,,the ,,highest ,,aim ,,of ,,the        
,,physicist#a          ,,professor      
,,henry ,a4 ,,rowland          ,,science
      ,,editorial ,,committee3 ,s4      
,,newcomb1 ,mathematics2 ,r4 ,s4        
,,woodward1 ,mechanics2  ,e4 ,c4        
,,pickering1 ,astronomy2 ,t4 ,c4        
,,mendenhall1 ,physics2 ,r4 ,h4         
,,thurston1  ,engineering2 ,,ira        
,,remsen1 ,chemistry2 ,j4 ,,le ,,conte1 
,geology2 ,w4 ,m4 ,,davis1              
,physiography2 ,,henry ,f4 ,,osborn1    
,paleontology2 ,w4 ,k4 ,,brooks1 ,c4    
,,hart ,,merriam1  ,zoology2 ,s4 ,h4    
,,scudder1 ,entomology2 ,c4 ,e4         
,,bessey1 ,n4 ,l4 ,,britton1 ,botany2   
,c4 ,s4 ,,minot1 ,embryology1           
,histology2 ,h4 ,p4 ,,bowditch1         
,physiology2 ,j4 ,s4  ,,billings1       
,hygiene2 ,j4 ,,mckeen ,,cattell1       
,psychology2 ,j4 ,w4 ,,powell1          
,anthropology4      ,,american          
,,association ,,for ,,the ,,advancement 
,,of ,,science    ,,friday1 ,,december  
#h1 #ahii            ,,gentlemen ,,and  

,,fellow ,,physicists ,,of ,,america3   
,we meet to day on an  occasion which   
marks an epoch in the history of physics
 in ,america2 may  the future show that 
it also marks an epoch in the history of
 the  science which this ,society is    
organized to cultivate6 ,for we meet    
here  in the interest of a science which
 above all sciences deals with the      
foundation of the ,universe1 with the   
constitution of matter from which       
everything in the ,universe is made and 
with the ether of space by which  alone 
the various portions of matter forming  
the ,universe affect each  other even at
 such distances as we may never expect  
to traverse1  whatever the progress of  
our science in the future4    ,we1 who  
have devoted our lives to the solution  
of problems connected  with physics1 now
 meet together to help each other and to
 forward the  interests of the subject  
which we love4 ,a subject which appeals 
most  strongly to the better instincts  
of our nature and the problems of which 

tax our minds to the limit of their     
capacity and suggest the grandest  and  
noblest ideas of which they are capable4
    ,in a country where the doctrine of 
the equal rights of man has been        
distorted to mean the equality of man in
 other respects1 we form a small  and   
unique body of men1 a new variety of the
 human race as one of our  greatest     
scientists calls it1 whose views of what
 constitutes the  greatest achievement  
in life are very different from those   
around us4 ,in  this respect we form an 
aristocracy1 not of wealth1 not of      
pedigree1 but  of intellect and of      
ideals1 holding him in the highest      
respect who adds  the most to our       
knowledge or who strives after it as the
 highest good4    ,thus we meet together
 for mutual sympathy and the interchange
 of  knowledge1 and may we do so ever   
with appreciation of the benefits to    
ourselves and possibly to our science4  
,above all1 let us cultivate the  idea  
of the dignity of our pursuit so that   

this feeling may sustain us  in the     
midst of a world which gives its highest
 praise1 not to the  investigation in   
the pure etherial physics which our     
,society is formed  to cultivate1 but to
 one who uses it for satisfying the     
physical rather  than the intellectual  
needs of mankind4 ,he who makes two     
blades of grass  grow where one grew    
before is the benefactor of mankind2 but
 he who  obscurely worked to find the   
laws of such growth is the intellectual 
superior as well as the greater         
benefactor of the two4    ,how stands   
our country1 then1 in this respect8 ,my 
answer must still be1  now1 as it was   
fifteen years ago1 that much of the     
intellect of the  country is still      
wasted in the pursuit of so-called      
practical science  which ministers to   
our physical needs and but little       
thought and money  is given to the      
grander portion of the subject which    
appeals to our  intellect alone4 ,but   
your presence here gives evidence that  

