philosophies to discern how the belief in this effect was achieved. To tell more, however, would be to spoil a good story. The chapters on the other machines are equally well done if having slightly less of the flavour of the detective story. In two chapters the authors desert their genre and pursue the precursors of modern devices: graphs and photographic depictions. Both of these chapters are...

over seven decades ago, as the result of endeavors of a group of leading literary and scientific figures the farhangestan-e-awwal (first academy of iran) was established in may 1935 and its activity continued until 1953. presented here is a brief historical account of the establishment of the first academy of iran as well as a look at the biographical sketches of physicians at the academy.