312 



SCIENCE. 



[Vol. IV., No. 86. 



protest against the custom in Belgium of using 

 so many French text-books. He carefully 

 avoids all except real Dutch words : so we 

 have borstpijp (' thoracic duct ') , tuschenwerve- 

 lig ('intervertebral'), etc., all of which are 

 gathered into an alphabetical list at the end of 

 the volume, where their French equivalents are 

 also given. 



The book is devoted almost exclusively to 

 the anatomy and physiology of man as illus- 

 trating the general principles of animal life. 

 The author's presentation of the rudiments of 

 his science is excellent ; but his illustrations, 

 white lines on a black ground, are neither very 

 clear nor alwaj's accurate. 



ASSOCIATION OF OFFICIAL AGRICUL- 

 TURAL CHEMISTS OF THE UNITED 

 STATES. 



At a meeting held in Philadelphia, Sept. 8. to con- 

 sider the formation of a sub-section of agricultural 

 chemistry of the American association, it was deemed 

 inadvisable to apply to the standing committee ; but a 

 committee was selected to report a plan for the forma- 

 tion of an association of chemists who are engaged in 

 the analysis of commercial fertilizers. 



The committee's report, which was adopted, recom- 

 mended that the Association of official chemists of 

 the United States should be organized. To member- 

 ship in this society, chemists of departments of agri- 

 culture, state agricultural societies, and boards of 

 official control, are eligible; and each of these organi- 

 zations is entitled to one vote, through its properly 

 accredited* representative, in all matters upon which 

 the society may ballot. All chemists are invited to 

 attend the meetings, and take part in the discussions, 

 without the right to vote. Tbe affairs of the asso- 

 ciation are managed by an executive committee of 

 five, including a president, vice-president, and secre- 

 tary (who acts as treasurer). There are also three 

 standing committees, on the determination of phos- 

 phoric acid, nitrogen, and potash. They will dis- 

 tribute samples for comparative work, and report the 

 results at the annual meeting, which takes place on 

 the first Tuesday in September of each year, or at 

 any special meetings which may be called. 



After the acceptance of the constitution, the fol- 

 lowing officers were elected : President, Prof. S. W. 

 Johnson of Connecticut; vice-president, Prof. H. C. 

 White of Georgia; secretary and treasurer, Dr. C. W. 

 Dabney, jun., of North Carolina; members of the 

 executive committee, Dr. E. H. Jenkins of Connecti- 

 cut, Dr. H. W. Wiley of Washington. The presiding 

 officer then appointed the following members of the 

 standing committees: On phosphoric acid, Dr. E.H. . 

 Jenkins of Connecticut, Dr. H. C. White of Georgia, 

 Dr. W. C. Stubbs of Alabama ; on nitrogen, Mr. P. E. 

 Cbazal of South Carolina, Dr. A. T. Neale of New 

 Jersey, Prof. J. A. Myers of Mississippi ; on potash, 

 Dr. H. W. Wiley of Washington, Mr. J. W. Gascoyne 



of Virginia, Mr. Clifford Eichardson of Washing- 

 ton. 



It was voted to adopt provisionally the Atlanta 

 method for the determination of the various forms of 

 phosphoric acid, involving the use of the usual neutral 

 citrate solution at a temperature of 65° C. for a half- 

 hour. The recommendations of Dr. Jenkins in re- 

 gard to potash estimation were accepted; and Mr. 

 P. E. Chazal of Columbia, S.C., was directed to have 

 the proceedings and methods of the association 

 printed for distribution among those who are in- 

 terested in the subject. 



THE AMERICAN HISTORICAL ASSOCIA- 

 TION. 



In response to a call issued by Gen. Eaton and 

 F. B. Sanborn of the Social science association, and 

 by Professors Adams of Ann Arbor, Tyler of Cornell, 

 and Dr. H. B. Adams of Baltimore, about twenty 

 writers, students, and teachers of history in this 

 country met at the United States hotel, Saratoga, on 

 the morning of Sept. 9, and decided to form an in- 

 dependent organization for the advancement of the 

 scientific study of history on this continent. Among 

 others present at this and later sessions, were Presi- 

 dent White of Cornell; Charles Deane, LL.D., of 

 Cambridge; Justin Winsor, librarian of Harvard 

 university; General Walker of the Massachusetts 

 institute ofc technology; William B. Weeden of 

 Providence; Clarence W. Bowen of the New- York 

 Independent ; Professors C. K. Adams of Ann Arbor, 

 Tyler, Crane, and Tuttle of Cornell, Austin Scott of 

 Rutgers, Emerton of Harvard; Associate-professor 

 H. B. Adams of Johns Hopkins; Dr. Channing and 

 Dr. Francke of Harvard. Justin Winsor was elected 

 temporary president, with Dr. II. B. Adams secretary. 



In the afternoon President White of Cornell de- 

 livered the opening address in Putnam hall. He 

 advocated a broader treatment of historical topics 

 than is at present followed. Not that he undervalued 

 the work of the specialist; but he thought that a 

 view of the historical work now going on in the 

 w r orld showed the necessity of connecting critical 

 analysis, on the one hand, with a synthesis of results 

 on the other. Instruction in history, which is grow- 

 ing of more importance every day, should include 

 both methods. He severely criticised Herbert Spen- 

 cer's theory of historical study as confounding a 

 mere search for statistics with the real study of the 

 forces of civilization. 



Professor C. K. Adams read a long paper, written 

 by one of his pupils, in which the notions of several 

 western states with regard to the lands which the 

 nation had given them for purposes of collegiate 

 education were most justly denounced. 



Wednesday morning another session was held, at 

 which a constitution was adopted, and permanent 

 officers elected: Andrew D. White, president; Justin 

 Winsor and C. K. Adams, vice-presidents; H. B. 

 Adams, secretary; and C. W. Bowen, treasurer. The 

 affairs of the association were confided to the care of 

 an executive council consisting of the above ex officio, 