such a  condition is not to last        
forever4    ,even in the past we have a 
few names whom scientists throughout the
  world delight to honor4 ,franklin1 who
 almost revolutionized the science  of  
electricity by a few simple but profound
 experiments4 ,count ,rumford1  whose   
experiments almost demonstrated the     
nature of heat4 ,henry1 who  might have 
done much for the progress of physics   
had he published more  fully the results
 of his investigations4 ,mayer1 whose   
simple and  ingenious experiments have  
been a source of pleasure and profit to 
many4  ,this is the meager list of those
 whom death allows me to speak of and   
who have earned mention here by doing   
something for the progress of our       
science4 ,and yet the record has been   
searched for more than a hundred  years4
 ,how different had ,i started to record
 those who have made useful  and        
beneficial inventions6    ,but ,i know1 
when ,i look in the faces of those      
before me1 where the eager  intellect   

and high purpose sit enthroned on bodies
 possessing the vigor  and strength of  
youth1 that the writer of a hundred     
years hence can no  longer throw such a 
reproach upon our country4 ,nor can we  
blame those  who have gone before us4   
,the progress of every science shows us 
the  condition of its growth4 ,very few 
persons1 if isolated in a               
semi-civilized land1 have either the    
desire or the opportunity of  pursuing  
the higher branches of science4 ,even if
 they should be able to  do so1 their   
influence on their science depends upon 
what they publish  and make known to the
 world4 ,a hermit philosopher we can    
imagine might  make many useful         
discoveries4 ,yet1 if he keeps them to  
himself1 he can  never claim to have    
benefited the world in any degree4 ,his 
unpublished  results are his private    
gain1 but the world is no better off    
until he  has made them known in        
language strong enough to call attention
 to them  and to convince the world of  

their truth4 ,thus1 to encourage the    
growth  of any science1 the best thing  
we can do is to meet together in its    
interest1 to discuss its problems1 to   
criticize each other's work and1  best  
of all1 to provide means by which the   
better portion of it may be  made known 
to the world4 ,furthermore1 let us      
encourage discrimination in  our        
thoughts and work4 ,let us recognize the
 eras when great thoughts  have been    
introduced into our subject and let us  
honor the great men who  introduced and 
proved them correct4 ,let us forever    
reject such foolish  ideas as the       
equality of mankind and carefully give  
the greater credit  to the greater man4 
,so1 in choosing the subjects for our   
investigation1  let us1 if possible1    
work upon those subjects which will     
finally give us  an advanced knowledge  
of some great subject4 ,i am aware that 
we cannot  always do this2 our ideas    
will often flow in side channels2 but1  
with  the great problems of the         

,universe before us1 we may sometime be 
able to  do our share toward the greater
 end4    ,what is matter2 what is       
gravitation2 what is ether and the      
radiation  through it2 what is          
electricity and magnetism2 how are these
 connected  together and what is their  
relation to heat8 ,these are the greater
  problems of the universe4 ,but many   
infinitely smaller problems we must     
attack and solve before we can even     
guess at the solution of the greater    
ones4    ,in our attitude toward these  
greater problems how do we stand and    
what  is the foundation of our          
knowledge8    ,newton and the great     
array of astronomers who have succeeded 
him have  proved that1 within planetary 
distances1 matter attracts all others   
with  a force varying inversely as the  
square of the distance4 ,but what sort  
of proof have we of this law8 ,it is    
derived from astronomical  observations 
on the planetary orbits4 ,it agrees very
 well within these  immense spaces2 but 

where is the evidence that the law holds
 for smaller  distances8 ,we measure the
 lunar distance and the size of the     
earth and  compare the force at that    
distance with the force of gravitation  
on the  earth's surface4 ,but to do this
 we must compare the matter in the earth
  with that in the sun4 ,this we can    
only do by assuming the law to be       
proved4 ,again1 in descending from the  
earth's gravitation to that of two      
small bodies1 as in the ,cavendish      
experiment1 we assume the law to  hold  
and deduce the mass of the earth in     
terms of our unit of mass4  ,hence1 when
 we say that the mass of the earth is #e
 times that of an  equal volume of water
 we assume the law of gravitation to be 
that of  ,newton4 ,thus a proof of the  
law from planetary down to terrestrial  
distances is physically impossible4     
,again1 that portion of the law which   
says that gravitational attraction  is  
proportional to the quantity of matter1 
which is the same as saying  that the   

