those 

 members who might say something of special in- 

 terest to their fellows, but who are now deterred 

 from so doing by the absence of the proper 

 arrangements for being heard. 



Withal, there is the constant necessity of such 

 familiarity on the part of those who are to read 

 jjapers with what they have to say, and how they 

 intend to present it, that they may not bore their 

 audiences with trifling details. 



