SCIENCE 



A WEEKLY JOURNAL DEVOTED TO THE ADVANCEMENT OF SCIENCE, PUBLISHING THE 



OFFICIAL NOTICES AND PROCEEDINGS OF THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION 



FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF SCIENCE. 



Friday, December 16, 1904. 

 contents: 



Some Problems in the Life History of Patho- 

 genic Microorganisms: Pkofessoe Theo- 

 bald Smith 817 



Scientific Books: — 



Poincare's Science and Hypothesis: Pro- 

 fessor J. W. A. Young. Button's ' Earth- 

 quakes ' : 6. K. GiLBEET 833 



Scientific Journals and Articles 838 



Societies and Academies: — 



The Convocation Week Meetings of Scien- 

 tific Societies. The Biological Society of 

 Washington: Wilfred H. Osgood. New 

 York Section of the American Chemical 

 Society : F. H. Pough ??8 



Discussion and Correspondence: — 



Convocation Week: Professor H. L. Fair- 

 child. ' The Problems of Experimental 

 Psychology': Professor E. B. Titchener. 842 



Special Articles: — 



A Suggestion looking towards Ultra- 

 Microscopy : Professor Cleveland Abbe. 

 Extinct Pedioulate and Other Fishes: Dr. 

 Theo. Gill. The Re-Disoovery of Dinomys : 

 F. A. Lucas 844 ' 



Current Notes on Meteorology : — 



Monthly Weather Review; Changes in 

 Blood at High Altitudes; An Instrument 

 for Determining Wind at Sea; General Cir- 

 culation of the Atmosphere; Kite-flying at 

 Sea; Meteorological Institute of Saxony: 

 Professor R. DeC. Ward 847 



Botanical Notes: — 



Studies in Plant Fecundation; Technical 

 Mycology ; Parthenogenesis in Plants; The 

 Western Sand Cherry: Professor Charles 

 E. Bessey 848 



College-Entrance Option in Zoology 850 



The John Bell Scott Memorial of Wesleyan 

 University 853 



The German Meteorological and Magnetic 

 Observatory in the Samoan Islands 853 



A Monument to J. W. Powell 854 



Scientific Notes mid News 854 



University and Educational News 856 



MSS. mteudedfor publicatiou aud books, etc., intended 

 for review Bliould be sent to tlie Editor of Science, Garri- 

 9on-on-Hudson, N. Y. 



SOME PROBLEMS IN THE LIFE HISTORY OF 

 PATHOGENIC MICROORGANISMS.* 



Our knowledge of the profound influ- 

 ence which the microscopic organisms, 

 known as the bacteria, exercise in the life 

 of the globe, may be considered an acqui- 

 sition of the last quarter century. The 

 surmises and hypotheses of the half cen- 

 tury preceding were then made over into 

 well-attested facts. 



The activities of microorganisms mani- 

 fest themselves in many different ways. 

 The functions carried on by the bacteria 

 of the soil are known to be of fundamental 

 importance to higher plant life. The work 

 of the bacteria producing fermentation, 

 putrefaction and decay is of similar im- 

 portance in preparing the way for the soil 

 bacteria and ministering to the wants of 

 higher organisms. Out of this latter, class 

 there has arisen a group which has given 

 these microorganisms all the notoriety they 

 possess. It is a small group, but for- 

 midable in that it is in partial opposition 

 to the higher forms of vegetable and ani- 

 mal life. It is these parasitic forms to 

 which I shall devote my address, as it is 

 they which have preoccupied my attention 

 for some years. In thus passing over large 

 groups of bacteria I simply register my 

 inability to properly present their claims, 

 and I trust that others here present will 

 fully supplement my paper by dealing 

 with them in deserving fashion. 



While bacteriology, strictly speaking, 



* Address, Section Bacteriology, International 

 Congress of Arts and Science, St. Louis, Mo., 

 September 24, 1904. 