attraction of one body by another is not
 affected by the  presence of a third1  
the feeble proof that we give by        
weighing bodies in  a balance in        
different positions with respect to each
 other cannot be  accepted on a larger  
scale4 ,when we can tear the sun into   
two portions  and prove that either of  
the two halves attracts half as much as 
the  whole1 then we shall have a proof  
worth mentioning4    ,then as to the    
relation of gravitation and time what   
can we say8 ,can we  for a moment       
suppose that two bodies moving through  
space with great  velocities have their 
gravitation unaltered8 ,i think not4    
,neither can we  accept ,laplace's proof
 that the force of gravitation acts     
instantaneously through space1 for we   
can readily imagine some  compensating  
features unthought of by ,laplace4      
,how little we know then of this law    
which has been under observation for    
two hundred years6    ,then as to matter
 itself how have our views changed and  

how are they  constantly changing4 ,the 
round hard atom of ,newton which ,god   
alone could  break into pieces has      
become a molecule composed of many      
atoms1 and each  of these smaller atoms 
has become so elastic that after        
vibrating  #ajj1jjj times its amplitude 
of vibration is scarcely diminished4 ,it
 has  become so complicated that it can 
vibrate with as many thousand notes4    
,we cover the atom with patches of      
electricity here and there and make of  
it a system compared with which the     
planetary system1 nay the universe      
itself1 is simplicity4 ,nay more3 some  
of us even claim the power1 which       
,newton attributed to ,god alone1 of    
breaking the atom into smaller pieces   
whose size is left to the imagination4  
,where1 then1 is that person who        
ignorantly sneers at the study of matter
 as a material and gross study8  ,where1
 again1 is that man with gifts so       
,god-like and mind so elevated  that he 
can attack and solve its problem8    ,to

 all matter we attribute two properties1
 gravitation and inertia4  ,without     
these two matter cannot exist4 ,the     
greatest of the natural laws  states    
that the power of gravitational         
attraction is proportional to the  mass 
of the body4 ,this law of ,newton1      
almost neglected in the thoughts  of    
physicists1 undoubtedly has vast import 
of the very deepest meaning4  ,shall it 
mean that all matter is finally         
constructed of uniform and  similar     
primordial atoms or can we find some    
other explanation8    ,that the         
molecules of matter are not round1 we   
know from the facts of  crystallography 
and the action of matter in rotating the
 plane of  polarization of light4       
,that portions of the molecules and even
 of the atoms are electrically  charged1
 we know from electrolysis1 the action  
of gases in a vacuum tube  and from the 
,zeeman effect4    ,that some of them   
act like little magnets1 we know from   
the magnetic  action of iron1 nickel and

 cobalt4    ,that they are elastic1 the 
spectrum shows1 and that the vibrating  
portion carries the electrified charge  
with it is shown by the ,zeeman  effect4
    ,here1 then1 we have made quite a   
start in our problem3 but how far are   
we from the complete solution8 ,how can 
we imagine the material of which        
ordinary or primordial atoms are made1  
dealing as we do only with  aggregation 
of atoms alone8 ,forever beyond our     
sight1 vibrating an  almost infinite    
number of times in a second1 moving     
hither and yon with  restless energy at 
all temperatures beyond the absolute    
zero of  temperature1 it is certainly a 
wonderful feat of human reason and      
imagination that we know as much as we  
do at present4 ,encouraged by  these    
results1 let us not linger too long in  
their contemplation but  press forward  
to the new discoveries which await us in
 the future4    ,then as to electricity1
 the subtile spirit of the amber1 the   
demon who  reached out his gluttonous   

