The New York herald., 1872-09-14
GERMANY.


Promoting the Cause OF Science.
pa. BERLIN, August 2o 1872.
This is the usual season for scientific congresses
in Germany and as this city might well be styled
the Athens Of the realm 1t is often selected as the
rendezvous OF scientists for such purposes. But
recently favored with the Congress of German phi
lolOgsts we have just welcomed the above
named body Of savans numbering not as
enormously stated in our telegram, 1,1O0, but
upwards OF seventeen hundred. With CON-
mendable spirit Of liberality foreign guests
were extended the privilege Of taking part in the
proceedings; hence the United States England,
Italy and other countries were represented. Tne
frst Congress of these naturalists and physicians
met here fifty years ago, September 49, 1922 and the
laws and bylaws framed by IL at that time, and still
In effect, paragon Of brevity and good sense.
Every author on natural sciences and the medical
art is entitled to membership. This, however, does
not include the inaugural essays required Of gradu
atcs on taking their degrees. The Congress
meets annually at q town or city chosen by the
previous meeting, when the President and Secre-
tary OF the succeeding session-who must be resi-
dents Of the locality selected-are also appointed.
Owing to wars and epdemics five sessions
have been omitted; hence the reason that this
Ia the forty fifth instead Of the ftieth Congress.
The moderate expenses OF these meetings are
betrayed by charging fee Of admission. The Con-
gress furnishes no diplomas owns no funds nor
scientific collections and its only property consists
OF Its archives Its bylaws provide that no resO-
luton respecting scientific theses shall be voted
upon. This provision Is of no mean importance,
o. it avoids endless squabbles and the disunion
which would be certain to follow II the labOrs OF
these savans on thus meeting were not restricted
70
FRIENDLY DISCUSSION
and the recording of all improvements In scientific
advancement. This forming the principal work Of
these Congresses which embrace the entire range
of the natural sciences, 1t is assigned to twenty
one different sections-viz, physics, chemistry and
pharmacy, astronomy and mathematics, miner
al0gy, geology and paleontOlOgy, zoology
and comparative anatomy, botany and its
physiology, anatomical physiology, materia medica,
surgery, ophthalmology gynacology and obstetrics,
psychiatry, sanitary and medical reform, infantne
diseases army medical treatment, natural peda-
gogics agricultural chemistry, pathological anataS
omy, meteorology' % geography @ and photography.
are devoted to the lectures of prominent lights and
the transaction Of the current business. Lepsic,
around the same Is especially adapted to the ac-
commodation OF couple of Thousand scientists,
SeSs Ss in D} bs and It's
affords the auditorium requisite for tie
meetings voted For ov the IT,
entertainment Of members and their ladies' who.
In the course of eight days. were twice feasted and
performance and finally treated to q railway ex-
cursion to the romantic town Of Grimma, en-
banks Of the swift Nude, tributary Of the Elbe.
The inhabitants Of this town greeted their guests
.r %
and singing In the open air, and listening to
speeches, among Which y was particularly happy
minatiOn in the evening constituted the programme
Of reception, which, among that good-natured
ence of single policeman. The fine collections of
the University, the public Museum, painting CALLER
one the Of n e
for their express benefit, an
EXHIBITION OF SCIENTIFIC INSTRUMENTS
of the most novel patterns physical and chemical
apparatuses, botanical and meteorological cOec-
tiOns, and large number of objects intended for
instruction purposes In high institutions OF learn
REPORTS OF THE PROCEEDINGS
In the several sections not vet In print: they,
undoubtedly will be Of the highest interest to pro-
fessional men. As 1t was impractcabe to assist at
% one or two % Ss
with the q tns S
ROhlfs and the valiant member OF the North Pole
pedtion, DR.. Boergen whose head and neck still
bear the marks Of fearful struggle with Ice BEARS
tralian colonies to the winds and currents in
the Antarctic, to the sources OF the Nile, the
New Caledonia, the glaciers and their action on
hills and valleys, &C., &c. A somewhat character
@ tr e To ateT a may
other countries), Is certain jealousy OF each other
an inclination 70 dispute, doubt and undervalue the
efforts and merits or colleagues. This inclination
somewhat manifested itself in the geographical Sec
tion when, in the course OF the order Of the day,
. TIN LIVINGSTONE STANLEY REPORTS
which, though with some degree OF reserve, were
styled oy more tnan one speaker s as G ana
Livingstone might have done without enlarglng
upon the fine forms Of the Manyema women, and
once made a mess Of his Abyssinian description
and did no better with his African travels" &c
said i above-s h hanSering to and fault and detract
but not SO deep rooted as not TO be overcome by
plausible Then with the
the following motion was offered, VIZ
% due ss Ssg sy sss
IN expedition in search Of Livingstone.
The resolution was UNANIMOUSLY approved.
As for the lectures delivered at the theatre In
When the erudIts gentlemen reiraned from over,
dosing with technicalties or from drawing at and
instance, the lecture OF Professor Preyer, OF the
physiological faculty at Jena who spoke ofrhand on
The opinion the Professor ADVANCED is IS that the
pIOcess OF ilfc is purely mechanical, and that the
scn9ol holding II this theory has the better chance OF
u.umpn IN the now rising connict The only GER
tain means we have Of solving any problem Is the
n, method % or course cannot reveal all
only destroys Is unjust. The discovery
o. great laws OF nature, as, for instance,
the law OF gravitatIon and the continuity OF
force, Is as grand as the grandest achievement
IN the realm OF art and this last is more readily
cOmprehended by the people because il appeais
more to feeling than to reason. After dwelling
upon the internal and external conditions of life
such as oxygen, water, nourishment and warmih-
be went on TO state that four different physicists
LceDwenhock, Spallanzani Fontana and Carl
August Sigmund Schultze-have by experiments,
demonstrated the possibility of resuscitation. Or
ganisms which, since 1928, had been deprived OF ali
conditions Of life, were resuscitated by supplying
them with aerated water and warmth. The wheat
found in Egyptian mummies affords an example in
point But even the large animals, amphlbia and
0shes, after being frozen stone hard, may be re-
suscitated by the application ofproper means In
vestigation In such cases has shown the complete
absence OF latent lfea thing which directly proves