SCIENCE. 



285 



SCIENCE: 



A Weekly Record of Scientific 

 Progress. 



JOHN MICHELS, Editor. 



Published at 



229 BROADWAY, NEW YORK. 



P. O. Box 38S8. 



SATURDAY, DECEMBER 11, 18 



NOTICE TO SUBSCRIBERS. 



We consider it due to those subscribers who have favored 

 us with their subscriptions, previous to the publication of 

 our club rates, that they should have the privileges of the 

 list. They can therefore send us subscriptions for any or 

 all of the publications named at the reduced double rates, 

 less $4, the subscription price of " Science." 



Since the publication of the club rates last week, we 

 have received rates from the proprietor of The American 

 "Journal of Science and Arts, the terms of which are $6 a 

 year. The club rate with Science will be $8.50 per annum. 



The Report of the United States Commissioner of 

 Education, for the year 1878, has just reached us, and 

 as but twenty days intervenes before 1881 will make 

 its debut, the first impression on opening the volume 

 is that it is already somewhat out of date. We be- 

 lieve that the cause of delay in printing this and other 

 reports is attributable to the slow action of Congress 

 in making the appropriations for printing, and we trust 

 that in future the Commissioner may have facilities for 

 publishing his report at an earlier date, as both its 

 value and interest are much diminished by its being 

 circulated two years after the facts recorded have 

 transpired. 



Thus, the first line of the report lamenting the ex- 

 istence of the financial depression, is read with impa- 

 tience in these booming times. We congratulate the 

 Commissioner on the fact that "the assault on the 

 bulwarks of society, by ignorant, unfortunate or un- 

 principled persons," has not been so destructive 

 as was anticipated. Society at least survives, notwith- 

 standing the action of those " who would modify our 

 present freedom of conscience, and of those who 

 would establish a distinction of classes with a view to 

 a permanent aristrocracy, or practice some form of 

 destructive communism." These gloomy political 

 forebodings, which hardly appear to come within the 

 range of Educational Statistics (in the absence of the 

 catastrophy indicated), may now be read without 



alarm, and we feel tempted to suggest the propriety 

 of publishing official prophetic utterances, while 

 anticipations may yet " lend enchantment to the view." 



The Commissioner of Education makes a strong 

 appeal to public opinion, that Congress may be in- 

 fluenced to place more adequate means at his dispos- 

 al to carry out the duties of his office. " Called upon 

 by thoughtful educators in anticipation of perils, from 

 which it was hoped he might afford relief or safety, and 

 in the midst of ignorance on the one hand and indiff- 

 erence or opposition on the other," he complains that 

 he is not furnished with either the quarters, the assis- 

 tants, or the money necessary to do the work required. 



To enable the Bureau of Education to perform its 

 national functions satisfactorily, without the co-opera- 

 tion of volunteer aid, which has in the past enabled it 

 to accumulate information, the Commissioner wishes 

 Congress to comply with six requests, which he makes 

 in the following order : First, a sufficent force of com- 

 petent and trained men and women ; Second, proper 

 quarters ; Third, a library having everything printed on 

 the subject of education ; Fourth, a collection of edu- 

 cational appliances, the character of which is described • 

 Fifth, appropriate means of receiving and collect- 

 ing information in regard to educational systems, in- 

 stitutions and methods ; Sixth, means to arrange all this 

 information, publish it, or communicate it to the edu- 

 cators of the country. 



We fear the Commissioner has somewhat weakened 

 his case by showing his ability to present so ample a 

 report with the means already at his command, but we 

 trust that any substantial aid that he really stands in 

 need of will not be withheld. The concessions he 

 calls for appear quite reasonable and essential to his 

 office, and his success in obtaining them will probably 

 be controlled by his ability to prove that such is the 

 case. 



This Journal, representing one of the highest 

 branches of education, naturally desires that a National 

 Bureau, for collecting educational statistics, should be 

 properly supported by the nation, so that no lack of 

 means at the command of the Commissioner should 

 justify an inadequate administration of the office. 



We have made a few selections from this report, 

 chiefly relating to scientific schools, and a few facts 

 that appear of special interest. These will be found 

 in another column. 



THE EPSOM MINERAL WATER OF MISSOURI. 

 By Prof. Ciias. E. Wait. 

 A shallow well recently sunk within three miles 

 of this place yields a mineral water which prom- 

 ises to be a valuable addition to the list of saline 

 purgatives. A sample of this water was taken 