arms to draw in the light bodies within 
his  reach1 the fluid which could run   
through metals with the greatest ease   
but could be stopped by a frail piece of
 glass6 ,where is it now8  ,vanished1   
thrown on the waste heap of our         
discarded theories to be  replaced by a 
far nobler and exalted one of action in 
the ether of  space4    ,and so we are  
brought to consider that other great    
entity--the ether3  filling all space   
without limit1 we imagine the ether to  
be the only  means by which two portions
 of matter distant from each other can  
have  any mutual action4 ,by its means  
we imagine every atom in the universe to
  be bound to every other atom by the   
force of gravitation and often by  the  
force of magnetic and electric action1  
and we conceive that it alone  conveys  
the vibratory motion of each atom or    
molecule out into space to  be ever lost
 in endless radiation1 passing out into 
infinite space or  absorbed by some     
other atoms which happen to be in its   

path4 ,by it all  electromagnetic energy
 is conveyed from the feeble attraction 
of the  rubbed amber through the many   
thousand horse-power conveyed by the    
electric wires from ,niagara to the     
mighty rush of energy always flowing    
from the ,sun in a flood of radiation4  
,actions feeble and actions mighty  from
 intermolecular distances through       
interplanetary and interstellar         
distances until we reach the mighty     
distances which bound the               
,universe--all have their being in this 
wondrous ether4    ,and yet1 however    
wonderful it may be1 its laws are far   
more simple than  those of matter4      
,every wave in it1 whatever its length  
or intensity1  proceeds onwards in it   
according to well known laws1 all with  
the same  speed1 unaltered in direction 
from its source in electrified matter1  
to  the confines of the ,universe       
unimpaired in energy unless it is       
disturbed  by the presence of matter4   
,however the waves may cross each other1

 each  proceeds by itself without       
interference with the others4    ,so    
with regard to gravitation1 we have no  
evidence that the presence of  a third  
body affects the mutual attraction of   
two other bodies1 or that  the presence 
of a third quantity of electricity      
affects the mutual  attraction of two   
other quantities4 ,the same for         
magnetism4    ,for this reason the laws 
of gravitation and of electric and      
magnetic  action including radiation are
 the simplest of all laws when we       
confine  them to a so-called vacuum1 but
 become more and more complicated when  
we  treat of them in space containing   
matter4    ,subject the ether to immense
 electrostatic1 magnetic or             
gravitational  forces and we find       
absolutely no signs of its breaking down
 or even of  change of properties4 ,set 
it into vibration by means of an        
intensely hot  body like the sun and it 
conveys many thousand horse-power for   
each  square foot of surface as quietly 

and with apparently unchanged laws as   
if it were conveying the energy of a    
tallow dip4    ,again1 subject a        
millimeter of ether to the stress of    
many thousand1 nay  even a million1     
volts and yet we see no signs of        
breaking down4    ,hence the properties 
of the ether are of ideal simplicity and
 lead to  the simplest of natural laws4 
,all forces which act at a distance1    
always  obey the law of the inverse     
square of the distance1 and we have also
 the  attraction of any number of parts 
placed near each other equal to the     
arithmetical sum of the attractions when
 those parts are separated4 ,so  also   
the simpler law of etherial waves which 
has been mentioned above4    ,at the    
present time1 through the labors of     
,maxwell supplemented by those  of      
,hertz and others1 we have arrived at   
the great generalization that  all wave 
disturbances in the ether are           
electromagnetic in their nature4  ,we   
know of little or no etherial           

disturbance which can be set up by the  
motion of matter alone3 the matter must 
be electrified in order to have         
sufficient hold on the ether to         
communicate its motion to the ether4    
,the  ,zeeman effect even shows this to 
be the case where molecules are         
concerned and when the period of        
vibration is immensely great4 ,indeed   
the experiment on the magnetic action of
 electric convection shows the  same    
thing4 ,by electrifying a disc in motion
 it appears as if the disc  holds fast  
to the ether and drags it with it1 thus 
setting up the  peculiar etherial motion
 known as magnetism4    ,have we not    
another case of a similar nature when a 
huge gravitational  mass like that of   
the earth revolves on its axis8 ,has not
 matter a  feeble hold on the ether     
sufficient to produce the earth's       
magnetism8    ,but the experiment of    
,lodge to detect such an action         
apparently showed  that it must be very 
feeble4 ,might not his experiment have  

