The Washington herald., 1908-04-26
SCIENTISTS IN SESSION
SKETCHES OF SAVANTS WHO MAKE
WASHINGTON THEIR HOME

Daughters of the American Revolution
and the Academy Of Sciences both in
progress, and the town was pleasantly
filed with visitors, attracted here by the
meetings of these two bodies. It IS GER
tain that the Daughters who were. nat
Urally, much in the majority. took them
selves and their mission as seriously as
did the savants and if their deliberations
were not as deep. their papers as pro-
foundly erudite, there was no lack of
enthusiasm al their various sessions.
There goes q scientist. bet YER" said
& knowing little soul in Lafayette Square
one afternoon, who had evidently heard
of the meeting OF the academy, pausing
in her play long enough to stare at a
venerable lady much bedecked with or
ders. badges. medals. and red. white. and
blue ribbons. Nav, tain't," contra
dicted her companion; she's a Daugh-
ter" She amt a Daughter, neither"
declared a third; she's a mother or a
gran'mother. Jest see how white her
hair IS" This is probably the only time
that a Daughter was taken for one Of
the grave and reverend men whose
achievements in their several branches Of
science Won them membership in the
American Academy. the greatest national
distinction to which a scientist can at
tain. Grave and reverend" however, is
only a facOn de parler. for the white
hairs. long boards. and ponderous dignity
that characterized scholars of an earlier
day are out of date, and the wise man
OF our times give Ehe impression Of vigoT,
youth, alertness, although the beautiful
lines that mental activity write on the
face of the student are not erasable. and
make il faCie 10 single out man of let
ters from among his fellows. The men,
bers Of the National Academy OF Sciences
were noteworthy IN appearance, and
there was hardly one among them who
would not have attracted the attention
Of a passerby because Of that subtle and
indednable expression that denotes its
wearer as having done something" in
the world.
The National Academy Of Sciences was
Incorporated March g 1863, and its mem
bership was limited to not more than
fifty ordinary members" but less than
ten years later this limitation was re
moved by act Of Congress, and its roster
now includes some hundred names Of or
dinary members, with forty foreign asso-
Ciates The officers Of the academy, with
the exception Of its president. Ira Rem
sen. of Johns Hopkins are Washington
men. c. D. WalCOtt, secretary of the
Smithsonian, is its vice president: Simon
NewcOmb, foreign secretary; Arnold
Hague. home secretary. and S. F. En-
mons, treasurer, The other washington
members are Cleveland Able, George T.
Becker, Alexander Graham Bell. William
H. Dall. Grove K Gilbert, Theodore
y. Gill, William II. Holmes. c. Hart
Merrinan, Charles a. White, and Robert
S. Woodward. The number and char
acter Of these names show at a glance
how well represented the Capital is upon
this roll Of honor. Many of the other
members Of the academy are well known
IN Washington, having been connected at
one time or another with some Of the
governments scientific bureaus.
Among these the most notable is Dr.
John S Billings, whose career, since he
entered the Union army-frst as hospital
assistant then up through the various
grades until he reached that of medical
inspectOT-has been an interesting one.
The most valuable work that Or. Billings
did for the g0Vernment--fOr the country,
indeed-was that in the medical library
in the Surgeon Generals Office, of which
he became librarian IN 1865, when its en-
tire wealth consisted Of 1900 volumes.
When he was appointed TO this post the
young army surgeon at once began 10
develOpe this nucleus into a national
medical library This he accomplished
by obtaining through his personal inf1u-
ence, large appropriations from Congress,
and by persistently canvassing, personally
and by letters, the profession Of every
State in the Union. thus securing large
donations of books, and exchanges were
effected with other medical libraries, not
only in this country, but in all parts Of
the world. II was DIT. Billings who pub
lished the index catalogue. the first series
OF which, in sixteen volumes. was begun
in 1873 and completed in 1885. which is
complete index 10 all the medical lteTa-
ture OF the world up TO the end of the last
century. If he had done nothing more
than this, his name would still be written
high on the role Of fame. but since he
was retired at his own request, in 1895.
DR.. Billings has further added to his
laurels as chairman Of the Carnegie In
sutute, professor of hygiene in the Univer-
sity OF Pennsylvania, and director of the
New York Public Library. Personally, DIR.
Billings is a delightful man to know.
treasury OF wit and wisdom, and a most
responsive and cOngenial companion.
Another Of the visiting scientists who is
pleasantly remembered in Washington is
George William HILL, the eminet astrono-
mer. whose researches in the lunar theory
wen for him the gold medal of the Royal
Astronomical Society Of England. Mr..
H!ll who holds degrees from Rutgers. the
University of Cambridge, England. Prince
ton, and Columbia, became connected
with the American Ephemeris and Nauti-
cal Almanac in 1851. when he was in the
early 20's, and it was there that the foun-
dation for his future work was laid. He
was elected a member of the Nautical
Academy Of Science in 1874, and beside his
membership In that body he is associated
in one way or another with all of the
leading scientific organizations of this
country, England, and France. receiving
N 1898 the Damoisan prize from the
French academy. Mr. Hills memoir on
the late Asaph Hall, with whom he was
for many years associated, read at the
afternoon session on Wednesday was a
fitting tribute to an eminent scholar and
man, and much appreciated by the friends
Of that distinguished astronomer who
heard it,
Perhaps the most all around member
OF the national academy is Edward S
Morse, who has dipped into almost every
science and every literature. Prof. Morse
did not serve an apprenticeship in Wash
ington, bat his various interests and work
make him frequent visitor to the Capi-
tai, where his keen Yankee wit. his in
fectlous jollity. his droll way of viewing
things win for him a cordial reception.
Prof Morse is unique In his way. Those
who have known him since his college
days, which date back TO the middle Of
the last century, declare that they have
never seen him really cross or irritable
but with the most smiling face and in