PRESIDENTIAL ADDRESS. 



17 



so technical that no newspaper editor cares to publish 

 them. We should remember Gilbert's lines: — 



" He who'd make his fellow creatures wise 

 Must learn to gild the philosophic pill." 



I believe it would be distinctly advantageous to our 

 Society if we were to employ a journalist to write up short 

 pithy pleasing articles upon some of the papers submitted 

 at the monthly meetings. Although we exist for the publi- 

 cation of scientific papers, there is no reason why we should 

 not endeavour to pass on our advances in science to the 

 general public. 



Some years ago, while acting as temporary secretary to 

 a scientific society, I sent short popular abstracts to the 

 newspapers. They were published, and I hope they were 

 useful; at any rate they served to keep the name and the 

 work of the Society at which the papers were read before 

 the public notice. 



Most weekly journals publish a science column, but I do 

 not believe that this is effective enough. I should like to 

 see a short scientific article, so attractively written, that 

 when placed in the daily papers beside the report of a foot- 

 ball match or of a prize fight, the public would read it first. 

 Indeed I am so impressed with the importance of the matter, 

 that I would welcome the scientific articles being written 

 in the American style, or in any other style that would get 

 at the public. The heading should attract the eye, the 

 opening paragraph should convey the idea that something 

 wonderful is about to follow, then should come the gist of 

 the information expressed in non-technical language, and 

 at the end the name of the Society should be introduced. 

 We generally give the name of the Society first, and as a 

 consequence the public is frightened and loses some valu- 

 able information. 



B— May 3, 1916 



