Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-08-08
THE COMING SCIENTISTS.

Meeting OF the American Microscopical So
ciety ON Next Tuesday.
Next week the scientists will begin to gather
in this city and for the following ten days every
train will bring fresh accessions to the number
of notable men who are coming from all parts
of the country. The event that brings them is
the meeting of the American Association for
the Advancement Of Science. This is the great
scientific body of this country and
casions of marked interest. The first
session Of the association will not be held until
the 18th instant, but during all of next week
there will be meetings of affiliated societies.
The members of these societies belong to the
general association. and a matter of con-
venience it is arranged to hold the annual
meetings about the same time as that of the
general association The first of these societies to
convene is the American Microscopical Society,
which will begin four days session next
Tuesday at the medical department of the
Columbian University on II street. The meet
ings will be held from 10 o'clock to IL each
day. and will be opened on Tuesday with ad-
dresses Of welcome by DR.. John s. Billings,
U. S. A.. and by DIR. Thomas Taylor, president
Of the microscopicai society of this city, which
will be responded to by DR.. Frank L. James Of
st. Louis, president Of the society.
The morning sessions will be devoted to the
reading of papers, discussions, &C., and the
afternoons to visiting the various government
oePartuents IN winch microscopy ls employed
and In conducting the working sessions. On
Tuesday evening the annual address of the
president Of the society will be delivered in the
lecture room of the First Congregational
Church. corner 10th and G streets, the subject
of which will be: 1.-The Microscopical Examina
ton of Clothing Scorched by Firearms"
RECEprIoN
on Thursday evening will be held in the rooms
of the preparatory department of the uni
vited; and those who have enjoyed the annual
soirees given by the Washington society may
expect to see in this all previous exhibitions
far outdone.
The American Society of Microscopists was
organized in 1873 at Indianapolis with seventy
five members and has steadily grown until, at
this its fourteenth annual meeting, its men,
bership amounts to 400. 1t has published
twelve volumes of proceedings, the last
containing q general index. which has been
separately printed and distributed to over 500
libraries in this country containing 5000 vol
umes or more and to many in Europe. One
hundred and forty authors have contributed to
these volumes on subjects connected with
microscOpical research. and the literature thus
published constitutes a contribution to science
second to that of no other society. The work
done by members Of the society in preparing
accurate measures has helped to make the
works Of American machinists the best in
the world. The field of the society
includes bscteriology, which is today recog-
nized AZ the most important factor in disease.
The microscope has also made itself indispensa-
BILE to the geologist, who relies largely upon its
testimony in the determination of rocks. As
stated in the circular letter Of the secretary Of
the society, ''the mass of literature under the
name Of microscopy covers a field of knowledge
well defined and more homogeneous than is
denoted by the words 'anthropology' or geog-
raphy' or even astronomy" Arrangements
have been made for the exhibition Of micro
scopical goods and apparatus, and a number Of
leading manufacturers and dealers will make
attractive exhibits and demonstrations