536 



SCIENCE. 



[Vol. VI., No. 150. 



the presence or absence of carbon dioxide has no 

 direct connection with the phenomena in question. 

 The well-established fact that by far the greater 

 part of the oxidations of the animal body occur 

 outside the blood-vessels and within the living cells 

 and fibres of the tissues, is apparently quite un- 

 known to our author. One hardly knows how to 

 characterize the treatise : if written for the laity, it 

 is charlatanry ; if for pathologists and physicians, 

 an impertinence. 



WASHINGTON LETTER. 



The past fortnight has been a period of con- 

 siderable activity, not to say anxiety, in the na- 

 tional capital. The pursuit of science withdraws 

 men to a great degree from ' the madding crowd's 

 ignoble strife,' and it is supposed to go on undis- 

 turbed and uninterrupted by affairs political or 

 social. But the science of Washington is, in one 

 way or another, almost entirely government sci- 

 ence ; and for its support, extension, contraction, 

 indeed for its very existence, it must depend on 

 the favor with which it is looked upon by a some- 

 what vacillating and fickle body of statesmen. 

 The organization of a new congress is always a 

 matter of much interest ; but just now this is 

 greatly enhanced by the consideration that the 

 new body is to receive the first message from the 

 head of a new administration, from which com- 

 munication the attitude to be assumed by the 

 ruling party towards science may possibly be in- 

 ferred. This document has been before the public 

 for several days, and comment is unnecessary ; but 

 it is not too mucli to say, that, in its references to 

 the scientific wOrk of the government, the general 

 impression seems to be that it is not unsatisfactory 

 on the whole, although in certain particulars it is 

 not in agreement with the prevailing sentiment 

 among scientific men. 



The reports of cabinet officers are also looked for 

 with interest, as they almost invariably contain 

 recommendations, which, if carried out, affect the 

 science of the government favorably or unfavor- 

 ably. The reports just issued are, in the main, 

 favorable to a liberal support of the scientific 

 bureaus, and in one or two instances indications 

 are shown of a disposition to correct certain evils 

 which have long been recognized. 



Under these circumstances, it is not surprising 

 that scientific men should themselves be tempted 

 to bestow more or less thought and attention upon 

 the somewhat uncertain relation wliich they and 

 their work bear to the government. The retiring 

 president of the philosophical society. Prof. Asaph 

 Hall, only incidentally yielded to this temptation 

 in his address, delivered before the members of 



the society and invited guests, on the evening of 

 Dec. 5. Professor Hall's topic was the scientific 

 societies of America, and his treatment of it gave 

 great satisfaction to his hearers. He spoke of the 

 organization and history of some of the older and 

 more important societies of the country, beginning, 

 of course, with the American philosophical society, 

 with Ben Franklin for its first president. The Na- 

 tional academy came in for a good share of the 

 discussion, and in this connection the general 

 question of the relation of the academy to the 

 government was considered, as well as that of the 

 position of the 'government scientist.' He paid 

 the society over which he has so satisfactorily 

 presided the deserved compliment of declaring 

 it to be first in importance among the local societies 

 of America. 



Only a few days later, the chemical society, a 

 young and vigorous organization, listened to the 

 address of its retiring president. Prof. F. "W. 

 Clarke. It was an able and entertaining resume 

 of the growth of chemistry in Washington during 

 the past twelve or fifteen years, and it concluded 

 with a plea for the establishment of a national 

 laboratory, which, in its dimensions and equip- 

 ment, should be commensurate with the impor- 

 tance and dignity of the science. Arguments to 

 show the economy in and the necessity for such 

 an establishment were not lacking, either in num- 

 ber or force. Examples of duplication or useless 

 repetition of work, multiplication of instruments 

 and facilities with no increase in efficiency, and 

 frittering away time and energy on work properly 

 belonging elsewhere, were given with a convin- 

 cing emphasis, which made it a little difficult, at 

 the close of the address, to believe that there were 

 two sides to the question. 



With the assembling of congress, the commit- 

 tee appointed by that body to report upon the 

 advisability of a union of the scientific bureaus of 

 the government has taken up its work again. 

 Two or three meetings have been held, at which 

 one or more officers of the signal corps have been 

 examined. Most of the evidence obtained by this 

 committee prior to the current session has been 

 widely published, and read by many with much 

 interest. It may be inferred, from the prompt- 

 ness with which the committee has begun the 

 collection of testimony at the opening of the 

 session, that it is desirous of making its report at 

 an early day : indeed, it is generally thought that 

 not much more wiU be done in the way of exami- 

 nation of witnesses. 



The signal service, which has received much 

 attention during the past year at the hands of this 

 committee, as well as from the general public, is 

 preparing for the introduction of one or two im- 



