﻿THE 
  

  

  AMERICAN 
  JOURNAL 
  OF 
  SCIENCE 
  

  

  [FOURTH 
  SERIES. 
  ] 
  

  

  Art. 
  XLY. 
  — 
  The 
  Highest 
  Aim 
  of 
  the 
  Physicist; 
  by 
  Henry 
  

   A. 
  Rowland. 
  

  

  [address 
  delivered 
  to 
  the 
  physical 
  society 
  of 
  AMERICA 
  BY 
  THE 
  PRESIDENT 
  

   AT 
  ITS 
  MEETING 
  IX 
  NEW 
  YORK, 
  OCTOBER 
  28, 
  1899.] 
  

  

  Gentlemen 
  and 
  Fellow 
  Physicists 
  of 
  America 
  — 
  We 
  

   meet 
  to-day 
  on 
  an 
  occasion 
  which 
  marks 
  an 
  epoch 
  in 
  the 
  liis- 
  

   tory 
  of 
  physics 
  in 
  America; 
  may 
  the 
  future 
  show 
  that 
  it 
  also 
  

   marks 
  an 
  epoch 
  in 
  the 
  history 
  of 
  the 
  science 
  which 
  this 
  society 
  

   is 
  organized 
  to 
  cultivate 
  ! 
  For 
  we 
  meet 
  here 
  in 
  the 
  interest 
  of 
  

   a 
  science 
  above 
  all 
  sciences 
  which 
  deals 
  with 
  the 
  foundation 
  of 
  

   the 
  Universe, 
  with 
  the 
  constitution 
  of 
  matter 
  from 
  which 
  

   everything 
  in 
  the 
  Universe 
  is 
  made 
  and 
  with 
  the 
  ether 
  of 
  

   space 
  by 
  which 
  alone 
  the 
  various 
  portions 
  of 
  matter 
  forming 
  

   the 
  Universe 
  affect 
  each 
  other 
  even 
  at 
  such 
  distances 
  as 
  we 
  may 
  

   never 
  expect 
  to 
  traverse 
  whatever 
  the 
  progress 
  of 
  our 
  science 
  

   in 
  the 
  future. 
  

  

  We, 
  who 
  have 
  devoted 
  our 
  lives 
  to 
  the 
  solution 
  of 
  problems 
  

   connected 
  with 
  physics, 
  now 
  meet 
  together 
  to 
  help 
  each 
  other 
  

   and 
  to 
  forward 
  the 
  interests 
  of 
  the 
  subject 
  which 
  we 
  love. 
  A 
  

   subject 
  which 
  appeals 
  most 
  strongly 
  to 
  the 
  better 
  instincts 
  of 
  

   our 
  nature 
  and 
  the 
  problems 
  of 
  which 
  tax 
  our 
  minds 
  to 
  the 
  

   limit 
  of 
  their 
  capacity 
  and 
  suggest 
  the 
  grandest 
  and 
  noblest 
  

   ideas 
  of 
  which 
  they 
  are 
  capable. 
  

  

  In 
  a 
  country 
  where 
  the 
  doctrine 
  of 
  the 
  equal 
  rights 
  of 
  man 
  

   has 
  been 
  distorted 
  to 
  mean 
  the 
  equality 
  of 
  man 
  in 
  other 
  

   respects, 
  we 
  form 
  a 
  small 
  and 
  unique 
  body 
  of 
  men, 
  a 
  new 
  

   variety 
  of 
  the 
  human 
  race 
  as 
  one 
  of 
  our 
  greatest 
  scientists 
  calls 
  

   it, 
  w^hose 
  views 
  of 
  what 
  constitutes 
  the 
  greatest 
  achievement 
  

   in 
  life 
  are 
  very 
  different 
  from 
  those 
  around 
  us. 
  In 
  this 
  respect 
  

   we 
  form 
  an 
  aristocracy, 
  not 
  of 
  wealth, 
  not 
  of 
  pedigree, 
  but 
  of 
  

  

  Am. 
  Jour. 
  Sci.— 
  Fourth 
  Series, 
  Yol 
  YHI, 
  No. 
  48. 
  — 
  December, 
  1899. 
  

   28 
  

  

  