the thirteenth international physiological congress, boston, august 19-23, 1929

The Thirteenth International Physiological Congress, Boston, August 19-23, 1929Author(s): Graham LuskSource: The Scientific Monthly, Vol. 28, No. 6 (Jun., 1929), pp. 565-569Published by: American Association for the Advancement of ScienceStable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/14810 .

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THE PROGRESS OF SCIENCE THE THIRTEENTH INTERNATIONAL PHYSIOLOGICAL CONGRESS,

BOSTON, AUGUST 19-23, 1929

THE Thirteenth International Physio- logical Congress, which will be held at the Harvard Medical School this summer nnder the presidency of William H. Howell, of the Johns Hopkins Univer- sity, brings to mind other similar gath- erings. Of historical interest is the fact that four years after the foundation of the British Physiological Society it is- sued invitations to foreign physiologists to become their guests at the meeting of the International Medical Congress held in London in August, 1881. The desire was expressed to "intensify by social intereourse the social feeling which al- ready exists between foreign and English physiologists." Among those respond- ing to this invitation was Henry P. Bow- ditch. Six years later, in 1887, the sec- retary of the Physiological Society was instructed to put himself in communica- tion with the professor of physiology at B3ern, with a view of instituting an international meeting of physiologists in that town during the summer session. The outcome of this suggestion was the hold- ing of the First International Physio- logical Congress at Basel in 1889, which was attended by 124 physiologists from thirteen different countries. Th-e part taken by Sir Michael Foster in organ- izing the congress was recognized by the Fifth International Physiological Con- gress (Turin, 1901) by making him honorary president in perpetuity. The original invitation issuLed from the Phys- iological Society began, "It is suggested that International Meetings of Physiolo- gists be held at intervals with the object of promoting the progress of physiology by the interchange of ideas and mutual friendly criticism and of affording opportunities to workers in our science of knowin?i eaeh other Be7rsonallv." In a

private letter to Kronecker, Foster wrote, "We ought to do our best to make it as informal as possible so that we may freely and without reserve exchange opinions. "

Except during the disturbance of the war years these congresses have been held triennially as follows: 1889, Basel; 1892, Liittich; 1895, B3ern; 1898, Cam- bridge; 1901, Turin; 1904, Brussels; 1907, Heidelberg; 1910, Vienna; 1913, Groningen; 1920, Paris; 1923, Edin- burgh; 1926, Stockholm.

The meeting at Paris was distinctly designated "A Physiological Congress," and many missed the presence of the Germans. At Edinburgh, in 1923, met the first scientific congress held after the war which embraced in its membership men of all countries. Into homes fre- quently filled with war-time grief, Ger- man physiologists were received and made welcome. It made for the heal- ing of the wounds of both nations. When Kossel and when R-tubner appeared at different times and places in the program, each was greeted with applause which lasted two or three ininutes. Only Charles PRichet and Pavlov were received with equal warmth. Kossel and Hans Meyer were the guests of the president of the congress, Sir Edward Sharpey-Schafer, who is to-day the sole surviving mnember of the original group which founded the British Physiological Society and is one of those who acted on behalf of that society to found the First International Physiological Congress. A photograph made by A. B. Macallum

of Kossel and Schafer standing together before the doorway of Schafer's home at North Berwick, Scotland, presents these two outstanding representatives of their respective countries at the time of the

565



566 THE SCIENTI11IC MIONTHLY

.R WIJIAXI HENRY HOVELL PLE.'SIDENT OF TlEr~ TIIIiTT,EEN\IT INTERNANrio.NAL PHYSIOLOGICAL CONGR~ESS.



TIIE PROGRESS OF SCIENCE 567

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THE PROGRESS OF SCIENCE 569

congress at Edinburgh. Kossel as a young man had attended the meeting at Cambridge (1898). Twenty-five years later he heard himself enthusiastically acclaimed in Britain and on his return to Germany he told a friend how much it had meant to him.

The Twelfth International Congress at Stockholm was royally entertained by that city with a degree of splendor that the six hundred physiologists who were

in attendance will never forget. It is probable that more than four hundred foreign physiologists will cross the ocean to attend the congress in Boston this stummer. This offers to the United States opportunities to extend hospitality to these visitors which, in a way, may be commensurate with the kindness and friendship shown in the past to American scientists abroad.

GRAHAM LUSK

A NEW CULTURAL CENTER THE American Philosophical Society,

progenitor of all learned societies in the New World, enters upon the third cen- tury of its service to man and scienee with the most ambitious program in its history. That program, as announeed at the genieral meeting of the society held in April, envisions the erection on the Philadelphia Parkway of an adequate building destined to become a cultural center for the inspiration and guidance of "mankind advancing."

As long ago as 1727 Benjamin Frank- lin, just come of age, recognized the need in America of a force for intelleetual leadership. And so, his autobiography tells us, he formed in Philadelphia from among a majority of the well-informed persons of his acquaintance the Junto which later became the Americal Philo- sophical Society.

At first the Junnto was limited in membership to twelve, but it was not long before Franklin and his friends realized that "virtuosi or ingenious men residilng in the several colonies" should be drawn to Philadelphia for meetings and should " maintain colnstant correspondenee." In his call for leaders, dated AMay 14, 1743, he wrote:

The first drudgery of settlinog new eolouiies, which confines the people to mere necessaries, is niow pretty well over and there are many in every provinee in eireumstanees that set them at ease and afford leisure to eultivate the finer arts anid inmprove the eonmmon stoek of knowledge.

Even Franklin, with all his vision and enthusiasm for the growing colonies, coild not have predicted the resilts of that call. From seeds planted by many of the men who answered that appeal for intelleetual progress a great nation has risen.

Prosperity and power beyond all dreams "afford leisure to cultivate the finer arts and improve the common stock of knowledge." Distinguished men the world over have been and still are members of the learned society which grew out of Franklin's Junto, anid a great cultural center has come to be that society's greatest opportunity.

The society is abandoniiig its hallowed site on Independence Square not without sacrifice. B ut to hold to its original pur- pose, "the promotion of useful knowledge," the move is imperative.

Two years ago, at the celebration of its bicentenary, the members of the society, crowded for space in the old hall, were impressed with renewed force that a new building was an imperative need. A new cultural ccnter was essential for large meetings, for administration and publi- cation activities and the proper housing of the society's expanding library and priceless collections, for study and re- search and for authoritative dissemina- tion of news in the fields of leariiing.

In the shadow of Independence Hall the society 's home has stood for more



the thirteenth international physiological congress, boston, august 19-23, 1929

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