630 THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



canal-boat propulsion. What else may be in store for tbe closing 

 years of the century in still further applications of transmitted 

 electrical power, notably in the displacement of steam in railroad 

 operation, can only be foreshadowed. Suffice it to say that the 

 Niagara Falls Power Company will probably soon find their in- 

 itial fifteen thousand horse-power equipment entirely insufficient 

 to meet the demands upon it. 



SCIENTIFIC EDUCATION.* 



By Dr. H. E. AEMSTEONG, F. E. S. 



ENGLISH boys and girls at the present day are the victims of 

 excessive lesson learning, and are also falling a prey, in in- 

 creasing numbers year by year, to the examination-demon, which 

 threatens to become by far the most ruthless monster the world 

 has ever known either in fact or in fable. Ask any teacher who 

 has to do with students fresh from school his opinion of them : he 

 will say that in the great majority of cases they have little if any 

 power of helping themselves, little desire to learn about things, 

 little if any observing power, little desire to reason on what they 

 see or are called on to witness ; that they are destitute of the sense 

 of accuracy, and satisfied with any performance, however slov- 

 enly ; that, in short, they are neither inquisitive nor acquisitive, 

 and as they too often are idle as well, the opportunities offered 

 to them are blindly sacrificed. A considerable proportion un- 

 doubtedly are by nature mentally very feeble ; but the larger 

 number are by no means without ability, and are, in fact, victims 

 of an acquired disease. We inust find a remedy for this state of 

 things, or perish in the face of the terrific competition now set- 

 ting in. Boys and girls at school must be taught from the very 

 earliest moment to do and to appreciate. It is of no use our teach- 

 ing them merely about things, however interesting no facts must 

 be taught luithout their use being taught simultaneously ; and, as 

 far as possible, they must be led to discover the facts for them- 

 selves. Instead of our placing condensed summaries in their 

 hands, we must lead them to use works of reference and acquire 

 the habit of finding out ; they must always be at work applying 

 their knowledge and solving problems. It is a libel on the human 

 race to say, as many do, that children can not think and reason, 

 and that they can only be taught facts ; early childhood is the 

 time at which these faculties are most apparent, and it is probably 



* From the Presidential Address delivered at the Chemical Society (Great Britain), on 

 March 22, 1894. 