succeeded had  he used an electrical    
revolving disc8    ,to detect something 
dependent on the relative motion of the 
ether and  matter has been and is the   
great desire of physicists4 ,but we     
always  find that1 with one possible    
exception1 there is always some         
compensating feature which renders our  
efforts useless4 ,this one  experiment  
is the aberration of light1 but even    
here ,stokes has shown  that it may be  
explained in either of two ways3 first1 
that the earth  moves through the ether 
of space without disturbing it1 and     
second1 if  it carries the ether with it
 by a kind of motion called             
irrotational4  ,even here1 however1 the 
amount of action probably depends upon  
relative motion of the luminous source  
to the recipient telescope4    ,so the  
principle of ,dppler depends also on    
this relative motion and is  independent
 of the ether4    ,the result of the    
experiments of ,foucault on the passage 
of light  through moving water can no   

longer be interpreted as due to the     
partial  movement of the ether with the 
moving water1 an inference due to       
imperfect theory alone4 ,the experiment 
of ,lodge1 who attempted to set  the    
ether in motion by a rapidly rotating   
disc1 showed no such result4    ,the    
experiment of ,michelson to detect the  
etherial wind1 although  carried to the 
extreme of accuracy1 also failed to     
detect any relative  motion of the      
matter and the ether4    ,but matter    
with an electrical charge holds fast to 
the ether and moves  it in the manner   
required for magnetic action4    ,when  
electrified bodies move together through
 space or with reference to  each other 
we can only follow their mutual actions 
through very slow and  uniform          
velocities4 ,when they move with        
velocities comparable with that  of     
light1 equal to it or even beyond it1 we
 calculate their mutual  actions or     
action on the ether only by the light of
 our imagination  unguided by           

experiment4 ,the conclusions of ,j4 ,j4 
,thomson1 ,heaviside and  ,hertz are all
 results of the imagination and they all
 rest upon  assumptions more or less    
reasonable but always assumptions4 ,a   
mathematical investigation always obeys 
the law of the conservation of          
knowledge3 we never get out more from it
 than we put in4 ,the knowledge  may be 
changed in form1 it may be clearer and  
more exactly stated1 but  the total     
amount of the knowledge of nature given 
out by the  investigation is the same as
 we started with4 ,hence we can never   
predict  the result in the case of      
velocities beyond our reach1 and such   
calculations as the velocity of the     
cathode rays from their  electromagnetic
 action has a great element of          
uncertainty which we  should do well to 
remember4    ,indeed1 when it comes to  
exact knowledge1 the limits are far more
  circumscribed4    ,how is it1 then1   
that we hear physicists and others      
constantly stating  what will happen    

beyond these limits8 ,take velocities1  
for instance1  such as that of a        
material body moving with the velocity  
of light4 ,there  is no known process by
 which such a velocity can be obtained  
even though  the body fell from an      
infinite distance upon the largest      
aggregation of  matter in the ,universe4
 ,if we electrify it1 as in the cathode 
rays1 its  properties are so changed    
that the matter properties are          
completely  masked by the               
electromagnetic4    ,it is a common     
error which young physicists are apt to 
fall into to  obtain a law1 a curve or a
 mathematical expression for given      
experimental limits and then to apply it
 to points outside those limits4  ,this 
is sometimes called extrapolation4 ,such
 a process1 unless carefully  guarded1  
ceases to be a reasoning process and    
becomes one of pure  imagination        
specially liable to error when the      
distance is too great4    ,but it is not
 my purpose to enter into detail4 ,what 

,i have given  suffices to show how     
little we know of the profounder        
questions involved  in our subject4     
,it is a curious fact that1 having minds
 tending to the infinite1 with          
imaginations unlimited by time and      
space1 the limits of our exact          
knowledge are very small indeed4 ,in    
time we are limited by a few hundred  or
 possibly thousand years3 indeed the    
limit in our science is far less  than  
the smaller of these periods4 ,in space 
we have exact knowledge  limited to     
portions of our earth's surface and a   
mile or so below the  surface1 together 
with what little we can learn from      
looking through  powerful telescopes    
into the space beyond4 ,in temperature  
our knowledge  extends from near the    
absolute zero to that of the sun but    
exact  knowledge is far more limited4   
,in pressures we go from the ,crookes   
vacuum still containing myriads of      
flying atoms to pressures limited by    
the strength of steel but still very    

