On Thu, 3 Aug 1995, David B. Wright wrote:
> For another thing, the "rules" in style manuals are based on
> "esthetics" at least as often as they are on logic. We are counseled
> by authors of American English style manuals to end quoted
> passages with the period *inside* the quotation marks. But
> if the quoted passage is only *part* of the sentence in question,
> the end-quote mark *logically* belongs inside the period. Things

Interestingly, in the 6th edition (1994) of the CBE Manual, the Council of
Biology Editors, Inc has changed its view on period placement. The closing
period now goes after the closing quotation mark, the "characteristically
British preference".

Scott Richardson