New-York tribune., 1879-10-29
SCIENTIFIC DELIBERATIONS.
MEETING OF TIE NATIONAL ACADEMY.
ADDRESSES BY PROFESSORS W. b. ROGERS, HENll
DRAPER AND OTHERS.

ADDRESSES BY PROFESSORS W. b. ROGERS, HENll
DRAPER AND OTHERS.
The National Academy of Sciences held ITS
annual session yesterday in the new " west WING
hui ling OF Columbia COLLEGE. TIE Academy has al
present about 100 members, selected from all depart
menis OF know ledge for their original researches III
science. and services IN accordance Win H.
charter. at the disposal Of any department ot the
Government 20 Investigate ana port on any nJ'ct q
science ol art. Professor W t. Roaer Of Boston, who
was elected at stated business session held last Al
in Washington 10 the Office Of president made vacant
by the death Of Professor Joseph Henry. presided ye
clday Tor the first time. and after calling the meeting
to ORDER said:
In opeu.nc the meeting OF the Academy at TINS timo
tne first meeting M winch have presided 40 the com
neucemout the session. although reluctant 10 occupy
tie time OF the Ac,dcmv. knowing tnat the mceiingls ls
L. Dc devoted exclusively 90 sccuuic papers ana dis
cu,s.ons feel desire 20 audc 10 some ot the aspects
Of scientific research 40 thc present time "hch nave
very recently elec.l'y excited my interest tseems
as H. in thr progress of research, the phys
ical science, including the biological department
had reached fields OF inquiry which promise
f. widest results for fuiufe Investigation. The recent
| developments in chemistry, through the agency or
the spcctroscope aud effects Of heat III dissertation,
have -ug..sod.i If they ha-c not proved, that nun'r
of the substances hitherto regarded as elements are
Hereafter 10 b. considered compound. Iac invest
cation Of tie Laws Of chemical action, following ou TIE
suggest ions made az The beginning of tae century hy
tne great chemist. Bcrholet IL regard 20 c influence
OF mass on chemical relcfion. seems 10 promise
most important discoveries IN chemical sta ic-
and tne possibility OF aIp.ying maihcmat-
cl reasoning and formula 10 chemical aouyi-
ties. The marvelou, series ~ experiments
presented recently 10y CIOohes which have been
hiled the wholly unexpected phenomena which he has
described under The designation Of what first
ferred TO hy FarIday fourth form of matter which
thi, uustrios exuerimontalist acd radiant matter.
nel Of
until now wholly undre imed or In truth, the active
scientific workers have been brought by their re-
fined and novel researches To touch the near exfiemes
| ~ inuunerabla lines NJ Thought and investigation,
stretching into unknown regions. whose exploration
is to occupy the activity and reward the aoos Of CONE
ing generation
II must bc admit cd thar many Of the experme ntal
sclencs IN which there has bcna large accumulation
OF facts and of ypotheses for their explanation. pre-
sent that unco6rdiuated condition IN wAich they
await the advent OF some modern Nowton
to evolve from the seeming confusion, clear, pre-,
else and simple laws by which the mulifIrous Gnd
sometimes almost chaotic as~cmbage ~ facts shal be
reduced 10 harmony and order Ia the nclds OF IN
ouiry which have been hined At, the members OF the
Academy have already taken an active and Important
part and will. doubt continue TO enrich science in
It's speculative wen as its practical forms, by conin-
ming their lahors u the provinces which invite
their investigation
Professor Henry Draper OF Now-York. the dscoverer
Of oxygen In the sun followed with paper Pho
torraphine spectra o. the Stars" lie in substance
sand: For a long time f. has been in the minds of scen-
| TN, men that the bodies called elementary are in
reality decomposable and not elementary. In order
To decomposc substances have 10 subject them To In
tense heat, ana accompany thai with electric action
and a reduction OF atmospheric pressure II has been
by resor;ing u these that hive reduced the
number OF clements to The sixty ghi now known. But
II seems probable that II the time of the experiment
could be continued, With more heat and sul
less atmospheric pressure, could succeed ii
showing that OF these sixty-eight composed
OF sIil simpler elements. AZ present seem 10 have
reached limit of the production or heat bv electric
| action IN the laboratories But among the heavenly
bodies the stars and nebule. we have height Of tenn
pcriture far exceeding anything Vet realized here. II
Interesting, examining these bodies by spectrum
analysis, To see whether they contain evidences of
more elementary condition OF matter tnan have here
,hs purpos be accomplished only by The aid Of the
-pccrocope but photography can be used also for de-
| serva;iou that cannot he reached by the eye.
surgeon i. j. Wood ward. OF the United States Army.
o. Washington. detailed some original researches from
his second volume the Medical aud surgical History
Of the War of ne Rebellion. recently published Pro
lessor c A. Young Of Princeton College. read paper
Scctrosc0pc Notes, winch closed the morning Sc
sio In the afternoon p OfessOr j. &. Dalton, of New
YORK. made observations Oh the Structure OF the
| Human Brain in tie course OF which he said
that the essential operations of the nervous
system occurred I'm the gray matter OF the cere-
used Tor transmission oniv There are three SETS or
deposits of gray matter. cOnsslered from within out
]
brain proceed. Circumstances affecting the first pro-
duee Involuntary action; reaching the second, thry
produce sensation; anJ rea, hing the tlrd conscious
| cereDratiOn. The cOnVOluituns Observable In lhe
| human observable also III that or
lower animals, the fox but In the human
they highly developed. aud have oiher
specific differences Professor Dalion's address was
illustrated with numerous drawings ana photographs
which poitra, cd the anatomy al Inc BRAN ceaIly and
muutev. discussion the b,t method of obtain
ing of the followed Professor Dalton ana
| ID. Woodward taking prominent pprt.
PTOfessor Ar old Guyo OF Princeton College, next eX
/ hibrd map OF TIE Oatskil Mountains, and gave
his views concerning The typographical relations Of that
mountain group 10 the adjacent gons of the Appa-
lachian He said that this Originally table
land carved down by The elevations that
| yersed general direction OF tue Appalachian
range were not produced by upheaval, but by
! ernsIon. He followed by Professor James Hall,
of Albany. who approved O his conclusions, and SAID
that the usual result Of uphcayal 10 level, not TO
| elevate ranges. Professor Rogers, the president al
! lud,d L. a large range mountains in Virginia. still
living IN belt conforming 10 the general direction OF
th, AupaAchian range which consisted of arches and
| colluter-srchcs The venerable Professor stephen
| Alexander. OF PRINCETON, then read paper the
| Nebul,r Hypothesis Of Llpace.
building in which the meeting was held s stil IN
complete and the hammeTng OF the wOrkmen seriously
interered imes with hearing what SAID. Among
the members of the Academy present Professor
o. C. Marsh Yale, the vicepresdent; the secretaries,
| President Barnard, OF Columbia, and j. H. &. Coffin,
United States Navy; Professor Henry Morton, OF HO
bokeni Professor a Packard. r OF Providence. r. l.;
Professor sterry Hunt, of Boston; Professor WOic0tt
Gibbs OF Harvard; General Henry L. Abbott, United
states Army Professor Laurence Smith. Of Louisville,
| Ky and many members living III New-iork.
The mesting will be continued to-day beginning at IL
A. III. The public admitted. aud several ladies were
| This evening Professor Henry