minute compared with the pressures  at  
the center of the earth and sun1 where  
the hardest steel would flow  like the  
most limpid water4 ,in velocities we are
 limited to a few miles  per second4 ,in
 forces to possibly #ajj tons to the    
square inch4 ,in  mechanical rotations  
to a few hundred times per second4      
,all the facts which we have considered1
 the liability to error in  whatever    
direction we go1 the infirmity of our   
minds in their reasoning  power1 the    
fallibility of witnesses and            
experimenters1 lead the  scientist to be
 specially sceptical with reference to  
any statement made  to him or any       
so-called knowledge which may be brought
 to his attention4  ,the facts and      
theories of our science are so much more
 certain than  those of history1 of the 
testimony of ordinary people on which   
the facts  of ordinary history or of    
legal evidence rest1 or of the value of 
medicines to which we trust when we are 
ill1 indeed to the whole fabric  of     

supposed truth by which an ordinary     
person guides his belief and the        
actions of his life1 that it may seem   
ominous and strange if what ,i have     
said of the imperfections of the        
knowledge of physics is correct4 ,how   
shall we regulate our minds with respect
 to it3 there is only one way  that ,i  
know of and that is to avoid the        
discontinuity of the ordinary1  indeed  
the so-called cultivated legal mind4    
,there is no such thing as  absolute    
truth and absolute falsehood4 ,the      
scientific mind should never  recognize 
the perfect truth or the perfect        
falsehood of any supposed  theory or    
observation4 ,it should carefully weigh 
the chances of truth  and error and     
grade each in its proper position along 
the line joining  absolute truth and    
absolute error4    ,the ordinary crude  
mind has only two compartments1 one for 
truth and one  for error2 indeed the    
contents of the two compartments are    
sadly mixed  in most cases3 the ideal   

scientific mind1 however1 has an        
infinite  number4 ,each theory or law is
 in its proper compartment indicating   
the  probability of its truth4 ,as a new
 fact arrives the scientist changes it  
from one compartment to another so as1  
if possible1 to always keep it in  its  
proper relation to truth and error4     
,thus the fluid nature of  electricity  
was once in a compartment near the      
truth4 ,faraday's and  ,maxwell's       
researches have now caused us to move it
 to a compartment  nearly up to that of 
absolute error4    ,so the law of       
gravitation within planetary distances  
is far toward  absolute truth1 but may  
still need amending before it is        
advanced  farther in that direction4    
,the ideal scientific mind1 therefore1  
must always be held in a state of       
balance which the slightest new evidence
 may change in one direction or         
another4 ,it is in a constant state of  
skepticism1 knowing full well that      
nothing is certain4 ,it is above all an 

agnostic with respect to all  facts and 
theories of science as well as to all   
other so-called beliefs  and theories4  
,yet it would be folly to reason from   
this that we need not guide our  life   
according to the approach to knowledge  
that we possess4 ,nature is  inexorable2
 it punishes the child who unknowingly  
steps off a precipice  quite as severely
 as the grown scientist who steps over1 
with full  knowledge of all the laws of 
falling bodies and the chances of their 
being correct4 ,both fall to the bottom 
and in their fall obey the              
gravitational laws of inorganic matter1 
slightly modified by the  muscular      
contortions of the falling object but   
not in any degree changed  by the       
previous belief of the person4 ,natural 
laws there probably are1  rigid and     
unchanging ones at that4 ,understand    
them and they are  beneficent3 we can   
use them for our purposes and make them 
the slaves of  our desires4             
,misunderstand them and they are        

monsters who may grind us  to powder or 
crush us in the dust4 ,nothing is asked 
of us as to our  belief3 they act       
unswervingly and we must understand them
 or suffer the  consequences4 ,our only 
course1 then1 is to act according to the
 chances  of our knowing the right laws4
 ,if we act correctly1 right2 if we act 
incorrectly1 we suffer4 ,if we are      
ignorant we die4 ,what greater fool1    
then1 than he who states that belief is 
of no consequence provided it is        
sincere4    ,an only child1 a beloved   
wife1 lies on a bed of illness4 ,the    
physician  says that the disease is     
mortal2 a minute plant called a microbe 
has  obtained entrance into the body and
 is growing at the expense of its       
tissues1 forming deadly poisons in the  
blood or destroying some vital  organ4  
,the physician looks on without being   
able to do anything4 ,daily  he comes   
and notes the failing strength of his   
patient and daily the  patient goes     
downward until he rests in his grave4   

