Morning journal and courier., 1891-07-11

line of scientific work is readily shown
Many of them have been given state ano
| national government appointments. One
! woman is assistant mycologist at Washing
ton, others are engaged in meteorological
observations; Missouri's state entomolo,
glst is woman, and is the principal of the
Denver School of Mines; the University Of
Michigan has several women professors
and assistants in the departments of micro
soopical botany, anatomy and pathology,
| and women are at the head of departments
| of botany and chemistry in many other
| colleges
Miss Sarah A. Underwood, in an article
on "Women's Work in Science" answers
the question as to whether scientific study
is wasted on the woman who becomes wife
and mother by giving a sketch of Laura
Bossi. who for thirty years occupied the
chair OF professor of physics at Bologna.
She was called to this position at the age
of twenty-one; she married and cared for
a large family without neglecting her du-
ties at the university. Her house, where
was her laboratory in which she carried on
many scientific experiments, was always
beautifully kept. 1t may be said that she
was an exceptional woman, but the fact
that such women have existed is an en-
couragement and stimulus to others both
to keep in practice that which they have
already learned and to daily add to their
knowledge of the favorite study. Home
duties and scientific or literary pursuits
are not always warning interests, as has
been abundantly proved.
Miss Underwood has made careful in
vestigation as to inventions made by
women and finds that since they have ta-
ken up scientific study there has been a
steady increase of patents granted them,
notably those for railroad journal boxes,
driving wheels and smoke-conveyers, for
submarine telescopes, and various patented
processes, such as for working leather and
copper. Harriet Hosmer, the sculptor,
has one of the most wonderful inventions
of the century; that of producing marble
from limestone, which closely resembles
that of the finest antique quarries.
Some excellent scientific work is now
being done by women in the Royal Observ-
atory at Greenwich. Practical astronomy
resolves itself into two parts, the taking of
observations at night, and the reduction of
observations to regular form which is the
occupation of the day. The reductions
with which the women's department is
chiefly concerned are those that relate to
time. We get our time from Greenwich,
but Greenwich must get it every day from
the sun and stars. To obtain the true
time within one hundredth of second in
wolves much calculation. In this work
there is much monotonous detail; similar
spaces must be measured over and over
again, and the same calculations repeated
day after day, requiring the utmost pa
tience and concentration.
These women assistants are also learning
photography in preparation for the special
work for which they will ultimately be
held responsible, that of taking photo
graphs of the stars. They do their COM
putting in the octagon room, which is
especially interesting as being the observa-
tory of John Flamsteed, the first Astrono-
mer Royal.
A delightful field of scientific research is
that of botany. A young woman has re-
Gently won the great prize offered by the
University of Zurich for the best paper on
were astonished to find that the author of
the treatise, which they pronounced
thorough and complete, was a young girl
of Saxony, Louise Muller, hitherto un-
known in literature.
This new interest in scientific work
means most to the large and steadily in.
ereasing class of self-supporting women,
especially to those who are gifted with that
pains taking perseverance and faithfulness
which ensures success in any line of effort
The closing paragraph of Miss Underwood's
paper is worth quoting: can absorbing
interest in any branch of science will leave
for the woman occupied in it, little time
for morbid whining, or abnormal longing
for denied pleasures no time to brood
over real or fancied sorrows, or for foolist
gossip.
1t will keep her heart, as well as her in,
tellect, fully occupied, will keep soul and
body bright, cheerful and healthful; make
her a useful factor in the worlds work,
and, by teaching her through the steady
drill of persistence, patience, exactitude,
and the many sided study which such ser.
vice demands, to make her emotional ma
ture subservient to her intellectual needs,
will do more than anything else to make
her that perfect woman nobly planned Of
whom we dream" HILARY.