January 22, 1897.] 



SCIENCE. 



129 



ward the attainment of clearly specified 

 ends. To some extent this work has already 

 been done for astronomy, and more than 

 one observatory could exemplify what I 

 mean. In a fully manned and equipped 

 observatory great investigations, too large 

 for one astronomer to handle alone, can be 

 carried out systematically ; and this is ac- 

 tually done. In mapping the heavens, 

 €ven, several observatories can combine 

 their forces, each one covering a definite 

 part of the field ; but in chemistry no policy 

 of this kind has yet been possible. The ex- 

 tension of the observatory method to other 

 departments of science is the advance for 

 which I plead. 



Suppose now we had a great laboratory, 

 fitted up for chemical and physical work 

 "together, well endowed and well manned. 

 "What might we not expect from it ? Great 

 problems could be taken up in the most 

 thorough and orderly fashion, methods of 

 work might be standardized and groups of 

 physical constants determined ; the results 

 would aid and stimulate individual stu- 

 dents everywhere, and applied science, too, 

 would receive its share of the benefit. There 

 is to-day a growing commercial demand for 

 accurately determined constants, and no 

 institution in which the demand may be 

 adequately supplied. At Charlottenburg, in 

 Germany, there is a beginning ; in London 

 the munificence of Ludwig Mond has made 

 possible a similar start ; but nowhere is 

 such a plan as I propose in full and perfect 

 operation. The United States has great 

 observatories, fine museums of natural his- 

 tory and flourishiag universities ; why 

 should it not have institutions for physics 

 and chemistry also ? These sciences touch 

 many industries at many points ; their ap- 

 plications have created wealth beyond all 

 possibility of computation ; now let that 

 wealth do something for them in return. 

 Half the sum that the Nation spends in 

 building one battleship would erect, equip 



and endow a laboratory more complete than 

 any now existing, whose influence would be 

 felt throughout all civilized lands and en- 

 dure as long as humanity. In this the 

 United States might take the lead and set 

 a great example to all other nations. The 

 United States has long been a follower in 

 science ; may she soon take a higher place 

 as teacher. 



F. W. Clarke. 

 U. S. Geological Survey. 



THE AMERICAN PHYSIOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 

 The ninth annual meeting of the Ameri- 

 can Physiological Society was held in Bos- 

 ton and Cambridge on December 29 and 

 30, 1S96. The sessions of the first day 

 were held at the Harvard Medical School, 

 those of the second day at the University 

 Museum, Cambridge. The following com- 

 munications were presented and discussed : 



Studies in the ■ physiology of the mammalian 



heart. W. T. Poeter. 



Cannulas were placed in the aorta and 

 the innominate and pulmonary arteries of 

 the cat. A thermometer was inserted in 

 the right auricle through the superior vena 

 cava. All other heart vessels were ligated, 

 except the coronary arteries. Warm defi- 

 brinated cat's blood flowed into the aorta 

 under pressure, passed through the coronary 

 vessels and escaped, in drops as a rule, from 

 the pulmonarj' cannula. A mercury manom- 

 eter connecting with the innominate artery 

 recorded the pressure at the mouths of the 

 the coronary arteries. A Hiirthle mem- 

 brane manometer, coupled with a tube that 

 was passed into the left ventricle through 

 the left auricular appendix, registered the 

 force and frequency of ventricular contrac- 

 tion. Variations in the temperature of the 

 blood and the volume of the escaping drops 

 were too slight to afi'ect the correctness of 

 the conclusions. 



Intraventricular pressure curves were 

 presented to demonstrate the following 



