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SCIENCE. 



[N. S. Vol. XXI. No. .540. 



ference held at this institute on Tuesday and 

 Wednesday, April 11 and 12, to consider with 

 the management of the Wistar Institute the 

 question of increasing the usefulness of the 

 Wistar Institute to American anatomists by 

 establishing relationship with the individual 

 anatomists of the country, with the Associa- 

 tion of American Anatomists, with the Amer- 

 ican Journal of Anatomy and with similar 

 institutes abroad; and also by establishing an 

 Advisory Board of Anatomists of the Wistar 

 Institute, with ten or more members, selected 

 from the leading anatomists of the country. 



The following anatomists were present at 

 the conference: 



Dr. Lewellys F. Barker, professor of anatomy, 

 University of Chicago, Chicago, Ills. 



Dr. Edwin G. Conklin, professor of zoology, 

 University of Pennsylvania^ Philadelphia, Pa. 



Dr. Henri" H. Donaldson, professor of neurology, 

 University of Chicago, Chicago, Ills. 



Mr. Simon H. Gage, professor of embryology, 

 Cornell University, Ithaca, N. Y. 



Dr. G. Carl Huber, professor of embryology and 

 histology. University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, 

 Mich. 



Dr. George S. Huntington, professor of anat- 

 omy, Columbia University, New York City. 



Dr. Franklin P. Mall, professor of anatomy, 

 Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Md. 



Dr. J. Playfair McMurrich, professor of anat- 

 omy. University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Mich. 



Dr. Charles S. Minot, professor of embryology. 

 Harvard Medical School, Boston, Mass. 



Dr. George S. Piersol, professor of anatomy, 

 University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pa. 



The first formal meeting was opened in the 

 library of the Wistar Institute at 11 o'clock 

 Tuesday morning. General Wistar, the donor 

 of the institute, representing the board of 

 managers, addressed the meeting and ex- 

 pressed his pleasure at having such a dis- 

 tinguished body of scientists present. He 

 then spoke of the organization of the insti- 

 tute, its objects, its resources and its probable 

 future. 



Dr. M. J. Greenman, director of the insti- 

 tute, followed with a short address outlining 

 the work which ho thought might be accom- 

 plished by the conference. The objects and 

 possibilities of the institute were stated. Ecf- 



erence was made to its independent organiza- 

 tion, on account of which it is in a position 

 to accomplish certain lines of work which 

 could not be undertaken by other institutions. 



The anatomists were called upon to consider 

 what special lines of work the institute might 

 undertake, to be of greatest service to Amer- 

 ican anatomy, to consider the relations of the 

 institute to the American Association of An- 

 atomists, to the American anatomists as indi- 

 viduals and to the American Journal of An- 

 atomy. They were also requested to consider 

 the possibility and advisability of establishing 

 a central institute of neurology, utilizing the 

 Wistar Institute as its working base, and ac- 

 quiring relations with the committee appoint- 

 ed by the International Association of Acad- 

 emies for Brain Investigation. 



Attention was called to the achievements 

 possible by cooperation of individuals and 

 other forces with an institution organized and 

 endowed for research anatomy. 



The organization of an advisory board of 

 anatomists of the Wistar Institute was sug- 

 gested as a possible means of accomplishing 

 the most work for the greatest number. 



The conference then organized and elected 

 Dr. Charles S. Minot chairman and Dr. M. J. 

 Greenman secretary. 



The discussion which followed resulted in 

 a unanimous opinion that the Wistar Insti- 

 tute of Anatomy offered most unique facilities 

 for defining American anatomy, facilities 

 which would be of advantage to all investi- 

 gators in this branch of science. It was 

 thought that research material might be col- 

 lected and prepared there, especially neuro- 

 logical and embryological materials, thus 

 saving much time to the interpreter; that 

 original preparations which had been studied 

 and therefore, of much greater value, should 

 be deposited in the Wistar museum for future 

 use of students who wished to review the work. 

 The reproduction of models was suggested. 



The importance of organized effort to collect 

 and properly prepare the vast amount of an- 

 atomical material which usually goes to waste 

 and the importance of its immediate use while 

 fresh were emphasized. The establishment of 

 agencies in various localities with skilled 



