88 PROCEEDINGS: BOSTON SOCIETY NATURAL HISTORY. 
Twenty years ago wTiting on "The Work of the Naturalist in the 
World" (1895) Minot penned these words: "Knowledge has no 
country, belongs to no class, but is the might of mankind and it is 
mightier for what each of us has done. We have brought our stones 
and they are built into the edifice and into its grandeur. My stone 
is a small one. It will certainly be forgotten that it is mine, neverthe- 
less it will remain in place." This is the testimony of the sober 
worker, modest to a degree but certainly sincere. 
The last phase of Minot's scientific work was most characteristic 
of the man. As Exchange Professor at Berlin, he took for his task 
the presentation of the accomplishments of his fellow workers in this 
country to their European colleagues. As all know, we are closer to 
Europe than Europe is to us, and it was fitting that he should point 
out what 'had been accomplished here in return for what we had re- 
ceived from over seas. It was a self-effacing effort but a contribution 
to the progress of civilization and it was finely done. 
^Vlinot was a votary of pure science, but his work was very useful. 
There is only an apparent paradox in such a statement. Too com- 
monly the usefulness of scientific work is measured by the degree to 
which any advance relieves us from the consequences of our owti lack 
of foresight or gives us evident control of our grosser environment — 
but this is only a partial view. Equally useful — almost more im- 
portant — is the sort of work which makes the scientific advances of 
other investigators more certain and more rapid, and such useful work 
stands to the credit of our friend. 
Minot has contributed many precise observations on the activities 
of animals and on their structure, especially the structure of the 
vertebrates. These are solid additions to the book of knowledge. 
He has seriously considered the problem of growth and the accom- 
panjnng changes in the cells of growing animals. 
In the teaching of science he has been a great force, not only in the 
class room, but through all the various associations where, usually 
from some high place, it was his privilege to speak, and he leaves the 
science to which he was devoted more securely grounded and with 
better standards by reason of his toil. 
But something more — a subtler thing remains. There is no 
measure for persistent effort, w^e cannot gauge the power of an ideal, 
yet these are the central forces of a worthwhile life. In Minot both 
were strong. Elusive they are, yet they can be felt, and when we feel 
them in our friend, they bring us someway closer to his life. 