,but why has the  physician allowed     
this8 ,can we doubt that there is a     
remedy which shall  kill the microbe or 
neutralize its poison8 ,why1 then1 has  
he not used  it8 ,he is employed to cure
 but has failed4 ,his bill we cheerfully
 pay  because he has done his best and  
given a chance of cure4 ,the answer is  
ignorance4 ,the remedy is yet unknown4  
,the physician is waiting for  others to
 discover it or perhaps is experimenting
 in a crude and  unscientific manner to 
find it4 ,is not the inference correct1 
then1 that  the world has been paying   
the wrong class of men8 ,would not this 
ignorance have been dispelled had the   
proper money been used in the past  to  
dispel it8 ,such deaths some people     
consider an act of ,god4 ,what          
blasphemy to attribute to ,god that     
which is due to our own and our         
ancestors' selfishness in not founding  
institutions for medical research  in   
sufficient number and with sufficient   
means to discover the truth4  ,such     

deaths are murder4 ,thus the present    
generation suffers for the sins  of the 
past and we die because our ancestors   
dissipated their wealth in  armies and  
navies1 in the foolish pomp and         
circumstance of society1 and  neglected 
to provide us with a knowledge of       
natural laws4 ,in this sense  they were 
the murderers and robbers of future     
generations of unborn  millions and have
 made the world a charnel house and     
place of mourning  where peace and      
happiness might have been4 ,only their  
ignorance of what  they were doing can  
be their excuse1 but this excuse puts   
them in the  class of boors and savages 
who act according to selfish desire and 
not  to reason and to the calls of duty4
 ,let the present generation take       
warning that this reproach be not cast  
on it1 for it cannot plead  ignorance in
 this respect4    ,this illustration    
from the department of medicine ,i have 
given because  it appeals to all4 ,but  
all the sciences are linked together and

 must  advance in concert4 ,the human   
body is a chemical and physical problem1
  and these sciences must advance before
 we can conquer disease4    ,but the    
true lover of physics needs no such spur
 to his actions4 ,the  cure of disease  
is a very important object and nothing  
can be nobler  than a life devoted to   
its cure4    ,the aims of the physicist1
 however1 are in part purely            
intellectual2 he  strives to understand 
the ,universe on account of the         
intellectual  pleasure derived from the 
pursuit1 but he is upheld in it by the  
knowledge that the study of nature's    
secrets is the ordained method by  which
 the greatest good and happiness shall  
finally come to the human  race4        
,where1 then1 are the greatest          
laboratories of research in this city1  
in  this country1 nay1 in the world8 ,we
 see a few miserable structures here    
and there occupied by a few starving    
professors who are nobly striving  to do
 the best with the feeble means at their

 disposal4 ,but where in the  world is  
the institute of pure research in any   
department of science  with an income of
 #ajj1jjj1jjj par year4 ,where can the  
discoverer in  pure science earn more   
than the wages of a day laborer or cook8
 ,but  #ajj1jjj1jjj per year is but the 
price of an army or a navy designed to  
kill other people4 ,just think of it1   
that one per cent1 of this sum  seems to
 most people too great to save our      
children and descendants from  misery   
and even death6    ,but the twentieth   
century is near--may we not hope for    
better things  before its end8 ,may we  
not hope to influence the public in this
  direction8    ,let us go forward1     
then1 with confidence in the dignity of 
our pursuit4  ,let us hold our heads    
high with a pure conscience while we    
seek the  truth1 and may the ,american  
,physical ,society do its share now and 
in  generations yet to come in trying to
 unravel the great problem of the       
constitution and laws of the ,universe4 

,,henry ,a4 ,,rowland4      ,footnote   
#a3 ,address delivered to the ,physical 
,society of ,america by the  ,president1
 at its meeting in ,new ,york1 ,october 
#bh1 #ahii4