April 30, 1886.] 



SCIENCE. 



39) 



sank to forty-eight in five minutes, and remained 

 at that for some hours. The resistance offered by 

 the body to an induced current was stated to be 

 only half that offered to a continuous one. An 

 ingenious speculation was hazarded as to the pos- 

 sibility of the human nervous system distantly 

 resembling a duplexed telegraph-cable, in which 

 a transmitted impulse is balanced and inhibited 

 at the sending-station, but unbalanced and ex- 

 hibited at the receiving-station. W. 



London, April 13. 



NOTES AND NEWS. 

 The following, in addition to those given in 

 our last issue, completes the list of papers read at 

 the National academy of sciences, April 20 - 23 : 

 Alfred M. Mayer, On the diathermancy of ebonite 

 and obsidian, and on the production of calores- 

 cence by means of screens of ebonite and obsidian ; 

 On the coefficient of expansion of ebonite ; On the 

 determination of the cubical expansion of a solid 

 by a method which does not require calibration of 

 vessels, weighings, or linear measure ; On measures 

 of absolute radiation ; E. D. Cope, On the geology 

 of the region near Zacualtipan, Hidalgo, Mexico ; 

 Edward S. Morse, On ancient and modern methods 

 of arrow release ; Theo. Gill, The ordinal and 

 super-ordinal groups of fishes ; H. A. Rowland, 

 On the absolute and relative wave-lengths of the 

 lines of the solar spectrum ; Wolcott Gibbs, 

 Platinous compounds as additive molecules ; Ira 

 Rernsen, Influence of magnetism on chemical 

 action ; A. Graham Bell, Upon the deaf and dumb 

 of Martha's Vineyard (continuation of research 

 relating to the ancestry of the deaf) ; S. P. Lang- 

 ley, On the invisible spectra ; G. F. Becker, 

 Cretaceous metamorphic rocks of California (by 

 invitation) : Ogden N. Rood, On color contrast ; 

 Charles D. Walcott, Classification of the Cam- 

 brian system of North America (by invitation) ; 

 A. W. Wright, Crystallization of platinum by 

 means of the electric discharge in vacuo ; W. K. 

 Brooks, The Stomatopoda of the Challenger col- 

 lection ; Budding in the Tunicata ; A. W. Wright, 

 Effect of magnetization on the electrical resist- 

 ance of metals; R. E. Peary, U.S.N. , On a pro- 

 posed expedition into the interior of Greenland. 



LETTERS TO THE EDITOR. 

 Science at Cornell. 



My attention has been called to the communication 

 signed * H. N.' in Science for April 16, and I beg 

 for a little space in which to point out one or two 

 errors into which the writer has fallen. 



I shall not attempt to deal with the swarming mis- 

 statements and exaggerations of the letter. These, 

 although inviting game, are comparatively unim- 

 portant. But the fundamental idea of the writer is 

 not without importance, and therefore should not 



pass unnoticed. That idea is divisible into two parts. 

 The first is, that Cornell university, in developing its 

 non-technical side, is doing violence to the funda- 

 mental law and charter of the institution ; and the 

 second is, that, in so doing, ' the successor of Andrew 

 D. White ' is reversing the traditions and former 

 policy of the university. " Where," exclaims the- 

 writer, " are the traditions and the law and charter 

 of Cornell ? " Let us see. 



First, The fundamental law declares its purpose in 

 the words, " in order to promote the liberal and 

 practical education of the industrial classes in the 

 several pursuits and professions of life." To ac- 

 complish this declared purpose, which, it will be 

 seen, is of the broadest possible character, the law 

 required " the endowment, support, and maintenance 

 of at least one college where the leading object shall 

 be, without excluding other scientific and classical 

 studies, and including military tactics, to teach such 

 branches of learning as are related to agriculture 

 and the mechanic arts." How this shall be done is 

 explained in the clause, "in such manner as the 

 legislatures of the states shall respectively prescribe." 



Here we see, in the language of the law itself, a 

 purpose that is clearly unmistakable. It includes not 

 simply agriculture and the mechanic arts, but ' other 

 scientific and classical studies,' 'military tactics/ 

 and ' the several pursuits and professions of life.' 

 Furthermore, these provisions shall be carried out 

 in such a way as the legislatures of the states may 

 severally prescribe. So much for the fundamental 

 law. 



Second, The charter of the university, after re- 

 peating the provisions of the fundamental law, and 

 doubtless in view of the very large gift of Mr. Cor- 

 nell, adds the following sentence ; " But such other 

 branches of science and knowledge may be em- 

 braced in the plan of instruction and investigation, 

 pertaining to the university, as the trustees may deem 

 useful and proper." In other words, the trustees 

 are left by the charter to determine precisely what 

 branches of science and knowledge shall be embraced 

 in the plan of instruction, after those specifically pro- 

 vided for have been established and duly equipped. 



Third, Now as to traditions. As soon as the 

 trustees named in the charter came together, the 

 first thing to be done was to determine upon a plan 

 of organization. A committee for that purpose was 

 appointed, of which Andrew D. White was chair- 

 man. On the 21st of October, 1866, he presented 

 his famous report. In the very first part of it, un- 

 der the head of ' Fundamental plan of instruction,' 

 he argues the very question which lies at the bottom 

 of 'H. N.'s ' grievance. He is of opinion that the 

 fundamental law justifies the establishment of all 

 the departments of a true university. But, even if 

 it did not, he finds unmistakable warrant in the pro- 

 visions of the charter. In order that there may be 

 no possible misunderstanding of President White's 

 views, I quote a single sentence from p. 4 of the re- 

 port : " Even if it should be claimed that the whole 

 effort of the trustees ought to be devoted to agricul- 

 ture and the mechanic arts alone ; even if we were 

 to construe away the plain words of the original act 

 of congress, which speaks of ' other scientific and 

 classical branches ' as part of the object of the gov- 

 ernment grant of lands, — still the oft-repeated 

 declaration of our founder, that he 1 wishes to make 

 such provision that every person can find opportunity 

 here to pursue any study he desires,' would be our 



