ee - 
690 
enlightenment and of high ambition. The 
tone, withal, of a good part of his report, is 
excellent. To follow in the footsteps of Pas- 
teur and Koch in the study of contagious 
diseases, to popularize the results of these in- 
vestigators, and to surpass their results when 
possible, are certainly aims worthy the aspi- 
ration of any man. But the sympathizing 
reader cannot avoid the thought, that, while 
anticipation must necessarily come before ful- 
filment, past history most distinctly teaches 
that high hopes of future deeds and glory are 
wholly out of place in the offices and labora- 
tories of the American agricultural depart- 
ment. The methods of Pasteur not only 
require intelligence, experience, scrupulosity, 
and the peculiar knack or good judgment which 
constitutes the so-called gift for experimen- 
tation, but the experimenter must needs have 
composure of mind, and a sense of continuity ; 
i.e., a reasonable certainty of furtherance and 
support from year to year, such as a connec- 
tion with the department of agriculture is little 
calculated to give. One of the chief objects 
of Dr. Salmon is said to be to discover the 
best means of introducing and diffusing the 
European methods of inoculation for render- 
ing fowl, cattle, sheep, and hogs, insusceptible 
to various contagious diseases. ‘To an ordinary 
citizen it would have seemed manifest that the 
veterinary profession throughout the country 
must be a fitting vehicle, both for the convey- 
ance of the necessary viruses, and the applica- 
tion of them. It would seem, too, as if the 
members of the veterinary profession, if any- 
body, would be keenly alive to the duty of pro- 
curing the needful ‘attenuated virus,’ even if 
the object had to be studied in European labo- 
ratories. Where such enormous money inter- 
ests are at issue, and open, for that matter, for 
the remuneration of competent practitioners, it 
seems well-nigh incredible that the profession 
should idly await the action of a government 
official before advancing upon the common 
enemy with all the appliances of modern war- 
fare. It is plain enough that the protection of 
domestic animals from contagious diseases is a 
subject which must necessarily become very 
prominent in this country in the near future; 
and time alone can tell how the doings of the 
unattached veterinary doctors will compare 
with those of their brethren in government 
employ. But assuredly there must be some 
misconception lurking in the minds of the de- 
partment officials, if they really suppose that 
the veterinary profession is necessarily incom- 
petent to deal with a problem because, forsooth, 
the known methods of solving it happen to be 
SCIENCE. 
[Vou. IIL, No. 70. 
delicate and expensive. We would have ar- 
gued, rather, that it would be distinctly dis- 
creditable to the profession in this country, 
unless it should be found foremost in applying 
known remedies of approved efficacy. 
THE PANTHER-CREEK COAL-BASIN. 
Second geological survey of Pennsylvania, A. A. 
First report of progress in the anthracite coal re- 
gion. The geology of the Panther-Creek basin, or 
eastern end of the southern field. By CHARLES A. 
ASHBURNER. Harrisburg, Survey, 1883. 47+ 
20 (p:, (pl. = 82: 
THERE is evidently some divergence of opin- 
ion as to what is the proper scope of, and 
what the best method of conducting, a geologi- 
cal survey. All, undoubtedly, would admit, 
to the public at least, that its primary object 
is the development of the mineral resources of 
the region under survey. As to whether, for 
the accomplishment of this purpose, it is better 
to devote the main part of the work to those 
general questions which form the basis of all 
geological investigation, making the practical 
application of geology to economic ends a sec- 
ondary matter, or whether, on the other hand, 
it is better to lay more stress upon the practi- 
cal solution of the problems of most pressing 
economic importance, and let the facts which 
bear upon the general questions slowly accu- 
mulate, to be treated systematically later on, 
there is, however, less unanimity. 
The second geological survey of Pennsylva- 
nia has apparently followed the latter system ; 
and Mr. Ashburner’s work in the anthracite 
regions is among the best specimens of this kind 
of work. In his prefatory letter he says, — 
“‘ My principal object has been to make the results 
of the survey practically useful to those directly inter- 
ested in the exploration and exploitation of the an- 
thracite fields; and therefore the work in the field 
has been prosecuted under the constant review of 
those connected with or engaged in the mining of 
coal. 
‘“*The policy of pushing the purely geological and- 
mining work of the survey at the outset, in order 
that practical men might see some results, and be 
able to judge their utility, not only to themselves, 
but to all having interest in the anthracite region, 
has proved a wise one. The publication (in advance 
of the report) of 13 atlas sheets, accompanying this re- 
port, has already secured to the survey the support of 
every one in the region, from the miner engaged in 
cutting coal in the mines, to the presidents of coal 
transportation companies, all of whom were unani- 
mous in urging the appropriation which was made by 
the legislature of 1883.”’ 
The maps themselves have already been re- 
The 
ferred to in this journal (vol. i, p. 309). 
Sir 
