The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1892-05-29
THE SCIENCE OF LIFE.

The Bureau of Education at washington
has issued an interesting circular on the
study of biology in colleges. Biology IS the
science of life. The term has superseded
physiology, as being more direct ana less
vague than the science of nature. II divides
itself into two branches, zoology and bot
any, Both have been taught in educations
Of learning for generations, but in our time
it has been discovered that they should be
studied together, as the value of both de-
ponds upon the light which they shed upon
the law Of life. The most important study
to which the human mind can be directed
is human physiology. and rightful un-
Outstanding of that cannot be obtained
without study OF the forms and functions
Of life in organisms lower than man, ana
in every form Of animal and vegetable
growth.
In various separate directions special in
stitutiOns Of learning have been usefully
employed in collecting biological mate
rial for comparison and digestion. Thirty
years ago the Department of Agriculture
was established at Washington, and since
then torty-siX agricultural colleges in the
various States have been founded and are
maintained by the proceeds of school sec
lions Of public land These various iDstitu-
lions have amassed a vast quantity Of data
bearing on the life of plants and fungi and
throwing light on the law Of life generally.
Five years ago they were supplemented by
the establishment Of experiment stations to
conduct original researches or verify expert
ments on the physiology of plants and anil
mails. These are of too recent origin to have
passed much discovery to their credit as
yet. but they are contributing their mite to
science every year.
TwentY-one years ago the most useful
agent Of biological reSearch-the Fish Com
mission-was founded. 1t is not too much
10 say that this institution has created the
modern science Of marine animal life. All
that was known before its establishment
may be set aside if that which 1t has dis
covered and verified be thoroughly digested.
1t has been its privilege TO develop compare
tive zoology and comparative anatomy, so
that what used to be called the mysteries
of nature are mysteries no longer, and we
read the chronicle Of the creation Of man in
the stCry of fish. AgassiZ lit the torch which
iIiuuines the places that used TO be dark.
Tue Fish Commission has faithfully trodden
in his footsteps, and enlarged the field
which he began to explore.
Other societies, such as the National
Academy of Sciences, the American Society
of Naturalists and the American PhysiO-
logical Society, are sedul0usly working on
the same lines, and in the various universe
ties and colleges there are forty-one chairs
from which biology is taught The lead in
this science is taken by the Johns Hopkins
University, which enjoyed the advantage Of
/ Professor Huxley's advice in framing
plan Of study. Some other institutions are
not far behind We are, however, far from
having attained the same level as the Ger
man universities. which have brought to
bear upon the study the thOrOugbness and
exhaustive research characteristic Of Ger
man scholars. Bow completely they are
covering the ground may be referred from
the fact that there are in Germany several
/ high-class journals exclusively devoted to
| systematic zoology. others to embryolOgy,
/ others 10 physiology, others to structural
/ botany.
If "the proper study Of mankind is man"
| too much attention cannot be devoted to the
! science Of life. In view OF the improve
ments in living which have been made
| within half a century-the discovery Of
anest hetics, the formulation Of sanitary
service the enlargement Of the list of pre-
ventable diseases, the light that is thrown
! on cerebral and nervous pathOlOgy-lt is i'm
/ possible for a careful scientist to deny NJ.
! Flourens' proposition that the normal du.
ration Of human life may be 100 years. The
reader Of history, comparing the records Of
! population in civilized countries at various
! intervals is struck by the sloWness with
! which numbers Increased. It mas been
usual to account for the anomaly by charging
/ the deficits to war; but when we find that
| a fertile country ike France, after over 1000
! years Of known civilization, only contained
| 100000 Of people. while the United
| States has increased 100000 in less than
| a century. one cannot avoid the conclusion
! that life must have been shorter 10 the old
! days than il is now. and that larger pro-
! portion Of the children who were born never
! attained the adult age. It is the business
! Of biology to ascertain if these differences
| correspond with the facts and ii so. why.
There could not be a more useful topic of
/